Bicentennial lots sold
Bicentennial lots sold
By STU MERRY
Garrison’s City Council has unanimously approved the sale of 20 lots in the Bicentennial Addition to Cecil Osterlund and Nathan Turck. The two told the council Monday night they plan to develop the lots as single family dwellings.
Osterlund said interest in the area is already building.
“We are looking at breaking ground on two lots,” he added.
The two will be doing business as Osterlund Woodworks. Turck is the son-in-law of Osterlund. The two offered $40,000 for the residential lots.
City officials have been trying to come up with a way to utilize the area for the past few years, making the addition home buyer friendly. But no cut and dried solution could be agreed upon. Adding infrastructure to the entire area would have been too cost prohibitive, city officials reasoned. About a year ago, the council considered developing five lots at a time. Once five lots were sold, curb, gutter and paving would be added, but no action was taken. The city also advertised the addition last year, hoping to entice developers, but had no takers. With what has been done already (engineering costs to re-plat the area and other expenses) the city has put more than $27,800 into the area located northwest of St. Paul Lutheran Church.
“We are buying to develop,” Osterlund told the council.
But lots would be available if the purchaser abides by a covenant, which has yet to be developed, he noted.
Regarding parameters a covenant would have, Osterlund said, “It should keep things up better as far as tax value goes.”
Osterlund told council members the plan is to develop the area five lots at a time. The homes would be built in adjoining lots and across the street from each other so as a group of homes is complete city officials could add curb, gutter and paving. The properties would then be billed for those improvements through special assessments.
