Town of Resaca eyes selling the Ingle House

The Town of Resaca plans to hold a public meeting after the first of the year to get input on the Ingle House and whether the property should be sold.

“We actually don’t have to have the meeting, but we want to hear from the public,” Mayor Sam Allen said at Tuesday’s work session. The meeting could take place in January or possibly February.

The town purchased the property for $ 154,000 as part of a SPLOST project and turned it into a general use facility for public and private events in 2009, but Allen said it’s only been used a handful of times and the cost of upkeep is more than the town wants to spend.

“It just hasn’t been used that much,” Allen said.

The Ingle House, built in 1887, was bought by the town in 2009, after going nose to nose with then- owner Clyde Runion over Ingle Circle, the small road that runs between the house and the front part of the property. Resaca officials felt the road was part of the town, but Runion argued the road was private property and even barricaded it to keep neighbors from using it. A lengthy legal battle ensued and when the dust cleared, the property was in foreclosure. The town council at the time signed a resolution declaring Ingle Circle would remain a public road, regardless of the property being sold.

Because the house was purchased as a SPLOST project, any money raised from the sale would have to go back into SPLOST funds, not the general fund, according to town officials. Funds from a sale could be used for either an existing SPLOST project or in conjunction with upcoming projects.

The house appraised for $255,000 in September of this year and features a 2,900- square foot twostory house, an in- law suite and a barn on almost eight acres of land. In other Resaca news: The town touched briefly on signing a resolution in support of the Georgia Municipal Association Legislative Policy regarding de- annexation legislation to create new municipalities. The resolution is non- binding and sends a message to the Georgia legislature that the town does not support allowing parts of a municipality to withdraw from the town in order to start another municipality.

The town council also discussed a donation from Melissa Poarch of a “Gone with the Wind” doll and where it could be displayed.

The next meeting of the Resaca Town Council will be held at 6 p. m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 at Resaca Town Hall, located at 330 Walker Street in Resaca.