Petersburg’s borough assembly tonight, Oct. 20, will decide if two different land sales for housing development will move forward.
Nearly a year ago, the borough entered negotiations with a local developer, Skylark Park LLC, who wants to buy several lots of borough-owned land between Severson Subdivision and Skylark Way to create a major subdivision, with utilities, that they say could provide cheaper housing options in Petersburg.
In 2023, a survey found that the town needs over 300 more housing units in the next decade. Last year, the borough changed its code to allow land sales below assessed or appraised value for development projects that benefit the public. The change was made to address the shortage of reasonably priced housing within the borough. Skylark would purchase the property under this public benefit purpose.
According to the resolution, the project would provide at least 20 “reasonably priced residential lots with utilities” that outweighs the borough’s gain of selling the land at full price. The sale agreement’s price of all the lots combined is $55,500 total, which is half the appraised value.
Required development conditions are outlined in a 12-page conveyance and improvement agreement between Skylark and the Petersburg Borough.
The assembly will decide whether or not to approve this sale of borough land to Skylark for a public benefit purpose tonight. A public hearing regarding the sale will happen earlier in the meeting for community members to share their thoughts with assembly members.
There will also be a public hearing held for a different application to buy borough-owned lots.
Dave Ohmer is another local developer who wants to buy two undeveloped lots on Haugen Drive to build housing rentals. This sale would be a regular land disposal, not made under the public benefit purpose, because Ohmer would develop just a couple of housing units on the property, not 20.
The borough assembly initially considered this application in July, but it failed with a 3–2 vote. Then-assembly-members Scott Newman and Donna Marsh voted against it. Assembly member Jeigh Stanton Gregor requested that Ohmer’s application be brought back for reconsideration.
Tonight, the assembly will decide if and how Ohmer’s application would proceed — by public sale or direct negotiations with the borough manager, if at all. Negotiated terms would return for final approval by the assembly.
Also on the agenda tonight is a recognition of longtime mayor Mark Jensen’s tenure with a commemorative plaque. New assembly members Bob Martin and Jeff Meucci, as well as Petersburg’s new mayor, Bob Lynn, will be sworn into office at the start of the meeting.
The Petersburg Borough Assembly meets tonight at 6 p.m. in the assembly chambers. KFSK will broadcast the meeting live.
