Pleasant Hill has listed a house for sale. The only catch? You'd have to move it

Chris Higgins, Des Moines Register
Updated ·3 min read
4

The city of Pleasant Hill could sell you a house — if you're willing to move it.

The Pleasant Hill City Council approved purchasing about 15 acres just outside city limits, 800 N.E. 64th St., for $1.45 million from a local landowner in October. The sale was recorded Jan. 2. The property will be used for a future extension of Martha L. Miller Drive, completing the roadway from 60th Street to 64th Street.

There is no set date for the road extension project, according to city documents.

The city of Pleasant Hill plans to extend Martha L. Miller Drive, south of University Avenue, to 64th Street. The City Council approved setting a date to consider bids for a house and barn that would be in the way and could be moved instead of demolished.
The city of Pleasant Hill plans to extend Martha L. Miller Drive, south of University Avenue, to 64th Street. The City Council approved setting a date to consider bids for a house and barn that would be in the way and could be moved instead of demolished.

However, there's a snafu: the property has a 1,450 square-foot ranch house, built in 1986, and a pole barn from 1995 that would be in the way of the road project. The structures are in good condition and could be moved and reused if someone is interested.

More: New pickleball courts and trail connections are coming to Pleasant Hill in 2024

Selling the house and barn would save the city on demolition costs.

On March 12, the council approved setting a public hearing to receive bids for the home and consider awarding it to a new owner on April 23. The sale would be for the structure and not any land.

The winning bidder would have three months to relocate the home and stabilize the site. If the city does not receive or award any bids, staff could proceed with demolishing it.

Pleasant Hill has listed 800 N.E. 64th St. for sale so it can build a road extension there. The only catch? You'd have to move the house off the property.
Pleasant Hill has listed 800 N.E. 64th St. for sale so it can build a road extension there. The only catch? You'd have to move the house off the property.

According to Polk County property records, the house has three bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, a 500-square-foot garage and a deck.

The Polk County Assessor lists the value of the house and the land at $235,000. Pleasant Hill has no set asking price and will go with the "highest responsive and responsible bidder," according to the bid posting.

The home is available for viewing through April 15. Contact City Hall at 515-262-9368 to schedule an appointment with 48 hours notice.

The council's decision was subject to city staff clarifying use of the barn by the previous owner's family, and the current bid does not list the barn. The purchase agreement allowed the seller use of the outbuilding for a year after closing.

A city spokesperson said Thursday specific plans for the barn have not been decided and would come at a later date. The pole barn, which is 24-feet-wide by 32-feet-long, could either be put up for bid or demolished.

More: Three more houses move from Drake neighborhood to Sherman Hill

The city has been working to connect the pieces of Martha L. Miller Drive, named for a longtime former council member, as an alternative route off University Avenue for local traffic and development. Connecting the road to 64th Street could allow for commercial development, city documents say.

Another section of Martha L. Miller Drive, connecting the public safety building with the Southeast Polk school campus, opened last year. The future extension to 64th Street would complete the road by the proposed Crossing at Pleasant Hill commercial development.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the size of the barn.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern and northern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Pleasant Hill has a house for sale, but the buyer would have to move it