Title
Authorizing the vacation and disposal of city land within the Saint Anthony Park Library property to the adjacent residential property owners.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul ("City") owns the property located at 2245 Como Avenue, which is the site of the Saint Anthony Park Library, as described and depicted in Exhibit A attached hereto (the "Library Property"); and
WHEREAS, Richard and Nancy Foss (“Homeowners”) own the residential property at 2239 Como Avenue, which lies adjacent to and south of the Library Property, also as described and depicted in Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, in 2015 the Homeowners approached the City to request permission to construct a permanent fence between the Library Property and their residential property, and the City contracted with a private land survey company to clarify the location of the line between the two properties; and
WHEREAS, based on the survey, which included a review of historic survey records, the City determined that the property line was further to the south, and the Homeowners were occupying approximately 3,000 square feet of city property (Lot 21) that included both sloping and flat land, landscaped areas, a yard area, and part of a concrete retaining wall (the “Border Land Area”); and
WHEREAS, the Homeowners have been using, maintaining and improving the Border Land Area since 2011 when they purchased the property, as they believe they own said area; and
WHEREAS, city library staff evaluated the City’s need for the Border Land Area for library use, and following neighborhood meetings and communications with members of the Saint Anthony Park community, and with the support of the Ward 4 City Councilmember, concluded that the Border Land Area would not be needed for library expansion; and
WHEREAS, the City and the Homeowners entered into discussions about a potential sale by the City of the Border Land Area and establishment of a mutually-acceptable property line bordering the two properties; a...
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