After learning of the West Linn-Wilsonvillle School District's plans to sell Oppenlander Fields, community members hosted a rally to savee the park last spring.
After learning of the West Linn-Wilsonvillle School District's plans to sell Oppenlander Fields, community members hosted a rally to savee the park last spring.
The West Linn-Wilsonville School District and the city of West Linn appear to once again be at odds over the future of Oppenlander Fields, a 10-acre district-owned property on Rosemont Road.
The rift comes after an appraiser hired by the two parties valued the property at only $120,000, a starkly different figure than the $6.5 million the property was appraised at just last April.
Following a West Linn-Wilsonville School Board work session Friday, Feb. 4, the city released a statement revealing the $120,000 figure from the recent appraisal and stating that the city would work with the school district to determine the final valuation of the property for the bond vote. The West Linn City Council will discuss the matter at its upcoming meeting Monday, Feb. 7.
After widespread community outcry when the district put the property up for sale last spring, began constructing an agreement for the city to ask voters to approve the purchase of the property via an obligation bond vote under the condition that the city would preserve the land as a park.
The city and school district agreed that they would seek another appraisal for the most up-to-date value of the property. The appraisal recently concluded, producing the much lower value than expected. District Chief Operating Officer Pat McGough told the school board at the work session that the district had rejected the new appraisal.
According to McGough, and later confirmed by a statement from the city, the discrepancy in the appraisals came because the most recent one was made under the assumption that the Oppenlander property would only be used as a park or open space.
McGough said this meant the appraisal did not encompass the fair market value of the property.
"The purchase and sales agreement considered permitted uses — those uses currently allowed under city code — in the appraisal, (but) Romanagi Evaluation Services chose to use a hypothetical condition as their methodology," McGough said.
The , which was signed the district Jan. 12 and by the city on Dec. 14, 2021, stated "Buyer and seller shall use good faith, reasonable efforts to jointly select an appraiser to conduct an appraisal of the fair market value of the property, taking into consideration all factors as such appraiser in its professional discretion deems relevant, including without limitation all encumbrances on title and all limitations on the permitted use of the property made as conditions of this sale."
If the agencies could not agree to the same appraiser, the agreement allowed them each to conduct their own appraisal and use the average of the two appraised figures as the purchase price.
During a work session last month, city of West Linn Community Development Director John Williams said in addition to the cost of the property, the future bond would ask voters for $1.8 million needed to bring the property up to current city park standards. This would allow the city to add restrooms, ADA pathways, lighting and possible parking lot improvements to the park.
During the school board's Friday work session, McGough said the district had proposed an appraiser for the recent evaluation who was rejected by the city. The district then accepted the appraiser proposed by the city, McGough said.
The city has not responded to a public records request for the appraisal made by the Tidings on Jan. 31, 2022.
McGough and the board emphasized the school district always bought and sold land at "fair market value."
Clackamas County requires ballot materials for the May election by Feb. 25.
