Rio Communities council approves purchase of 10-acre parcel using Bill Brown bequest funds

The Rio Communities City Council voted June 8 to buy a 10-acre parcel on Highway 47 for municipal purposes, city staff said.

City Manager Dr. Moore described the parcel as a 10-acre tract south of Nancy Lopez along Rio Communities Boulevard/Highway 47 and said the city commissioned an appraisal. During the presentation Dr. Moore stated the purchase price is $11,000 and said the funds will come from the Bill Brown bequest fund rather than the city’s general fund.

Councilors moved and seconded the motion to approve the purchase. Before the vote, councilors asked the manager to explain the parcel’s location, the appraisal and the source of funds. Dr. Moore said the city has not decided a specific use and listed possibilities including parks, trails, public works storage, or potential future affordable housing if utilities and rezoning allowed it.

Council recorded affirmative roll-call votes from Councilors Melendez, Nelson, Gordon and Marquez; the motion passed.

Why it matters: Acquiring land expands the city’s options for future public uses — parks, infrastructure or housing — but councilors emphasized the need to brief the public on proposed uses and consider rezoning, water-rights checks and other due-diligence matters before committing to development.

What’s next: Staff said they will investigate whether water rights attach to the parcel and will bring additional information back to council, including any potential rezoning, cost estimates and recommended uses.

Quotes

"The purchase amount of the 10 acres is $11,000," Dr. Moore said during the discussion.

"We will look into the prospect of water rights," Dr. Moore said when asked if rights were known.

Provenance: Topic introduced during the action items and developed in council discussion (timeline SEG 658–830).