NOTE: Portions of this report have been clarified and otherwise edited since the original posting.
By MELINDA J. OVERSTREET
for Glasgow News 1
Steps are taking place toward the donation of some property just off the Glasgow Public Square to the city.
Mayor Henry Royse advised members of the Finance Committee of the Glasgow Common Council on Tuesday evening that the owner of 210-216 W. Main St. is paying to have asbestos in the buildings abated. The city would pay nothing for the property itself but would be responsible for any further demolition and removal of the remaining materials.
The property owner, Councilman Patrick Gaunce, would receive documentation from the city of the completed deed transfer that he could then submit with his federal tax filing to claim a deduction on the total amount of federal taxes he would owe, based on the appraised value of the property, which is roughly $70,000. Although the mayor used the words “tax credit” to refer to this documentation the city would provide, Gaunce would not be receiving any reduction of taxes owed or any other financial incentive from the city itself in exchange for the property.
The potential donation of the property was formally brought to the attention of the committee in September, Chairman Terry Bunnell said, and its members wanted more information before making a recommendation about moving forward. One suggested use was to make it a “pocket park” with some picnic tables and other seating.
A cursory look at the property brought an estimate of $115,000 for demolition, which would include the hazardous materials abatement, and the mayor said he told Gaunce they weren’t really interested in taking it if it had any encumbrance to tearing it down. Subsequently, Gaunce contracted with Interstate Environmental Services Inc. to abate the asbestos and provide certification afterward that it has been done.
“So he’s spending the extra money. We’re just going to receive the property free of any asbestos encumbrances,” Royse said.
He continued that the city attorney had suggested the committee could vote to recommend a resolution with certain conditions that would go to the full nine-member council for it to approve or decline receipt of the donation.
The mayor said Gaunce had the property appraised.
“We can’t give him a tax credit for more than he’s got in it, so that was the reason why that I stressed that he needs to get with his CPA and realize that we’re restricted on how much we can actually issue him a tax credit for, but that we’re not going to spend any money cleaning it up, so that’s what that amounts to,” Royse said.
Councilman Marlin Witcher asked what would happen to the buildings if the city didn’t accept them.
“I don’t know. I guess it’ll just stay there or he can tear it down or whatever,” Royse replied.
Councilwoman Chasity Lowery pointed out that having the property would give them direct access – essentially the only access – to the retaining wall at the edge of the city parking lot behind those existing buildings that stretches from the square to South Liberty Street, and needed work on the wall is anticipated to be at a significant cost.
“That’s right,” Royse said. “It’s in terrible shape.”
Bunnell said the value of the potentially donated property to the city is truly that access, so the retaining wall can be repaired and maintained.
“It’s a viable piece to us to help the parking lot and then to allow people to come from the parking lot down to West Main Street, just for public access,” he said, referring to an earlier suggestion for a stairway connecting the parking lot to the West Main property.
Lowery, adding to that thought, said it would also eventually provide easier access to the future justice center that would be just west of there along West Main, if someone were coming from that part of the square.
Royse said there has been a lot of discussion of potential uses of the property if the city gets it.
“I don’t know that there’s any real effort to put anything specifically there, but it’s an eyesore. The priority is to get it right and fix the wall,” he said.
Bunnell said it’s up to the city to maintain its property in a safe and sound manner, and this would allow that to happen.
“Now, we’ll pay for the demo of the building,” he said.
“Right,” Royse said. “I don’t believe there’ll be much of that. Of course, we can do that in-house. That’s sort of what we bring to the table.”
He said there is going to be so much to be done there that “They’re going to practically tear the building down to get the asbestos out of it. We’re just going to sweep up a little bit. But, if we have to have that property to deal with that wall, I don’t think there’s any better way to get it; we’re having it gifted to us, and somebody else is doing to pay to get the problem out of there.”
Bunnell said he concurred.
He said he would like them to include in any motion that the appraisal that was done in October should also be addressed and forwarded to the city as a third party, so they have documentation of what was considered its fair market value.
With Councilman Freddie Norris absent, those three voting members present voted unanimously to take the proposed donation forward to the council, contingent upon getting the certification that the property is free of asbestos and having the appraisal.
Reached by phone by Glasgow News 1 on Wednesday, Gaunce said the price of the hazardous materials assessment and abatement is $24,325.
His understanding of what would be left after the asbestos abatement did not match Royse’s perception.
The structures didn’t have as much asbestos in them as he thought might be there, as it was really only in the shingles in the awning and in floor tiles in the interior, so the abatement process will remove those things, he said.
“He would tear off the front awning and take up the floor tiles,” Gaunce said of the Interstate Environmental representative. “You would still have the structures; you would still have to grade it down.”
He said once all the building material is removed, additional work may also be necessary to bring the space to ground level.
The next regular full council meeting would normally be this coming Monday, but that one is canceled for the Christmas holiday, so the next one is at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 in Council Chambers on Floor 2 of Glasgow City Hall, 126 E. Public Square.
The Finance Committee’s regular meetings are at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesdays of each month in the conference room adjoining Council Chambers.
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