Duane Hicks
Housing lots in the proposed “Huffman” residential subdivision on Williams Avenue soon may be put up for sale.
Council looked at lot pricing scenarios during Monday’s budget meeting and while the numbers will have to be fine-tuned a bit more, prices for the 16—six fronting Williams Avenue and an additional 10 on a proposed cul-de-sac—will range from just over $50,000 for the smallest to $82,000 for the largest.
The costing is based on a scenario indicating the subdivision work would cost about $913,000.
There also was discussion Monday of which method of disposition to use, such as first-come/first-served, sealed bid, and auction.
But the majority of council favoured using a lottery system to give potential purchasers the chance to choose and commit to the purchase of a lot based on a random draw.
This was seen as the most impartial and fair way to do it, as the first person drawn will get first pick of whichever lot they want to buy.
The only drawback is if a potential purchaser may withdraw or lose interest if their preferred lot no longer is available.
The lottery system could be fine-tuned so that separate draws are made for smaller and larger lots.
Only Coun. Paul Ryan opposed this, reasoning that a sealed bid system would net the town a higher price for its lots.
Municipal planner Faye Flatt said yesterday she will begin e-mailing the 27 people she has on a list who have expressed interested in the proposed lots.
“What we want to do is get an indication from these people how serious they are in moving forward, as well as their preference in lots,” she noted.
“The reason we want to know is we’ve got 16 lots and 27 people on the list,” said Flatt.
“In an ideal world, no one would want the same lot, but the reality is there’s probably three or four lots that we’re going to find people want.
“I’ll probably be sending out an e-mail asking for people to give me an indication of their top five, top three, or something like that so we can gauge their interest in any one or two of the specific lots,” she explained.
Flatt said she is encouraging anyone who has an interest in a lot to contact her at fflat@fort-frances.com and specify which lots are their top picks.
“What I hope to gain from that is the knowledge of which lots are the most sought-after,” she remarked. “If there’s six lots that rise to the top, so to speak, then we know that we have six different people interested in at least six lots.
“Therefore, that’s enough to proceed.”
Council also talked Monday about terms and conditions. For example, since council wants lots sold so houses are built, occupied, and generating taxes, a new home must be substantially completed within two building seasons of the purchaser buying the lot.
“If they don’t build within those two years, the town takes the property back at the cost of the purchaser,” said Flatt.
As well, council received a report regarding the results of a tender put out for the Huffman subdivision project.
The lowest tender bid was by Wagner Construction Canada.
A council decision on the award of the tender must be made prior to May 11 to hold the pricing.
Several members of council said Monday that they would like to see at least five of the 16 lots sold prior to May 11 before going ahead and awarding this tender.
A public meeting regarding the subdivision will be scheduled in the near future.
In related news, the town’s four executive committees are in the process of reviewing a recommendation from the Fort Frances Seniors Advisory Committee that the town hold off on demolishing the former school and instead use it as a temporary second location to the Sister Kennedy Centre.
