Council considers drop in town-owned lot price

Josh Fish of RT Connect addressed the council at Monday’s meeting to ascertain the criteria for building on the three and a half lots north of the West Texas Trail Museum that has been owned by the town and for sale for several years. RT has an established facility nearby and is interested in expanding their operational base in Moorcroft.

Fish first asked what type of use the town would allow on the lots and town attorney Jim Peck answered that, while not actually zoned, the lots are intended for light commercial, “This does not mean a junk yard [and] it is not suitable for a house.” He explained that the specific building restrictions will be written into the deed and those restrictions will follow that deed to any entity that may buy the property from RT in the future.

Peck then asked to what purposes RT intended to use said property. Fish said that, if RT bought the lots, the company would probably bring in a prefabricated building and perhaps park a couple of utility vehicles, store supplies or a standby generator along with antennas and a satellite dish within and on the structure. He also noted that most of their facilities are fenced and graveled.

Moorcroft had advertized these narrow lots without any interest shown at the minimum price of $50,000 several years ago and this minimum was an issue for Fish, who explained that RT, while interested, considers $50,000 too high for the property. After discussing dropping that number, Mayor Dick Claar spoke candidly to Fish: “If you think your company would be interested at $40,000, we’ll advertize.”

Fish responded, “I can’t speak for the general manager right now, but that’s why we’re researching it.”

Peck advocated the body, “having a conversation” with RT before spending money to advertize again: “This is the way it usually works.”

The town owned lots on North Big Horn are being advertized for the next three weeks for a minimum of

$40,000.