County Land Sale on Park Point- some answers and more questions

HI, The PPCC Exec. Board met last month and sent off a  list of questions to the county and city based on neighborhood conversations and concerns. We also cc’d Representatives Simon and Reinert re. recent legislation:

Here are the questions and the answers that I have received so far from county, city. 

Please contact County Commissioner Frank Jewell with questions and concerns.

Our executive board has fielded questions re. property adjacent to the Duluth Rowing Club, north side parcel. It is 010-3110-01950 and includes 12 lots -377 thru 399; borders the rowing club.

This property is  listed in the property tax look-up as county owned tax forfeited but it is not listed on the city council document.

In 2013, these parcels were already approved for sale by all the required parties.

What exactly is the status of that property? I have heard conflicting reports that the land will become City Park or DEDA property and not sold, offered  to the rowing club, sold at auction to interested parties across the street. Would you be willing to clear this up?

This parcel will be split into individual lots and offered to adjacent owners, with the exception of the three lots to the south.  Those three lots will require County Board approval for sale to DEDA.  Subsequently, DEDA could convey those parcels to the Rowing Club.

We have also had questions about the sale, use and monitoring of shoreline property that will be sold.

If adjacent owners are not interested or can’t afford,  will property be available to the public for sale?

Yes, for those parcels that are non-conforming, the adjacent owners will first be offered.  If they do not purchase, the parcels will then go to another method of sale.

Will there be a “reserve” price that must be met to sell the land? If so, how will that “reserve”be calculated? If the reserve is not met, what will happen to the property?

All parcels will be appraised.  Upon County Board approval, the minimum bid, or value (what you may be referring to as “reserve”) is the beginning price at auction, for those parcels that are conforming.   If the parcel has been to auction and not purchased, it will go on our Available Lands List.  This is where all of our unsold properties go after auction.

What type of structures may be built on the shoreline properties?  Ie fences, sheds, fire-pits? Can the lots be used for boat storage?

 All questions regarding zoning, should be directed to the City of Duluth Building Safety office.

Which city office will be responsible for monitoring/enforcing any applicable rules and regulations?

The City of Duluth is the zoning authority, and they will administer applicable ordinances.  As to “any” rules and regulations, there could be other entities involved, such as the DNR and Corps of Engineers.  It all depends on what rules and regulations you are speaking of.

The parcels behind Marcia Hales on 38^th Street are in a Preservation zone in the Future Land Use and were not approved for sale.  The water lots South of 36^th Street can only be used as “Accessory” to a primary use across Minnesota Avenue from those sites.  These are zoned R-1. (Hamre)

50-20: Use Specific Standards

3-31

Accessory Boat Dock, Residential

This use shall comply with the following standards:

1. Dockage of boats owned and primarily used by a resident of the property is a permitted accessory use to the primary residential use and shall not be limited in number;

2. If there is a residential structure on the property and the property has frontage on an improved street, the owner of the residential structure may rent out boat dockage to a maximum of two boats owned by others. If the property does not have frontage on an improved street, the owner of the residential structure may not rent dockage space to others. Boat dockage use on a property that is not residentially developed is permitted as a principal use provided that the use is limited to one boat for each lot or group of contiguous lots in the same ownership, and the boat is owned and primarily used by the owner of the property;

3. For each new rental boat dock space created or made legal after April 14, 1974, one off street parking space shall be provided in addition to all other off street parking spaces required by other legal uses of the property, such spaces to be constructed in accordance with Section 50-24;

4. At the request of the building official, the owner of property shall provide boat registration or other documentary evidence to prove compliance with these standards;

5. No buildings other than residential or residential accessory structures, no winter storage of boats other than those owned by a resident of the property in question, no repair facilities, fuel sales, food or refreshment sales, rentals of boats, boat or parts sales or displays or other commercial uses shall be permitted.

 What about minimum prices for the  non-conforming water lots? One neighbor currently leases bay side dock lot and wants to know what minimum bid will be on the land on the bay. 

The minimum prices for the non-conforming water lots will be set by the St. Louis County Board.  No prices/value/minimum bids are available for any of the parcels on Park Point, at this time.

When is the auction for the Park Point land for sale and how do you register to bid?

The special sale will be November 18, 2014 at 10:00 am, at the Depot in Duluth.  This sale will include other properties and is not limited to Park Point parcels.  As for registration, we are required to notify adjacent property owners of parcels to be sold at public auction.  We will send out a sale booklet to each of them.  There is a pre-registration form included in that booklet.  There will be a registration table on the day of the sale, as well, for anyone wanting to register the day of the sale.  (Registration doesn’t take very long.)   In addition, there is also be a form on our website: http://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/LANDPROPERTY/TaxForfeitFeeLands/TaxForfeitedLandSales.aspx

Dawn,