Owner of Grid Iron reveals plans for former Shady Oaks Motel site
By BILL SHEA – Daily Freeman-Journal
The owner of the Grid Iron Grill & Sports Lounge in Webster City has revealed some plans for the former Shady Oaks Motel site he hopes to buy from the local government.
Burke Risetter told the City Council on Monday that he wants to expand his business at 1121 E. Second St. to the east. He said he will also extend the parking lot and construct a small storage building.
The former Shady Oaks Motel site in the 1200 block of East Second Street is next to Risetter’s business. The motel was acquired by the city government, and was burned down during firefighter training in April.
Last month, Risetter approached the council and asked to buy the property. At that time, he said he would pay $24,000 for it.
He has submitted a formal offer of about $19,900, according to City Manager Daniel Ortiz-Hernandez.
On Monday, the council scheduled a public hearing on the offer for 5:45 p.m. Aug. 6 in the Municipal Building, 400 Second St.
The council also handled three other real estate related matters Monday.
It accepted property between Lynx Avenue and Wall Street from Webster City Iowa Assisted Living Owner LLC, which owns Windsor Manor, 1401 Wall St. The property will be used to eventually extend Lynx Avenue to Wall Street. Other property needed for the extension was acquired last month.
The council also approved a property tax abatement for Jeff and Debra Habhab for a new house at 1229 Bank St. They will not have to pay property taxes on the new house for three years, but they will have to pay property taxes on the lot the house sits on.
A lot at 119 Prospect St. was sold by the council to Andy Jones, of Webster City, for $1,000. The city government acquired that property under the terms of the state’s abandoned buildings law. The original plan was to require the buyer to rehabilitate the house. However, Ortiz-Hernandez said Jones examined the house and after seeing the condition of the rafters, he determined it could not be repaired. The house has been demolished.
In an unrelated matter, the council hired Reding’s Gravel & Excavating, of Algona, to crush about 5,000 tons of broken concrete accumulated at the street division garage. The company will be paid $39,986.
The concrete is left over from past road projects. The crushed concrete will be reused in future road projects.
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Last modified: July 17, 2018