By THOMAS LUCKIE III

OGDENSBURG -- The Ogdensburg City School District on Monday will let voters decide on selling a parcel of surplus property to the City of Ogdensburg for $1 at the school budget vote on May 16.

The parcel is non-conforming lot located at the corner of paper Jersey Avenue and paper Rosseel Street near John F. Kennedy Elementary School.

New York State Education Law authorizes school districts to sell unused school buildings and sites to public corporations for public uses.

The City of Ogdensburg would be responsible for all legal fees associated with the closing and property transfer, should voters approve the proposal.

An adjacent city-owned surplus property at 1411 Lafayette St. would be merged with the parcel currently owned by the district to create one contiguous block for redevelopment.

City Director of Planning and Development Andrea Smith initially discussed the city's proposal to purchase the property from the district at a December board meeting.

"They would be long lots that would have frontage off of Lafayette Street, which is where the infrastructure currently is," Smith said. "The whole block would be listed for sale with a note on the surplus property that it could be subdivided into up to three lots."

The city-owned property on Lafayette Street is located within a moderate-density residential zoning district and would require a use variance for any potential commercial development.