County property for sale
Source: dailymail.com, by Matthew Thompson
January 25, 2007
If you have at least $1.16 million stashed away, you could be the new owner of Sandy Brae Golf Course.
On Feb. 17, members of the public will get a chance to acquire three county-owned properties during an auction at the County Courthouse on Virginia Street.
It will begin at 11 a.m.
Besides Sandy Brae, the former Kanawha County Housing and Redevelopment Authority office on Hale Street and the former East Bank Junior High School site on W.Va. 61 will also be on the block.
"This is unprecedented to have all these properties up for sale," said County Commission President Kent Carper. "We have worked very hard on each of these projects."
The 18-hole golf course, located north of Clendenin, was a point of contention between county leaders and area golfers last year.
Carper and fellow Commissioner Dave Hardy sought its sale after the course had lost $214,598 during the 2005-06 fiscal year.
About 90 percent of the course's land was also in Roane County, which made both commissioners eager to sell the property.
Various public meetings led area golfers to plead with the county to give the course a second chance. The final decision came down to the parks and recreation board.
Last August, they voted 6-3 to sell the course.
Carper said he took a lot of criticism from friends and constituents over his stance on Sandy Brae. He said the sale is the best thing for county taxpayers.
"I stood up, went to all the meetings and made my thoughts about the course well known," Carper said. "This commissioner believes you need to show up and face the people that put you in office."
Sandy Brae is one of four golf courses the county operates, along with Coonskin, Big Bend and Shawnee
Carper said he's pledging every dollar from the golf course's sale to go back into the Parks and Recreation budget.
Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Hutchinson said a number of department projects could benefit from the extra funds.
In December, the department entered into an agreement with the U.S Department of Justice to make its properties fully compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The changes include adjusting doors in restrooms; making sure water fountains are at an acceptable height and placing ramps at all available doors.
Hutchinson said other infrastructure needs include maintenance and equipment upgrades and paving parking lots throughout the parks system.
"We're always in need," Hutchinson said. "This could help us out a lot."
Only Sandy Brae's physical property including the land and its buildings will be sold, Hutchinson said. Excess equipment such as golf carts, paraphernalia and bookkeeping computers will not be included.
Former Charleston Mayor Jay Goldman will be the auctioneer for the event. Goldman's real estate firm, Goldman Associates, Inc., handled the appraisal of the properties.
Goldman said his firm has received a lot interest from outside parties regarding the golf course. The response has come from potential buyers within the state and as far south as North Carolina.
The entire 340-acre property can be sold as a whole. But 88 acres to the east of state Route 29 will be divided into four 22-acre parcels.
They can be purchased separately or jointly. Each parcel will begin at a bid price of $15,000.
"We've had quite a bit of response regarding Sandy Brae," Goldman said. "There's a lot of interest in the course, but I think there's also an opportunity to build new houses on those 22-acre parcels."
Another property up for sale is the former Kanawha County Housing and Redevelopment Authority building.
In November 2004, Carper and Mayor Danny Jones proposed a merger of the city and county authorities to make both branches more efficient and receive federal grants.
The entities merged last year and ownership of the Hale Street complex was reverted to the County Commission.
The bid price for the 4,000 square-foot complex will begin at $220,000.
The former East Bank Junior High School was acquired by the county from the school board in 2001.
The land contains a pair of two-acre tracts that front Route 61 in eastern Kanawha County. It will begin at a bid price of $80,000 for each parcel.
The county commission reserves the right to refuse any bid. A 10-percent buyer's premium cost will also be attached to all winning bids.
Closing on all the properties is set to occur by 5 p.m. on April 5.
Hutchinson said the county could turn Sandy Brae over within ten days of the auction. That's if the buyer's financing comes through, he said.
"We are ready for this," Hutchinson said. "Now we'll just have to wait and see if the price is right."
