T
he City Council has made two significant decisions that will impact Sunnyside's real estate and traffic management. The council approved a resolution to sell approximately 77 acres of the city-owned Monson property to F&M Investments for $1.7 million, significantly lower than its appraised value of $3.6 million. Mayor Dean Broersma expressed optimism about finally selling the land, which has been on the market before but never sold due to its remote location and lack of infrastructure.

    The city still owes around $800,000 on the property, which will need to be paid off first. Councilmember Julia Hart noted that the funds won't come from the general fund, giving the city flexibility in how they're used. Meanwhile, the city is moving forward with traffic safety improvements along East Edison Avenue. Two intersections will be converted to four-way stops at South Fifth Street and South Ninth Street.

    The goal of this change is to improve visibility, slow speeding, and reduce congestion near popular destinations like City Hall and Varietal Beer Company. Interim Public Works Director Cus Arteaga explained that converting to four-way stops was the most economical and safest option, as installing lights wasn't feasible due to budget constraints. The city will gather public feedback over the next two weeks before making the changes permanent by June 9 at an estimated cost of $1,000.