By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
The City of Parsons discussed the first draft of a 50 year lease on land for the proposed G.S. Millworks expansion project October 15th during the City’s regular Council meeting. At the meeting City Attorney Tim Stranko presented the first draft for review and discussion of issues he would like clarification and direction on to the the Council. “What I would like to do is underline the issues and think about and have you consult with the City Manager on these terms,” Stranko said.
In the lease, Stranko said he had written in a 50 year lease term on the FEMA lots surrounding G.S. Millworks, but asked for clarification on the dollar amount the City was requesting from the entity. “I’m assuming its a 50 year lease which is the maximum you can give,” Stranko said. “And the consideration, what are they paying us for the lease? I’ve not heard a dollar figure.”
Stranko said along with money, the City also needed to consider what other considerations the City was going to require on the lease as terms from the entity. “You need to think about whether you want to charge them money for the land,” Stranko said. “And then certainly what in kind duties we want to assign to them in exchange for the lease.”
Council Member Seth Rosenau said that at a previous meeting the subject had been brought up with a discussion that the other FEMA lots in the area only being rented for a dollar a year. Rosenau said the conversation also brought up the subject that a shrubbery line would need to be placed to block view from the City to G.S. Millworks, should the lease be approved. “A couple of Council Members brought up the fact we only charge the rest of the citizens a dollar per lot,” Rosenau said. “They also said if we were going to allow this to happen, they were going to have to put a shrubbery line at the end for a view to block.”
Council Member Melissa Jones mentioned the need to acquire a single lot in the center of the project not currently owned by the City. Stranko said the City was hoping the lot would be donated, but should the City have to pay for the lot, it could change the amount they need the charge G.S. Millworks for that one lot. “If we have to acquire that lot and its not a FEMA lot, then what?” Jones said.
Stranko said that Rosenau made a valid point on the lot rent being equal for all renters in the FEMA lots. “Seth’s point about being fair to everybody else is just legal protection under the law we have to treat everybody the same way,” Stranko said.
Discussion on the issue also centered on protection of the Butternut Tree in the area and is the largest of its kind in the state. The Council discussed concessions to move the protective barrier back to protect the tree, as well as problem trees surrounding the tree. Many of the problem trees, the discussion determined were located on the one lot in the are not owned by the City, but that the City is actively trying to acquire.
