CC - Agendas - City Council - REGULAR - 5/13/2014

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Prescott City Council Special Voting Meeting April 8, 2014 Page 5 Amber Fields, resident, said the City of Prescott and the citizens should learn from the past and recalled the loss of Hassayampa Lake and how there are currently mansions around the lake and no access. She said the City could spend money on roads any day, but this opportunity does not often present itself. When the opportunity is gone it is gone. Kathy Schultz, Board Member of Yavapai Trails Association, said they were pro open space. She recently wrote a grant to extend some of the trails in Prescott, and the money that she requested from the foundation is being completely supported by volunteers and the donations of property. She did not think the price of the current property was fair, when so many people volunteered their time and gave of their property. Joe Pendergast, Prescott resident and Vice President of the Citizens Tax Committee, said in 1998 the Wirth property was purchased for $650,000 and he thought a new appraisal was necessary. He said an expenditure of this amount should go to the voters and taxpayers should be aware of the long term costs of maintaining the purchase. He discussed the definitions of parks and open space. He said Mr. Wirth should be going to the County to sell his property because it would be preserved as a park, he did not feel that it was an open space issue. Bill Robb, Prescott resident, said this acquisition would go through because the Nature Conservancy was behind it, as mentioned in the Daily Courier by Dan Campbell. Mayor Kuykendall said he hoped the project would go through in some form. He said he lived in the Dells when he first moved here and there were 19 houses there at the time. He said it was not easy property to develop. He noted that two Council people talked with the owner of the property to negotiate the deal. Councilman Arnold said the current appraisal only appraised open space purchases made by the City. He said that was not an effective appraisal. A new appraisal would be a requirement. The development of Storm Ranch was under County Zoning which allows two acre minimums. The five 40 acre parcels could be broken down into over 100 houses. He said that no matter what happened there would be a traffic impact to Highway 89. Councilman Blair said the motion should read with $500,000 in the budget this year, to let the possible partners know that the City is a player. He said that he would like to be on the negotiating team and thought the City should ask the County, Tribe and Prescott Valley to structure a deal. Mayor Pro Tern Lamerson volunteered his services to talk to Mr. Wirth. He had no problem in participating in the $500,000.00. He would not support an amount beyond that.