Junction City Mayor Pat Landes has suggested a new idea about revisiting the sale of vacant Land Bank lots.

Approximately six months ago the idea of giving vacant Land Bank lots to USD 475 employees to encourage them to live here was suggested, but some current home owners who have to pay special assessments on their lots were opposed out of concern it would end up devaluing their property. They felt developers could come in and purchase large numbers of lots, build homes and then sell them for less than current owners could sell their homes if they had to move, for example due to military orders.

But Landes pointed out this week in recent months most of the lots in the Land Bank have been purchased by existing home owners and not builders. It will be spring in a few months, and the mayor wants to revisit the issue. “I’ve think we’ve had kind of a trial session of six months nearly, and this idea that people’s houses are not going to be worth anything is not true.”

Landes said he doesn’t think offering Land Bank lots should be opened up for everyone. “USD 475 is one of the biggest employers in the area. I would still want to use this as an economic development tool to try to lure companies here, to get their employees to come.”

In the latest suggestion Landes would want the buyer to pay $5,000 for a lot, build their home, obtain an occupancy permit, present it to the listing agent and then they would get their $5,000 back. If you purchased a vacant lot and did not build a house on it your funds would not be returned. The mayor noted that way the City sees a house built and gets something in return. He stated, “We want houses built.”