County entity gets another lot from City

The City of Clinton has deeded a third tract in the new Commerce Industrial Park to the Custer County Conservation District as a building site for its new offices.
Neither of the first two tracts, both much larger than this one, was used by the Conservation District, so the city eventually got both of them back. It has since sold one of them, and the other is for sale now.
The property exchange began in 2011 when the Conservation District requested land to construct a new facility. The City Council in office at that time deeded the district five acres fronting on Commerce Road. That was in April 2011.
But in December that year it was announced that private parties would be remodeling a building on U.S. Highway 183 where this area’s U.S. Department of Agriculture offices could be combined under the same roof. That would have permitted the USDA offices, which occupied about 4,000 square feet on Neptune Drive, and the Conservation District to share a new 7,500-square-foot facility on U.S. 183.
TAS Trucking subsequently offered to buy the five acres on Commerce, which had reverted to the City, and its proposal was accepted since it was thought the Conservation District would be moving to the spot on 183. TAS now has one of the premier spots in the new industrial park.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, though, the U.S. 183 location didn’t work out for the Conservation District, so in February of 2017 the City deeded the district Lot 2 of the industrial park consisting of 6.3972 acres.
City Manager Mark Skiles said at last week’s council meeting, though, that the deal contained a reversionary clause stating that that lot too would return to the City if the Conservation District didn’t build on it by a certain date. So the City got that property back and now has it for sale again.
However, the Conservation District evidently still needs a place to build, so at last week’s meeting the council agreed to deed it Lot 6 in the industrial park which is only 2.5759 acres.
“We have a place for them to go, and the City gains about four acres which we can sell to another client,” said Skiles.
Don Rodolph, attending his last meeting as a councilman after 28 years behind the oval in City Hall, made the motion to approve a quit claim deed to the Custer County Conservation District for the smaller Lot 6. Jason Hulin seconded, and the vote was 4-0 with Bobby Stewart and Mayor David Berrong joining them in saying yes. Chuy Rosales was not present.
Unlike the district’s previous spot fronting on Commerce Road, Lot 6 is located on a cul de sac near the northeast corner of the industrial park, about 1,000 feet from Commerce.