Kingsland Is Asked To Consider Taking Ownership of ‘Pole Yard’

KINGSLAND - The Kingsland City Council was approached last Thursday to look into possibly claiming ownership of the “pole yard” property that parallels the railroad track along First Street between Maple and Larch.Paul Abeyta, a former Kingsland resident and music promoter who now lives in Camden, approached the council during its regular monthly about acquiring the property and building an outdoor pavilion there that could serve as a stage for outdoor entertainment and be used for other activities as well. He said he would like to have it completed to the point that it could be used during the Get Rhythm Music Festival planned for September.Mayor Karen Wiscaver was not at last Thursday’s city council meeting. Kingsland recorder/treasurer  Nadriona Russell presided over the meeting in her absence. Mayor-elect Samantha Johnson was in the audience.While acknowledging the perception that Union Pacific Railroad owns the land, Abeyta told the council he discovered that the land is not deeded to anyone. He showed the council a 1904 plat for the City of Kingsland. That plat indicated the land along both the north and south sides of the tracks in that location was designated as a “Railway Reservation.” Abetya said he reached out to Union Pacific officials and was informed that the railroad does not own the land nor pays taxes on it. He said the railroad officials told him their boundary goes 50-feet on both sides from the center of the tracks. Even with that boundary figured in, Abeyta said there is still a significant amount of land that could be utilized by the city. In addition, Abeyta also approached the council about building an outdoor pavilion on the property that could serve as a stage. He said he would personally contribute to the project and others he had spoken to were willing to volunteer labor and/or support to help build.The proposed pavilion would measure 32 feet by 26 feet. Abetya said he ...