SNOW HILL – Worcester County will seek to sell the warehouse formerly used for liquor control.
Though they were initially presented with a lease request at their last meeting, the Worcester County Commissioners were quick to tell staff they’d rather move forward with selling the immense building.
Staff presented the commissioners with a lease request from Paul M. Jones Lumber Company at a meeting Dec. 18. The company wanted to lease outdoor storage space under the covered loading bays at the former liquor control warehouse on Snow Hill Road to store surplus lumber. The company offered $1,000 a month for use of the space.
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Shannahan told the commissioners in his report that staff had reviewed the proposal and identified several concerns.
“Most significantly, our insurance provider, the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT), has advised that Paul Jones Lumber would need their own insurance to cover the contents and a memorandum of understanding/contract with the county clearly stating that we are not responsible for their property store in the warehouse or on the property; LGIT will not insure Paul Jones’ Lumber assets on our property; and LGIT would need to send their agent onsite to perform an inspection before they change our coverage,” Shannahan said in his report.
When the commissioners voted unanimously to decline the lease proposal, Shannahan pointed out the future of the building was still unclear.
“We do need at some point to determine what the final resolution of that building will be, whether it’s something you want to hang on to, to renovate for storage, or whether we want to try to sell it,” he said.
Commissioner Joe Mitrecic quickly made a motion to sell the building that was approved unanimously.
When Commissioner Bud Church asked who would determine the value of the property, Shannahan said an appraisal had already been done and that a report would be presented at the commissioners’ next meeting.
“We do have an assessment of the property,” he said. “I’m not sure whether you’re going to get any buyers if we just put it on the market. We could auction it if you want. There’s options, maybe we should bring back some options on how best to dispose of it.”
The commissioners agreed to address the issue at their next meeting.
