Break Estate to be put on the market

The Allen Break Estate will soon be on the market following a unanimous decision by the Loma Linda City Council.

But not all of the property will be for sale.

The city had considered selling the home and the two and a half acres of property it sits on, but changed direction at the suggestion of Councilman Ovidiu Popescu.

Now only an acre, which includes the home, will be put up for sale, councilmembers decided Tuesday night during the regular council meeting.

Part of his reason for recommending that not all the property be sold was "the housing market is terrible."

The property and the home sit next to Hulda Crooks Park on Allen Way. It was part of a 60-acre parcel of land purchased by the city in 1995. At the time, the home was dilapidated, according to city reports.

The city made repairs needed to the home and had researched the possibility of renting the home. But to get it to the proper condition for a rental, the renovations could cost upwards of $46,348. And it would cost $9,563 annually to maintain it, city officials said.

All but two and a half acres of the original 60-acre lot have been used by the city. The rest was used to expand Crooks Park and as a location for water reservoirs.

Councilmembers planned to set a minimum sales price for the property in closed session immediately following Tuesday night's public meeting.

"I had hoped we could have turned this into a functioning area for us like an art gallery or a community area, but nothing has worked out," said councilman Stan Braur. "I know it's difficult to see the city part with it but we have to be concerned with vandalism and, we hope not, arson."

In other actions:

• Approval was given to change the land use conditions at the south end of Ohio Street next to the San Timeteo Creek Channel to make way for an 11-unit apartment complex.

The project will include the demolition of two existing structures that are more then 50 years old.

• Councilman Popsecu has asked city staff to review a study done by the Redlands Unified School District that addressed the impact the reopening of Mission Elementary School will have on traffic in the area of Redlands Avenue and Barton Road.

The council wants to know how the district intends to address the high volume of traffic and how they plan to mitigate it.