On election day in five weeks, Wrangell will vote whether to give the borough permission to sell or lease all or part of the former 6-Mile sawmill property, which the borough purchased earlier this summer in hopes of spurring economic development in town.
Sale or lease of borough property valued at over $1 million requires approval from a majority of voters.
The borough paid $2.5 million for the 32-acre parcel.
The assembly Aug. 23 voted unanimously to put the question on the Oct. 4 municipal election ballot.
Assemblymember David Powell anticipated minimal pushback from the community on the sale or lease of the property. “People don’t want the borough to own land,” he said. Selling or leasing the property would take it off the borough’s hands and potentially open up new economic opportunities in industry or tourism.
The borough is currently discussing disposal of the land with “interested parties,” Borough Manager Jeff Good told the assembly. The borough has not disclosed who these parties are, or how many are interested in the mill property.
If the assembly can strike a deal to sell or lease the property, it still would require assembly approval of the contract. Before any such vote, the assembly would solicit community feedback through a public forum. “We want to see what the public wants for the site,” Good said.
If the borough waits until next year’s election to get permission to sell or lease the land, it would lose the opportunity to make a deal with any private parties this year.
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