HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Letter dated January 6, 2010 to Council from attorney for R. Friedrich & Sons, Inc. f
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PASLEY AND SINGER LAW FIRM , L. L. P.
-ESTABLISHED 1906-
C. A. PASLEY 323 SIXTH STREET C. H. PASLEY
JOHN L.TIMMONS 1 676- 1952
JANE M. MATHISON P.O. BOX 664
LARRY R. CURTIS AMES, IOWA 50010-0664 R. G. PASLEY
SCOTT L. HIPPEN 1 91 5- 2007
TELEPHONE: (51 5) 232-4732
FRAN KLIN J. FEILMEYER W. A. SINGER
FAX: (515) 232-4756 RETIRED
SENDER'S EMAIL: S. A. HOLM
FJFQa SINMERLAW.COM RETIRED
January 6,2010
Hon.Mayor&Council
City of Ames, Iowa
515 Clark Ave.
Ames,IA 50010
RE: Proposed vacation and sale to R. Friedrich and Sons, Inc.,of part of East
Lincoln Way
Dear Mayor Campbell and Members of the City Council:
We represent R. Friedrich and Sons, Inc.,which owns buildings located at 605 to 729 East Lincoln
Way, and commonly called Lincoln East. This is the location of Friedrich's corporate office suite, a
warehouse, a shop, the UPS facility, and several other small businesses. Our client has used and occupied
for parking and driveway purposes a strip of land 10 feet wide within the north right-of-way of East
Lincoln Way for about 39 years. (We enclose the assessor's GIS drawing with aerial overlay for your
reference.) We propose that the city vacate this land and sell it to R. Friedrich and Sons, Inc.
The purposes of this request are to consolidate land that is already in use by the adjacent land
owner and to enable the land owner to proceed with a subdivision plat of this right-of-way with the
adjacent land. As you may be aware, R. Friedrich and Sons, Inc., is now working with the city planning
and housing department to replat Friedrich's Commercial Addition and adjacent,previously unplatted land
to the north. We believe that both the city and the company have been treating this part of the right of way
as part of the adjacent subdivision, and in fact,the city recently approved a plat of survey that included part
of this land.
We are herewith providing proposed resolutions, notices, and ordinances to facilitate this
transaction,including the following:
• Resolution proposing vacation of right of way and setting hearing
• Notice of hearing on proposed vacation of right of way
• Ordinance approving vacation and closing of right of way
• Proposed purchase agreement for vacated right of way
• Resolution proposing sale of land by contract
• Notice of hearing on proposed sale of land
• Resolution approving sale of land by contract
To the extent that there is an existing policy regarding the valuation of rights-of-way, we request
that the City Council waive that policy. The land has been in the open use and possession of the adjacent
FJF V2010010609M37 WWW.SIN13ERLAW.COM
PASLEY AND SINGER LAW FIRM , L. L. P.
City of Ames,Iowa
January 6,2010
Page 2
owner, with the potential for a claim of adverse possession. The City has treated the land as being owned
by R. Friedrich and Sons, Inc. Our client proposes to provide any necessary easements to preserve the
city's interest in utilities. For all these reasons, we propose to purchase the right of way from the city for
$10.00 and the city's costs of sale.
We ask that this matter be reviewed for the earliest possible action by the city council. While it
has been suggested by city staff to our client's engineer, that this decision should be made with the
subdivision plat, such a delay is not feasible. A decision inconsistent with the proposed platting would
defeat any subdivision planning presented for approval by the City and impose a great cost in time in
expense. We,therefore,ask that city staff be authorized to proceed with this proposal immediately.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Yours very truly,
PA,SLEY A"SIN LAW FIRM,L.L.P
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copy to:
John Joiner
Doug Merek
Kurt Friedrich
Ken Janssen
FJF N 20100106094437
PASLEY AND SINGER LAW FIRM , L. L. P .
City of Ames, Iowa
January 6,2010
Page 3
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Assessor's GIS drawing with aerial (2008) overlay. The area proposed for
vacation is generally between the red dashed line and the blue line on the
above photograph. Note the paving and vehicles between the red dashed line
and the blue line.
FJF N 20100106094629