Metropolitan Land Group Refuses One-On-One Negotiations with
School District
On Tuesday April 10, 2018, the Sherwood School District (SSD)
offered to meet Hillsboro real estate investor Metropolitan Land Group (MLG) to
discuss future development under terms intended to foster a
partnership-oriented relationship. On April 12, 2018, MLG declined to
meet under the School District’s proposed conditions.
MLG and SSD have engaged for almost a year in law suits over the
value of land MLG purchased or optioned from long-time area residents.
MLG had intended, according to its trial witnesses, to sell the land for
“Move-up Homes” valued at $650-$750,000.
SSD intends to use the site to build a new, larger high school to
accommodate its students – whose population has outgrown the present school.
In December, a Washington County jury valued one of the parcels at
$120,000 per acre, very close to the value established by an independent
appraisal. MLG had claimed it was entitled to collect $550,000 per acre,
while MLG’s own appraiser testified it was worth $360,000 per acre.
Now, MLG is pressing the City for a further expansion of the Sherwood
Urban Growth Boundary, and has requested SSD’s support. MLG has said it
wants to be SSD’s partner.
At the same time MLG claims it wants to be SSD’s partner, it has
gone to court seeking to set aside the jury’s December verdict on its land
valuation. MLG sued the District to attempt to force SSD to pay for MLG’s
lawyers’ fees from the December trial.
MLG even appealed the City’s decision to annex the school site, despite
the fact the MLG is currently pushing to expand the City for its own land-speculation
purposes.
At a recent city council meeting, MLG again said it wants to meet
and to be SSD’s partner. SSD took MLG at its word, and as a result, SSD agreed
to meet with representatives of MLG, on conditions that would reaffirm MLG’s
desired partnership with SSD.
SSD is saddened to learn that MLG has refused SSD’s proposed
meeting and to otherwise take steps to act like the partner MLG says it wants
to be with SSD, without adding extraneous issues or inviting outside parties.
SSD remains open to meeting with MLG on the basis of mutual respect and
partnership. When MLG is ready, we’ll be
here. But if not, then we will be forced
to see them in court again.
The Sherwood School District Board of Directors realizes this
press release is an unusual step. We don’t usually take our disputes to
the media. But we believe it’s important for the Sherwood community to know
that our main priorities are the future of our students, and the wise use of
the considerable resources which have been entrusted to us by the people who
live in Sherwood.
Note: SSD legally has possession of the properties mentioned in this press release and the upcoming court case concerns the final purchase price. The new high school continues to move forward as planned.
