Public hearings set for county demolition, lot sale

WASHINGTON — Washington County supervisors will hold public hearings on a lot sale and a demolition for two separate properties at their Nov. 29 meeting.

The first — a commercially zoned lot immediately west of the courthouse — was acquired by the county in 2017. While officials initially hoped to use it as a parking lot, that idea fell through, and the county now hopes to get rid of it.

That land is expected to go up for auction Dec. 20, assuming no complications arise at the public hearing.

“I think it’s important to allow individuals, entities to have some time to consider the sale of the property,” Washington County Auditor Dan Widmer said.

The other lot, the site of the former county jail and emergency communications building, is slated for a public hearing regarding a potential demolition. Widmer said some valuables on the lot would be sold before the teardown, most notably the building’s generator.

“There’s some value to those, some of the things that are left there,” he said. “I think that the plan is to enlist someone to make a list of such assets and sell those online.”

Widmer said the county had not yet committed to a future for the property, saying there was “no firm plan at this point” for the parcel after demolition.

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