Tyler Signs Sales Contract on Land for Animal Care Facility

TYLER — Tyler City Manager Mark McDaniel Thursday entered into a sales contract of $550,000 for the possible purchase of 10 acres of land to be used for a future animal care facility. The City Council authorized McDaniel to take the action during Wednesday’s meeting. The property is located at 4218 Chandler Hwy. The City began investigating the potential of purchasing the parcel after ending discussions with the SPCA about building a new facility on land that was donated to them. According to a city news release, an assessment of the property offered by the SPCA revealed that more than $400,000 would need to be invested for infrastructure before construction of a new 10,000 square foot facility could begin.

“The infrastructure costs with the lot on the SPCA property were prohibitive,” said McDaniel. “Also, in exchange for the land, the City would have had to donate to the SPCA a $375,000 building that we recently constructed nearby.” Mayor Barbara Bass added, “Not only would we have to put in $400,000 to get started, we would then have significant construction costs for a new building. The property we are interested in off of Hwy 31 already has a 20,000 square foot building on it and all infrastructure is in place. We feel this makes much more financial sense than the lot offered by the SPCA.” The sales contract the City entered into allows for 30 days to evaluate the property.

According to KETK, local SPCA President Deborah Dobbs had earlier expressed uneasiness with the city’s move. “Our concern is that the city is starting over with needs assessments, and feasibility studies and architects when we’ve actually sought out some of the experts in the field across the country and paid for them to do this,” said Dobbs. But she added, “At the end of the day, whatever happens, we want the animals to get a shelter.” McDaniel says the city invites the SPCA into its project, “but we feel like that it’s such an important project that the city really needs to be in the driver’s seat on this one.”