POLL: City Staff Recommends Rejecting Proposed Land Donation

University Place is recommending against the city accepting a

On Monday, the University Place City Council is scheduled to vote on a proposed land donation by Svet Oldfelt, who proposed donating the property located at 8902 65th Street West early last month.

The University Place man has been trying to sell the land for years but has been unsuccessful, according to the city. He is moving to Sweden and wants to donate the property so he can claim it as a charitable donation.

According to a city staff report, the UP Parks and Recreations commission, along with Director Gary Cooper inspected the Oldfelt property. They found:

- Access to the city owned property to the south is virtually impossible because of steep slopes.

- Access from the public road to the lot is problematic.

- Public parking in the vicinity would impact the neighborhood.

- As parkland, the property would be a liability to the city.

- As parkland, the property would not be highly attractive to the public.

According to the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer's Office, the lot is 26,247 square feet and is paved. Power, sewer and water are available. This year, the property’s taxable and assessed value was $127,100. In 2012, the value dropped to $103,100.

The University Place City Council is scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m., Monday at .