City acts on property

By Sara StrongThe Luverne City Council Monday made property decisions:
The Council approved a purchase agreement for 80 acres of Vegge property for future airport expansion. The Airport Board also reviewed and recommended approval of the agreement.The purchase price is $278,000, of which 95 percent comes from federal and state funding through aircraft fuel taxes.Councilman Baustian said, "I’m thankful to the Vegges for considering the airport expansion in selling the city land."
The Council approved another purchase agreement with Glenara Dunkle for property adjacent to the City Park, and an East Main Street property for $42,500.As part of the agreement, a plaque will be placed on the property next to the park acknowledging that parcel as a gift to the city.The East Main Street building is considered a blight and will be torn down and the property sold by the city.The property next to the park was already featured in the city’s Comprehensive Plan as a possible campground area.
The Council directed staff to negotiate with Blaine and Jennifer Radtke, 211 N. Freeman, who plan to build a two-car garage on the back of their property, using city-owned land to access it.Their home is in the middle of the Carnegie Cultural Center and the Hinkly House Museum. They want to purchase a small piece of land from the Carnegie lot, which will give them access to a rear garage.The Carnegie Cultural Center is owned by the city and operated by the Council for Arts and Humanities in Rock County.The city plans to require landscaping that will provide a buffer between the Carnegie and the driveway.Jennifer Radtke said, "We were hoping that by going in the back, we wouldn’t interrupt the aesthetics of the two museums."