HUMBOLDT — A public hearing will be held in February about a proposal to sell a part of St. Elizabeth Park to The Elizabeth to allow an expansion containing 16 suites.
Stewart Properties proposes to buy around 0.4 acres to its east and north so it can meet the legally required setbacks for the expansion and build a parking lot to service the new suites.
“Since the opening of The Elizabeth, there has been a continued demand to provide affordable senior housing in Humboldt,” said a letter to council from Stewart Properties. “There is a waiting list of prospective residents, with a focused need for senior couples. We have been approached continually to expand the building and feel ready to move forward.”
Frank Carpentieri, the city’s planning co-ordinator, told council at its meeting Jan. 25 that if the city wants to sell park land, it must give public notice of its intention to do so.
“Tonight, in essence, what we're doing is that we're deciding whether we'll go to that next stage of public notice and then we would anticipate to present any feedback from the public to a February council meeting, where council can make its final decision.”
Planning staff are proposing the land be sold at $65,000 an acre.
Michael Behiel, Humboldt’s mayor, said the land in question is hard for the city to utilize.
“Our intention would be that if we do sell it, that this money would be placed back into creating more park space within the city.”
Councillor Rob Muench wanted something more focused.
“In my mind, I think not only should that purchase price go towards park space in the city, but I think it should go particularly to this park,” he said.
“There's a few things that we've been talking about for in that park that I think we could probably put the money towards and end up with a slightly smaller park, but a better park at that.”
The land under consideration does contain two buildings that date back to the days the retirement community was an Elizabethan convent. They are currently being used by the city’s community and leisure services department for storage.
Stewart Properties said it is interested in preserving and promoting both structures to draw more people to the park.
Councillor Roger Nordick asked if there could be something in the agreement that would require Stewart Properties to maintain the land if construction doesn’t proceed. Carpentieri said if the land was sold, he’d recommend that Stewart Properties be required to enter an agreement to develop the site within a timeframe set by the city.
