(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council on Wednesday voted 5-2 to reject Chuck Templeman’s bid of $4,810.00 on City-owned property at 204 West 3rd Street, 202 West 3rd Street, and 211 Locust Street.
Templeman informed the City he planned to build a garage on the property for an estimated construction cost of $10,000. Templeman owns a rental property at 209 Locust Street to the north of these lots. Dick Casady and Pat McCurdy voted in favor of the bid.
Linda Hartkopf, Jim Behrens, Gerald Brink, Grace Garrett, and Kathy Somers voted no. Somers stated for years the City discussed buying the properties in that neighborhood for future development.
Mayor Jones will send the proposed sale to the committee for further discussion. Meanwhile, Chuck Templeman rescinded his bid of $4,810.00.
The Council rejected a second bid for a City-owned lot at 611 Linn Street, for lack of a motion. James Hemphill bid $650 for the lot and intended to merge it with his own property to the north.
Atlantic City Administrator John Lund says the property is assessed at $8,300, and the bid and it cost the city $83,873 to demolish a home on the lot because of asbestos and stucco.
The City Land Use Disposal Policy would require $8,300 for the transaction. Lund said given the cost to demolish it, the prime location across from the Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center, and the fact it doesn’t meet the standards found in the policy, he will recommend the City reject the bid.
Meanwhile, the City Council approved the sale of City-owned property at 211 W. 6thg Street, to Jeff Pross, for $1.00, with the stipulation Pross builds a home valued at $100,000 or more on the vacant lot. Pross told the City Council he plans to build a stick-built home, with wooden siding. Pross has 180-days to construct the home. When asked if that would be enough time, Pross admitted “it would be close,” and he would need to sell his home in Kansas City before he begins construction at the Atlantic location.
The Council also approved street closings on 6th Street, from Chestnut Street to Poplar, on Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., from June 6th through September 30th, for Produce in the Park. The Council also approved a street closing on 4th Street, from Chestnut to Walnut Street, on July 17th, from 7:00 a.m. until Midnight, for SHIFT ATL’s Farm-to-Table Fundraiser.
In other news, Citizens who would like to file complaints can do so online at https://atlanticia.seamlessdocs.com/f/citizenreportingform. Junk vehicles and barking dogs cannot be reported on this form. Those issues should be reported to the Police Station at 243-3512.
