below the Pacific overpass, fences surround two of three city-owned lots the council may dispose of. The third lies behind them on Ninth.
The Albany City Council has taken the first step before deciding to dispose of three city-owned lots on Jackson Street and Ninth Avenue near the Helping Hands homeless shelter, which already owns most of that block.
On Nov. 20, the council voted 5-1, with Ramycia McGhee opposed, to direct the city staff to get a commercial appraisal of the three lots. Then the question of what to do with the property is to come up again at a future meeting.
The lots are at 503 and 519 Ninth Ave. S.E. and 817 Jackson St. S.E. Two of the city lots are where the city set up but then closed the “Marvin’s Garden” designated homeless camp. Those lots have been fenced off since the camp was shut down this summer.
Helping Hands hopes to obtain the city property for little or no money. The shelter already owns several houses on the block between the Pacific overpass and Ninth Avenue and hopes one day to replace those houses with an apartment complex for people in need.
Van Vleet Meat & Food Service, at 810 SE Jackson St., across the street from two of the lots, has also told the council it was interested in obtaining the property in order to accommodate its growing business.
The council has not discussed which way it wants to go, or indeed whether it wants to dispose of the the lots at all.
The City of Albany bought the three lots in the early 1990s for a potential widening of the Pacific Boulevard Overpass and construction of a separate pedestrian overcrossing of the north end of the Union Pacific yard. But those ideas fizzled.
The entire block is zoned light industrial. The houses there and the homeless shelter exist as nonconforming uses.
Two of the houses on the block are privately owned. Councilwoman Matilda Novak told the council Wednesday that the owner of one of them, Tina Vanderburg, was very concerned about any expansion of the homeless operation.
The homeowner has had trouble with the conduct of homeless people right next to her house. Over her objections, in August 2022 the council voted 4-1 to push through a city-initiated street vacation to help the homeless shelter expand. (hh)
The city-owned lots have red borders on this areal photo. Properties in light blue are owned by Helping Hands. The graphic was part of the council agenda packet on Wednesday.
You sell for what the market will pay. Anything other is stealing from the citizens and should be prosecuted.