Elected officials with the City of Milton voted to proceed with the purchase of two property parcels which could be vital in bringing a new courthouse facility to the downtown area.
During last week's regular council meeting, City Manager Brian Watkins informed the council of progress in attaining property south of the current county courthouse location.
Watkins said the city agreed to a purchase price on one property parcel for $59,000 with the current owner and a second purchase price on another property parcel for $57,000.
The city has a 45-day due diligence period in which city officials will survey and appraise both parcels before the acquisitions are finalized, Watkins said.
In the prior week's executive committee meeting, Council member Jimmy Messick said he would abstain from voting on the downtown property, due to the landlord of Messick's office building pursuing a piece of property currently sought by the city.
Messick updated the council the landlord had completely withdrew his contract.
“This is no longer an issue,” Messick said.
Since his landlord was no longer interested in obtaining the property, Messick said he should not be bound to abstain from voting on the particular issue.
While the council voted unanimously to go ahead with the purchase of the two parcels, Watkins also informed the council on the city's progress on attaining another property parcel currently owned by CSX Corporation. Watkins said city staff already contacted CSX on potentially purchasing the property.
Watkins received direction from council to proceed on negotiating with CSX on obtaining the property.
“If we agree on a price, then we are going to buy,” he said.
Watkins estimates the negotiating process on the CSX property could take between four to six months.
As for acquiring future property parcels, Watkins said the city is currently negotiating on another downtown property and will soon begin on speaking with owners on two other parcels.
In May, the council voted to pursue purchasing property parcels in order to show the city's commitment in keeping a new county judiciary facility in downtown Milton.
Watkins said county officials suggested the city obtain the properties in order to accommodate a potential new courthouse facility.
Should a courthouse be located elsewhere in the county, Watkins said the sought after properties would be utilized in the city's master plan for redeveloping downtown.
“In the master plan, we have shown that even these pieces of property are ones we would like to have in order to execute the master plan as it is put in,” he said.
Watkins said the funding used to purchase these properties is coming from the city's debt service accounts.
“We have debt service accounts, where we put money in there in order to make sure we are able to pay off our debt service and we have extra monies in there,” Watkins said.
Watkins said he does not anticipate any problems in finalizing the contracts on the first two acquired properties. He anticipates having those contracts finalized by the next couple of weeks.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton Council approves purchase of two downtown properties