The city tonight could take a step toward buying a large piece of property eyed as potential park space. The City Council is set to consider entering a negotiating agreement with Robert Hall, who owns 44 acres of land on the west side of Interstate 5 between Birmingham Avenue and Santa Fe Drive.
Greenhouses occupy the property.
The agreement would give the city and Hall 90 days to negotiate while exploring financing options and environmental constraints that could restrict how the property could be used. If the agreement is approved, Hall would not negotiate with other buyers and the city would not shop for comparable pieces of property for 90 days. We rarely have an opportunity to buy a parcel of that size. We have to do whatever we can to make it work. City officials have been thinking about buying the property for months, but whether they can find the money to buy it remains to be seen.