By Mary Thurwachter
Although Lantana leaders have no immediate plans to dispose of three valuable waterfront properties owned by the town, they want to change the Town Charter to make it easier to sell them.
Currently, selling any of the three properties — at 206, 210, and 302 N. Lake Drive — would require a referendum, putting the decision in the hands of residents.
“This,” Town Manager Brian Raducci says, “is very restrictive. You probably wouldn’t buy property if you thought you could never sell it.”
Because the properties are town-owned, they are exempt from property taxes.
Several Hypoluxo Island residents spoke against the proposed change, but the ordinance calling for a vote on changing the charter won preliminary Town Council approval in a narrow 3-2 vote at the council’s Oct. 12 meeting. Mayor Karen Lythgoe and Council members Kem Mason and Mark Zeitler voted for it; Council members Jesse Rivero and Chris Castle were opposed.
The change must receive a second council vote at a future meeting before it can be placed on the March 9 municipal election ballot.
Past transactions
The town purchased the three lots in 2012 as a long-term investment. The $965,000 price was widely considered a bargain. At the time, then-Mayor Dave Stewart championed the acquisition and compared the strategic investment to the town’s historic 1940s Lions Club land purchase (which cost just $4,000 but secured Lantana’s municipal beach). Stewart said the buy would preserve valuable waterfront property for future generations.
If the measure receives voter approval in March, the Town Council would still need to approve any offer to sell, Raducci said.
But the prohibition on the sale of town-owned land without voter input is there for good reason, says Hypoluxo Island resident Patti Towle, who spoke during public comments.
“I was living in Lantana when, roughly 20 years ago, the Town Council quietly sold off Lantana’s children’s baseball park, an approximately 2-acre parcel that stood between Broadway and South East Coast Avenue, to a developer.
“The developer then built the Lyman townhomes where the park once stood. The park was popular and used by local kids. Residents were outraged that this was seemingly done in secret. As a result, the [regulation] prohibiting the sale of all town-owned land without public approval is now in place.”
Towle says the current process is a good one. “At a future point when the town has a valid reason to sell the three town-owned lots it should be the voters — not the mayor and Town Council — who determine the sale.”
As waterfront land becomes scarcer, the lots will continue to grow in value, Towle says. “Keeping them as town-owned land is a sound investment, better than money in the bank.”
Few specifics
Gil Scharf, also of Hypoluxo Island, expressed concerns regarding the proposed charter amendment, including the lack of a specific plan for the properties, the intended use of potential proceeds, the importance of maintaining public oversight, and the potential financial implications of future property transactions.
Scharf and other residents were opposed to moving forward with the amendment and stressed the importance of identifying a specific public purpose before considering the sale of the properties.
Raducci said that the proposed amendment was intended to provide the town with greater flexibility to consider future opportunities involving the properties. He emphasized that no sale was pending and that any future transaction would require Town Council approval through public hearings. He discussed potential uses of the proceeds, including improvements to town facilities or the acquisition of other properties, but clarified that no specific use could be guaranteed. He said the town would seek fair market value for any future sale.
Some council members were concerned about proceeding without providing residents with a general understanding of how the funds might be used. Others emphasized the importance of maintaining flexibility for future opportunities.
Potential uses of the proceeds, including the acquisition of property along Ocean Avenue and improvements to the library and other public facilities, were discussed.
Town Attorney Max Lohman said that including specific sale prices or restrictions on the use of proceeds in the charter could create legal and practical limitations for future property transactions.
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