Hamlet officials are still working on a plan to get a new home built on a piece of town-owned land. During Wednesday’s zoning board meeting, Board Member Brian Earnest said town officials have opted to accept sealed bids for the property at Lincoln and Pearl streets, but there are still several logistics to be worked out.
“We’re going to put stipulations to build on there a house, and we’ve also got to discuss that in more detail, in some of the requirements, in terms of financials and different things like that that have to be proven, contractors, if you’re going to self-contract, if you’re going to contract it out, different things like that that we’ve got to get a little more information on before we post this,” Earnest explained.
He said the buyer would likely be given 12 to 18 months to build a home to the town’s specifications, and Board President Dave Kesvormas said modular or mobile homes will probably be discouraged.
As a first step, the town will have to have the land appraised. A public hearing will also need to be held. Board members hope to have the specifications nailed down by next town council meeting on January 22, with the possibility of opening bids at the February 26 meeting.
Kesvormas said he’s already heard interest from contractors. “When a house goes up for sale that’s decent here, it doesn’t stay on the market,” he noted. “The average time is 14 to 30 days. If it needs a little work, it’s a little longer. That’s fair. And then, the last few houses that I’ve watched have sold for more than what they were originally listed for. So Hamlet’s in a great position right now, in an absolute great position.”
Board members said they’d also looked into other options for getting a home built, such as working with Habitat for Humanity, a local school, or USDA Rural Development. But they felt that selling the land to a private owner could get it back on the tax rolls more quickly.
