The Town of The Blue Mountains has identified 11 properties that could be declared surplus and eventually sold.
At council’s committee of the whole meeting on Nov. 6, CAO Shawn Everitt delivered a report that outlined a number of properties that could potentially be sold by the town to raise money for the annual budget.
During the 2023 budget process, council charged staff with looking into what surplus property the town owns with an eye towards eventually selling unneeded land to raise some quick cash to help with the municipal budget. At the time, council hoped the process could net $400,000 for the budget.
The CAO’s report noted 11 properties (full maps here) in the town’s inventory as possibly being surplus. The properties are a mixture of unopened/unused road allowances and other small lots.
“It’s incredibly important to note that no lands are being declared surplus, disposed of or sold at this time,” said Everitt, who explained the town has a policy in place that outlines the process for declaring property surplus to be sold to the public.
Council unanimously passed a resolution giving staff permission to start the public consultation process required in the town’s policy. Everitt said he expects public meetings on the properties to be held in March 2024. He said the town plans to notify adjacent property owners about the potential availability of land next door directly. He also said he did not want public meetings about surplus land being held at the same time as public meetings on the upcoming budget.
There's one type of property that won't be included in any surplus lists.
“Staff has been very mindful not to include any waterfront property,” he said.
Although the town is early in the process, members of council briefly discussed how funds realized from the sale of surplus lands could be used. The town’s current policy uses funds from land sales to pay for Community Improvement Plan projects for attainable housing. In light of council’s desire to sell land to help with the budget situation, Everitt asked for a two-year moratorium on that policy.
Coun. Paula Hope was unsure about the direction.
“Can we go to one year? It concerns me we’re considering this at this time,” she said, and asked if the moratorium could be in place until $400,000 is raised. “Our land is very valuable.”
Everitt said Hope’s suggestion was certainly a possibility should council decide to go in that direction.
Subsequently, council passed a second resolution on the matter to have further discussions, during the 2024 budget process, about how to use funds generated by potential land sales.
