Murphy – Town officials are trying to sell 18 acres of land adjacent to the Tanglewood Forest subdivision.
“We’ve owned this property for a long time,” Town Manager Chad Simons said. “There’s not much we can do with it because it’s well outside of the city limits and we don’t have sewer here.”
A portion of the land joins State Road 1365, also known as Reservoir Road, and the property line ends at Tanglewood Road, leading into the housing subdivision. Town officials say the land has not been disturbed, and the property is suitable for septic systems.
“To get sewer here would be very expensive, and it would be hard to get a grant for that,” Simons said. “We think the best thing we could do is sell it and use that money for something else.”
What appears to be a manmade reservoir exists near the property line, which is separated from Tanglewood Road by a chain-link fence. The reservoir used to be part of the town’s water supply before the water plant existed.
The land is assessed at $59,690, according to Cherokee County’s geographic information system. Town council did not set a minimum price for the property, nor did they set a deadline for bids.
Officials say a few potential buyers showed interest in the property; however, no one has officially offered to purchase it. Town council has the ability to reject all bids. Acceptance of an offer will trigger an upset bid process, and the property will be awarded to the highest responsible bidder.
Bids must be delivered to Simons’ office downtown and be accompanied by a 5 percent deposit in the
form of cash, cashier’s check, certified check, or surety bond. Deposits will be returned to the losing bidders when the property is awarded to the highest responsible bidder.
Bidders must be current on all property tax payments owed to the town.