Huntingburg weighs partial sale of land around south water tower

Huntingburg leaders are studying whether part of the six-acre site around the city’s south water tower can be sold privately, a move that could turn municipal land into a development parcel. The Huntingburg city council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize Mayor Neil Elkins to seek two appraisals and contract for a survey before any final decision.

The proposal centers on selling only a portion of the property rather than the full parcel. That approach would let the city test the value of the land while keeping the water tower itself in public hands, but any subdivision would still have to protect access for maintenance crews, utility easements and the safety and service needs tied to the tower.

For Dubois County residents, the question is not just whether city land can fetch a good price. It is also whether the site should remain a flexible public asset or become private property that shapes what can be built near the south side of Huntingburg. A private sale could create room for new development and generate revenue for the city, while also narrowing the city’s control over how the land around a critical utility structure is used.

The council’s decision to order two appraisals signals that Huntingburg is still gathering basic information on value before setting a sale price or drawing final boundaries. The survey will be essential if the city moves ahead with a subdivision, since the tower’s footprint, access routes and service requirements all have to be mapped cleanly before any piece of the land can be separated from the rest.

The matter remains in the discussion stage, and no final sale has been approved. That leaves open the larger public-interest questions that come with any sale of city-owned land: whether taxpayers are getting fair value, whether the land is being put to its best use, and how much of the south water tower site should stay under public control as Huntingburg weighs future growth around it.