The city of Leesburg may pass up a chance to plug a hole in its land holdings along County Road 468 between Schoolview and Pruitt streets if the current price tag doesn’t come down.
Sitting in their capacity as the Carver Heights/Montclair Area Community Redevelopment Agency, city commissioners on Monday balked at the $191,000 asking price for a three-bedroom home on a 1-acre lot sandwiched between the Leesburg Resource Center and other city-owned land to the north.
Noting the home has been appraised at $171,000 by S&S Appraisals and Realty Inc., commissioners voted to reject the owner’s price and make a final offer of $175,000.
“A hard-line $175,000 – take it or leave it – is where I would like to see us at,” said Mayor John Christian.
Leesburg has no plans for what to do with the property at 1115 County Road 468 if it acquires the outparcel, but city officials decided to pursue the possibility after the owner, Gwen Allen-Carston, approached them with her interest in selling it to the city.
“While there is not a specific purpose for the parcel, Ms. Allen sought the city for purchase, and staff is of the opinion that for unforeseen reasons associated with its proximity to existing city facilities, the parcel would be one for purchase consideration,” City Manager Al Minner wrote in a memo to commissioners.
Christian said this isn’t the first time the city has thought about buying the property and he still believes it would be an asset, but he added the price has to be right.
“I want this property…but we could take the $20,000 [price difference] and do some other things with it,” he said.
Commissioner Mike Pederson agreed.
“I’d like to have it, but we don’t have to have it,” Pederson said.