The city and the fire protection district have been in negotiations for some time over the parcel sale, which actually is a land swap.
Lakeport had to go through a lengthy mapping process of a large city-owned piece of property that included a site on Larrecou Lane that is the proposed location of Lakeport's new fire house.
In exchange for the Larrecou Lane site, the fire district is offering the city a 2.5-acre parcel it owns on Bevins Court.
On Tuesday, City Attorney Steve Brookes took to the City Council Resolution No. 2303, which authorizes sale of the Larrecou property.
Brookes told the council that an appraiser who had looked at the two properties was candid about the difficulties in reaching a fair appraisal, since both parcels are quite different.
Escrows on both properties are now open in order to facilitate the swap, said Brookes, with both properties carrying $350,000 in title insurance. The city and the fire district are splitting the costs of the property transfer, said Brookes.
As part of its effort to partner with the city, the fire district has agreed to forward money to help the city with upgrades to its sewer plant, Brookes said.
Because the Larrecou property had once been the site of city sewer ponds, a rudimentary toxic screen of the land was required, said Brookes. So far, that screen has raised no issues that would stop the fire district going forward with its plans.
The City Council unanimously authorized the sale and the resolution, which gives Mayor Roy Parmentier, Brookes or City Manager Jerry Gillham authority to execute the escrow documents on behalf of the city.
The city gave no time frame as to when the land swap might be completed.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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