Laser School property gets a little bigger

The old Laser School property soon will get a little bigger - and in the future likely will have its own parking lot.

This summer, a local couple made an offer to buy the parcel immediately adjoining Laser School to the east. On Tuesday, School District 5 offered the couple $10,000 to walk away from the buy-sell agreement they signed with the property owner, Taco Bell.

The couple accepted the offer.

Out of the $10,000, $1,000 covers the earnest money the couple already has paid. The remaining $9,000 is their incentive to give up the parcel.

In return, the district will receive the terms, conditions and provisions that already exist in the agreement - essentially, the district will replace the couple as the buyer.

School District 5 will pay Taco Bell $104,000 for the property, which covers about 7,285 square feet. Improving and paving the parcel likely will cost another $100,000, District Clerk Todd Watkins said.

It's a worthwhile investment, Agent Kits Smith of Prudential Glacier Real Estate told school board trustees at a special meeting Tuesday. While several potential buyers have expressed interest in Laser School, many were deterred by the property's lack of available parking.

"I honestly, wholeheartedly believe it is an investment in your future," Smith said. "Whatever you spend on this lot will be far added to your value."

Laser School, which has been on the market for more than a year, is listed at $550,000. The district has received two full-price offers for the property, but in both cases the buyers backed out before they closed the deal.

The most recent offer fell through in August, when Glacier Mountain Fellowship decided not to buy the school. The church's $10,000 earnest money will be used to pay the couple for walking away from their buy-sell agreement.

The money to purchase and improve the adjacent property will come from funds the district has accrued over the last several years, Superintendent Darlene Schottle said.

Originally, that money was set aside to upgrade the central administration office downtown, she said. Now it will be used to pave and upgrade the new parcel, add a service door in the Laser gym and lay rubberized flooring over the basketball court inside.

Once the improvements are finished, the district will move its warehouse and central store into the building. The print shop already is located there.

The district would take Laser off the market, at least for a few years, Watkins said. The school's long-term future depends in part on what happens with the Flathead County Library, which is looking for a new facility for its main library. It has leased most of the available space in the administration building since 1969.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com