In the News...

Law would Ease Sale of Unused Land

Thursday, April 1 2010

The Pueblo Chieftain
By: Patrick Malone
April 1st, 2010

DENVER — A small patch of dirt in Pueblo that might not look like much is representative of a statewide riddle that moved closer to a solution on Wednesday.

 The Senate passed HB1165, which will ease the process of selling unused land owned by the Colorado Board of Land Commissioners, including one at the corner of Fourth and Elizabeth streets in Pueblo.

 "I call it a scar across Pueblo," said Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, and one of the bill's sponsors. "It doesn't do the land board any good to own that property."

 Under current law, the land board can make transactions with the federal government, local school boards and other state agencies. Cities, counties and special districts would be added to the list under HB1165.

 Essentially, the bill allows local governments to negotiate with the state to take over properties held by the land board in order to sell them to private owners.

 "It's much easier for cities to dispose of these parcels," Tapia said.

 Tapia said the bill's passage could have an almost immediate impact on the corner lot in Pueblo that motivated him to run the legislation. Neighboring business already have inquired about buying it, but have been stonewalled by the bureaucracy associated with the present process.

  "Under the current law, going through the procurement process is almost impossible," Tapia said.

 Just two sales of land board property a year would be allowed under HB1165, and the window for the sales closes in 2015, unless the Legislature extends it.

 Having already been passed by the House, the bill is awaiting Gov. Bill Ritter's signature to become law.