Updated Sept. 11 with additional information about the property

Toby’s House has purchased property near Carter Park and has withdrawn its request for a long-term lease on city parkland.

The city was notified of the change on Sept. 8.

Leesha Ford, Toby’s House director, told The Electric that “two donors purchased/donated a lot very close to Carter Park, which should make everyone happy.”

Toby’s House requests city parkland lease for new facility, city reviewing process of use of public property

City Manager Greg Doyon said that he was forwarded an email around lunchtime on Sept. 8 from Mayor Cory Reeves that said he had received an email from the Toby’s House board president that stated: Hey Cory….Just letting you know this morning Leesha Ford and I signed a buy/sale agreement for Toby’s House so we will not need to go forward with Carter’s Park. Scott Dunn with Walsh Group would like to break ground in October so anything you can do to help that would be greatly appreciated.”

Doyon said the city planning department had reached out to assist with the pre-development process.

The property is 621 2nd St. S., which according to the state’s public available property record database, is currently owned by Guy Tabacco Construction Company.

The 0.5-acre property is zoned M-2 mixed use, according to the city planning office, so it won’t need to be rezoned, but will go through the normal city permitting process for construction.

City moving forward with plan to sell former Rec Center

During the Sept. 8 park advisory board meeting, Jessica Compton, interim Park and Recreation director, said that the group had presented at the Aug. 19 City Commission meeting and commissioners had suggested moving forward.

She said the the community felt strongly about giving away parkland the department had received many calls and messages about the proposal.

The Toby’s House request highlighted a code provision and the general discussion of whether the city needs all the parkland it was, and the process of leasing, selling or trading city property.

City approves parkland sale to Pasta Montana

Compton said the city was reviewing the existing code with legal staff to refine the process and ensuring everyone was on the same page.

She said the department has some tracts of parkland that aren’t used for much but staff still has to mow to maintain the property.

City to consider lease of city parkland [2021]

Doyon said in August that he had tasked the city attorney’s office with reviewing the existing code pertaining to the disposal of city-owned property to make it more clear.