X

City councilors say they are 'not interested' in utilizing Ford Street parking lot owned by the Ogdensburg Growth Fund

Posted 3/25/14

By JIMMY LAWTON OGDENSBURG – City councilors say they are not interested in using or purchasing a 420 Ford Street parking lot owned by the Ogdensburg Growth Fund. At Monday meeting planning …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

City councilors say they are 'not interested' in utilizing Ford Street parking lot owned by the Ogdensburg Growth Fund

Posted

By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG – City councilors say they are not interested in using or purchasing a 420 Ford Street parking lot owned by the Ogdensburg Growth Fund.

At Monday meeting planning director Andrea Smith said the fund was reviewing the property as well as the Post Office, which is also owned by the fund.

Smith said the Growth Fund has not decided whether or not it would sell the property, which is assessed at about $22,000. Although the Growth Fund is eligible for tax-exempt status, it currently chooses to pay taxes on properties it owns.

After some discussion regarding the property’s history, councilors said they would like to see it remain on the tax rolls and do not currently have a use in mind for the parking lot, which is adjacent to the Center For Sight and used by several local businesses including Phillip’s Diner.

“I think there is consensus from the council,” Mayor William Nelson said. “We’d prefer to keep it on the tax roll.”

Currently the city has been maintaining the lot, but following a recent separation of the city and the Growth Fund, that will not occur next year. Smith said the Growth Fund would be responsible for snow removal and other maintenance should it decide to keep the property.

Councilor William Hosmer was concerned that a sale of the property to a private entity could mean a fenced off parking lot that would not be accessible.

Smith said that if the Growth Fund decides to sell the lot, they would approach adjacent property owners before marketing it.

“Before they do anything, they wanted to see if there was an interest from the city,” Smith said of the Growth Fund.

She said the Growth Fund will continue to look at options for the property at its April meeting.