The land is north of the existing single-story City Hall at 6615 Masters Road and adjoins it, Mayor Delores Martin said. The tract is owned by Siro Scopel, the son of long-time Manvel resident James Scopel, who is affectionately known locally as “Grandpa Scopel.”
On Monday, City Council approved purchasing the property for less than $200,000 using money out of the city’s fund balance, Martin said. She declined to provide the exact purchase price, but said the transaction should be completed in the next two weeks.
City Council decided to purchase the land after discovering that the 2-acre site of the existing 1,600-square foot City Hall couldn’t fully accommodate an expansion of the building to two stories and 10,600 square feet. It has room for the expansion of the building, but wouldn’t have the space needed for detention and its aerobic septic system, Martin said.
Once that was discovered last month, she said, she contacted Scopel about purchasing his 6.64 acres, which includes 344 feet of frontage along FM 1128.
“City Council is very excited,” Martin said. “Rather than to look to relocate, this could be our permanent home in Old Town Manvel.”
With the new property, the city has abandoned plans to expand its existing City Hall for now, Martin said.
City Council has already approved pursuing a $2 million loan to construct the new building, which would raise the city’s property tax rate of 58.7863 cents per $100 valuation by no more than 1.5 cents, Martin said.
Read the full story at the CHRON.
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