City-owned land to be expropriated to residents

The city of Amherst will expropriate land that is between two properties on Terra and Birch lanes.

During the City Council meeting April 2, members discussed the vacant land in between 108 Terra Lane and 882 Birch Lane, which will go to one or both residences.

“It is a narrow parcel of land that is owned by the city,” Mayor Mark Costilow said. “It is something that the city has had to care for, but it has become dilapidated.

“It has also been used as a walking path for those walking home from St. Joseph Parish School and the high school as well.”

Costilow said it would be less work for the city if the land is given to the residents.

“The city is currently charged with the maintenance of the property,” he said. “That’s a lot of work that the city would no longer have to worry about.

“Not to mention the fact that the land’s neighbors have come to us about it in the past.”

Costilow said the goal is to have the Community Improvement Corporation come in to negotiate on the city’s behalf.

“It is up to the two property owners on both sides of the land to divide it up,” he said. “The land is only 10 feet wide, so it could easily go to either resident.”

Costilow said the city couldn’t find why the land was there.

“We looked at the city’s records and couldn’t find anything,” he said. “There was no good reason why you have a small city-owned strip of land between two existing homes.

“It doesn’t really make any sense for the city to hang on to it. There have been issues with the kids walking through the land and possibly vandalizing their homes, so it would simplify things to have it owned privately.”

Costilow said the city has a few lots similar to this situation.

“We will continue to look at the city-owned lots and the value they have,” he said. “We will see if they are usable and what we can do with them.

“This is a case where the land is so small and it only make sense to expropriate the land to the two residents. They are really interested in owning it.

“We will wait to see what the CIC says before we go to the next step of having the land divided,” he said. “It will then be up to engineers to do a lot split and go from there.”