Gibsonville’s board of aldermen moved forward Monday night with plans to purchase two properties along Minneola Street, with a long-term plan to use the site for a new library.
Each of the properties would cost $125,000, according to information presented at the meeting.
The properties are located next to each other at 502/532 Minneola Street and 534/564 Minneola Street, near the town’s community center.
Under the procedures required for the process, the aldermen voted this week for a “declaration of intent to reimburse” the town from proceeds from a future financing of the two properties.
A public hearing on the proposed installment financing for the properties will be held February 7 in the board meeting room at town hall.
According to earlier information, each of the 2.8-acre tracts is valued at $148,900 according to the Guilford County Register of Deeds office.
The 502/532 land is owned by Betty Henderson; the 534/564 tract is owned by Dwight Herbin.
The town has no time frame for replacing its library, but wants to obtain property for that future purpose. The current library is surrounded by unavailable properties and does not lend itself to expansion.
Potential police department property has less urgency
Aldermen also held a 22-minute closed session to discuss a third parcel, a 21-acre property at 1220 Springwood Church Road, owned by Howard and Bonnie Ingle. Aldermen had been interested in building a future police department there.
The land is valued at $313,800, according to Guilford County’s Register of Deeds office.
Before the board went into closed session, mayor Lenny Williams observed publicly that the owners of the property had upped the asking price since the town had expressed interest in it to build a freestanding police department. The current department is located at town hall with the town’s administrative offices.
While the Springwood Church property was originally listed for sale at $675,000, the price had risen by $175,000, to $850,000, once the town expressed an interest, Williams reported.
Board members are said to have been very dissatisfied with the process and apparently instructed the town’s staff to pursue finding other potential properties that could accommodate a new police department.
The town’s staff will also consult with local real estate agents to evaluate the Ingles’ asking price.
The aldermen started down this road of seeking properties back on December 6, when they held a closed session to discuss four parcels of land.
The fourth parcel, the only one located on the Alamance County side of town, on Piedmont Avenue, had been considered for a public safety training area. However, aldermen had previously decided not to pursue that property, 27 acres owned by Charles and Ann Neill.
