by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A land trade between the city and a private landowner was approved by a 4-1 vote at the April 25 Sartell City Council meeting.
The council vote followed a closed session in which the matter was discussed before the regular public council meeting.
The swap deal involves giving the Ferche Family Limited Partnership a parcel of city-owned property along Heritage Drive in exchange for Ferche’s private property in south Sartell, the site of the planned Sartell Community Center.
At one time last year, the Heritage Drive property was considered, among other sites, as the location for the community center, but the council, on a 3-2 vote, decided the south site next to Lake Francis would be the best site.
The swap, it was argued, will save the city more than a half million dollars because utilities and other infrastructure is already in place at the south site.
Council member David Peterson voted against the land swap because he has never favored the south site and believes the council should have chosen a more central site, one closer to the city’s schools.