Carroll Valley to sell borough-owned lots

(6/24) Carroll Valley Borough Council will sell parcels of borough-owned property this summer.

Borough Manager Dave Hazlett told the council that he has identified nine properties the borough should sell. The properties do not benefit the borough’s operations, but the sales would benefit the borough's coffers.

Hazlett said the borough paid a total of $34,630 for the lots. He suspects the sales could net $250,000.

The lots expected to go to public auction with public sewer available are: 4 Grouse Trail (0.78 acres), 22 Sunshine Trail (0.87 acres), 19 Sunfish Trail (0.54 acres), 50 Crossland Trail (0.82 acres), 2 Elm Trail (0.57 acres), 39 Main Trail (0.46 acres), 45/47 Crossland Trail (1.36 acres), and 49/51 Crossland Trail (0.94 acres). A lot at 68 Shirley Trail (0.52 acres) cannot connect to public sewer, but it has passed a perc test Hazlett said. A perc test determines if a lot’s soil will absorb water at the necessary rate. If a perc test fails, a septic system cannot be installed on the property.

In November, the council approved a Lot Sale Guidelines document. The guidelines are just a document, Hazlett said. The guidelines remind council and borough staff to consider several factors when selling borough lots, including the economy, interest rate fluctuations, the availability of land, and whether a current resident requested interest in the lot.

The market lead Hazlett to push forward the sale of nine lots.

"The real estate market right now is probably the best it has ever been in my 20 years here," Hazlett said.

Pennsylvania law mandates public property be sold at a public auction with the sale price determined by an appraisal, Hazlett said. Hazlett has not yet determined how the auction will be conducted and said sealed bids, public sale, or a combination of the two are possible. Hazlett prefers sealed bids because they make the process available to those who may not be able to attend a scheduled auction. The sale is expected to begin in July and end in August.

Hazlett said the borough council can do whatever it wishes with the sales’ proceeds, but the staff hopes it will direct the money towards creating a new borough park. A special committee is exploring options for a 50-acre lot along Route 16 near Frontier BBQ.