Thursday, September 4, 2025 |
Photo – Former Kum & Go Store on Higley Blvd – Courtesy City of Rawlins
The governing body of Rawlins is considering selling city-owned land.
During a special work session held before the September 2nd Rawlins City Council meeting, Community Development Director Lou Lascano presented a 59-page document listing all 26 city-owned properties.
Lascano began with the 50-acre plot of land between Harshman Street and the 287 Bypass. The site is home to the Rawlins Radio Control Recreation Area, where residents fly remote-control airplanes. The Community Development Director said the city might consider selling the property to a developer, as it did in 2023 when Utah-based Blue Elk Development proposed building approximately 70 tiny homes in the area. However, the site currently lacks water and sewer access, which would need to be rerouted from nearby neighborhoods before construction could begin.
Lascano also said a developer had expressed interest in building assisted living homes on the parcel, but the idea never came to fruition.
Next, the Community Development Director discussed the city-owned property at 1115 North Higley Boulevard, the former Kum and Go. In 2023, all Kum and Go stores were purchased by Maverik, including the Rawlins location. The company moved the store to another site within the city but retains its lease on the original property through the end of 2026.
Lascano said City Manager Tom Sarvey was looking into the cost of ending Maverik’s lease early, enabling the governing body to sell the property.
Lascano said Maverik representatives have shown interest in ending the lease, but the city needs to understand the financial penalties associated with breaking the agreement before moving forward. Additionally, Lascano said the site contains a leaking underground fuel tank, which would become the responsibility of the future owners. Currently, Maverik pays to monitor the tanks. When the lease ends, the city will take over those monitoring duties.
Vice Mayor Darril Garner asked about the monitoring cost. City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave said the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality conducts physical inspections of the tank. Maverik, and later the city, must maintain DEQ insurance, which costs approximately $250 per year, until the contamination is removed.
Community Development Director Lou Lascano reviewed the remaining city-owned lots, each of which could be sold at the governing body’s discretion.
Councilwoman Tonya Lewman asked Lascano to identify five properties with strong development potential. Councilman Steve Sanger said the city must know each property’s appraised value and determine if any are encumbered by tax or medical liens before ranking them.
Councilman Sanger instructed Lascano to conduct title searches of the most desirable city-owned lots.
The Councilman also directed Lascano to prepare a checklist detailing the location of utility hookups for each property. With that document, potential developers will have all the information needed to make an informed purchase.
Mass Grading owner Kelly Brendt asked the City Council to consider lowering the price of properties burdened by high liens to make them more attractive to buyers. Mayor Jacquelin Wells said the governing body will consider every offer on a case-by-case basis.
In the end, the City Council instructed Community Development Director Lascano to find out which city-owned properties have liens against them, have the properties appraised, and present his findings at a later date.
