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| Proposed site for "Mesa Plays' |
Just like some members in the Family Tree, Damon Allred somehow managed to get the fast-track on what is up in front of the Mesa City Council to approve "continuing negotiations" in-the-process for Eminent Domain to cease 18 acres at 2200 North Center Street in Mark Freeman's District 1 near Lehi Road above McKellips.
What's that about? A matter of "public necessity" or what?
Here's a clue in the opening image on a billboard at a toxic BLM piece of land deeded to the city for a buck, located at Red Mountain. It got flagged-out in 2018 by taxpayers.
It was what was once a foretold story from the "Field of Schemes" by Marc Garcia back in 2014, and again in 2018, re-packaged with a hotel complex, for an outdoor youth sports complex. Cheered on from the sidelines by the the mouth of Mayor John Giles about that "Mesa Plays" Ballot Item last year that taxpayers rejected. It was declared it dead-on-arrival. Giles said that taxpayers won't have to deal with it again. Look what horse got out-of-the-barn and what jock-journalist jumped-the-gun loading up a story to Mesa Legend where he's a sportswriter
Youth sports project won’t die
04/03/2019 Damon Allred MesaCC Legend
Sports complex project persevering after Mesa Plays failure
"Whether they pass or fail, not all bills are created equal. Despite a 2018 failure, the Mesa Plays bill continues to live and evolve from its original presentation.
The bill originally proposed the creation of 24 athletic fields, including 10 artificial turf fields, in one massive sports complex located on the corner of 80th St. and Adobe Road, just southeast of Red Mountain High School.
One of the major reasons the City of Mesa wants to build this new complex is to provide high-quality, well-lit fields available for youth usage. . . " [cont'd farther down]
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BLOGGER NOTE: Little did with know that some players or special interests were making-the-rounds apparently for months.
> A written offer was made to the property owner in November 2018 in the amount of $3,820,000 for 18.63 acres of vacant land.
> A counter offer was received from the property owner’s attorney in December 2018 in the amount of $5,700,000.
> A 20-day letter has been sent to the owner on March 6, 2019, by our outside legal counsel.
- Arizona Revised Statutes require that at least twenty (20) days before filing an action for condemnation the City must provide the property owner with a written purchase offer and an appraisal supporting the amount of the offer.
- This letter serves as notice that we are not in agreement with their counter offer and we will be proceeding with eminent domain.
It's an item for a public City Council meeting on Monday 15 April 2019:
Requesting approval for Staff to continue negotiations to acquire certain property located in the 2200 block of North Center Street for the construction of athletic fields, and in order to avoid construction delays, authorizing and directing Staff, that fee title, or other interests in, and possession of, certain property, be acquired by the City of Mesa through eminent domain, as a matter of public necessity. (District 1)
It is Resolution 5-g
File #19-0428
| Title: | Requesting approval for Staff to continue negotiations to acquire certain property located in the 2200 block of North Center Street for the construction of athletic fields, and in order to avoid construction delays, authorizing and directing Staff, that fee title, or other interests in, and possession of, certain property, be acquired by the City of Mesa through eminent domain, as a matter of public necessity. (District 1) |
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The entire Council Report is reproduced after the rest of Damon Allred's article
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Mesa Mayor John Giles said, “We have a real shortage in Mesa of lighted athletic fields for youth sports… We could schedule another 1,000 hours per week of lighted athletic fields between soccer, baseball, football, field hockey, and all the things that people want to do.”
The original planned location was prime real estate for the city. Mayor Giles said, “We have over 100 acres of property that was given to the City of Mesa by the Bureau of Land Management with the restriction that it has to be used for recreational purposes.”
The average Mesa homeowner would’ve had to pay $24 per year, while tourism taxes on hotels and revenue generated by the complex would pay for the rest of the expenses. That revenue could reach astronomical levels thanks, in part, to the tourism the sports complex would attract. At full booking capacity, the facility would have an annual economic output of over $365 million, and the complex would bring in over 400,000 annual visitors while supporting nearly 3,500 sustainable jobs.
But the bill failed to pass. Questions 4, 5, and 6 made up the bill, and while Q4 passed with a 6.11 percent margin, Q5 and Q6 both failed with a combined margin of 3.11 percent. Mayor Giles attributed the failed vote to dissatisfaction with taxpayer-funded sports facilities ever since the attempted Arizona Cardinals stadium in Mesa.
He added, “Half of the project did pass, so you’re going to see a lot of nice, new fields there… And maybe once that happens and we can go back later and say let’s go ahead and finish the project if the voters see what a great facility this is.”
Going forward, the project has a few options, one of which is to bring slightly adjusted propositions before the people again, but Mayor Giles said, “I think the voters have spoken and I’m pessimistic the voters are going to change their minds on the stadium side of it.”
The project also has the option of using a different location and funding privately, as the current location will not allow for non-public use.
VisitMesa CEO and president Marc Garcia, who was not at liberty to share specifics, said, “At least two other parcels of land are being explored by a private sector entity.”
Garcia added,
“If it does come to fruition, I think it will be very successful because it will have our support.” The project in some ways seems like an inevitability.
Source: https://mesalegend.com/youth-sports-project-wont-die/
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City Council Report
Date: April 15, 2019
To: City Council
Through: Kari Kent, Assistant City Manager
From: Beth Huning, City Engineer and Rob Kidder, Assistant City Engineer
Subject: Authority to acquire property located at 2200 block of North Center Street Council District #1
Purpose and Recommendation
The purpose of this report is to consider a staff recommendation to authorize staff to acquire parcels of land necessary for the North Center Athletic Fields located in the 2200 block of North Center Street. Staff is requesting authorization to acquire certain parcels through eminent domain if necessary. Staff intends to continue to negotiate with the property owner with the intent of reaching a settlement. Our goal is to acquire the parcels through negotiations with the property owner.
Background
On July 2, 2018, City Council was presented General Obligation Bond Projects for the General Election in November 2018. As part of Parks & Cultural, the North Center Street property was on the list for athletic fields.
In November 2018, the voters approved Question 4, that authorized the City to issue and sell general obligation bonds to provide funds to design, acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, furnish, equip and install: libraries, museums, arts and cultural facilities and improvements, parks, open space and recreation facilities and improvements, and including acquisition of land or interests therein necessary for such purposes.
Discussion
Real Estate Services has received an appraisal in the amount of $3,820,000 for 18.63 acres of vacant land.
> A written offer was made to the property owner in November 2018.
> A counter offer was received from the property owner’s attorney in December 2018 in the amount of $5,700,000.
- This counter offer was not supported by an appraisal.
- The owner’s attorney has informed the City they will not be getting an appraisal at this time.
> A 20-day letter has been sent to the owner on March 6, 2019, by our outside legal counsel.
- Arizona Revised Statutes require that at least twenty (20) days before filing an action for condemnation the City must provide the property owner with a written purchase offer and an appraisal supporting the amount of the offer.
- This letter serves as notice that we are not in agreement with their counter offer and we will be proceeding with eminent domain.
The City is required by law to pay what is called “just compensation” for the land needed for this project. “Just compensation” includes the value of the land and any improvements being taken and damages equal to any diminishment in value of the remaining property resulting from the acquisition.
Staff seeks Council approval to start the court proceedings on these parcels where the City and Property owner have not yet reached an agreement.
> Staff will continue to work with the property owner and attempt to reach an agreement on a compensation amount for this property.
> Filing the court actions is necessary because it will allow the City to seek the Order of Immediate Possession (OIP), so that the Project may proceed while the negotiations regarding compensation continue a parallel course.
Alternative
The project cannot begin as scheduled if the use of eminent domain is not authorized when necessary to obtain immediate possession.
Fiscal Impact
The recommendation does not have a fiscal impact on the overall cost of the project.
Concurrence
The Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities and Engineering concur with this recommendation
