Monroe wants to sell school land

By LESLIE MORIARTY

Herald Writer

MONROE — The Monroe school district is looking to sell some surplus property, about 36 acres of it.

The district wants to declare the property at two separate locations as surplus, which would allow it to sell the parcels.

Comments on the surplus property may be made at a public hearing at 7 p.m. Nov. 27 at the school district office, 200 E. Fremont St.

The property includes 33.5 acres east of Echo Lake Road, southwest of Monroe. The property is across the street from the access to Echo Lake.

This property was purchased in 1980 and was planned to be the site for an elementary school, district spokeswoman Rosemary O’Neil said. But due to residential growth elsewhere, a new school was built at another site near Maltby. That school opened last year.

The second property is 2.47 acres located in the 23900 block of Lake Fontal Road.

O’Neil said that property was given to the school district in the 1920s but is not large enough to be a school site. It also is not in a location that would be of use to the district.

To comment in writing on the surplus property, send letters to Superintendent Bill Prenevost, Monroe Public Schools, 200 E. Fremont St., Monroe, WA 98272.

The school board will make a decision on surplusing the properties following the public hearing. After 45 days, an advertisement will be run and sealed bids accepted.

The district cannot sell the property for less than 90 percent of its appraised value.

The Echo Lake property is valued at $700,000, and the Lake Fontal property is valued at $56,000.

If sealed bidding does not produce a buyer, the properties will be sold by a real estate company.

The money earned from the properties will go into the district’s capital projects fund.