Powell sells two lots for EV-related businesses

POWELL — After months of discussion, the City of Powell officially decided to sell a pair of vacant lots to local businesses looking to capitalize on the growing number of electric vehicles. 
At its Dec. 19 meeting, the Powell City Council unanimously voted to sell a 0.66 acre lot to Yellowstone Motors and to sell a 0.64 acre lot to Zane and Joni Bennett, the owners of Yellowstone Electric. 
The parcels are located in the Gateway West subdivision on Powell’s west side, just off Coulter Avenue and on opposite sides of the subdivision’s entrance. 
“Originally, [the lots] were intended to be put into grass and open space, and we’re selling them because the city does not want them put into grass and open space,” Mayor John Wetzel said at a Nov. 21 council meeting. 
Instead of having vacant lots that require city maintenance, Wetzel said he wanted to see the land being used by businesses. 
The lots are being sold for $32,000, plus costs, which will bump the final purchase price to around $35,000 apiece. Appraisals pegged the value of the lots at $40,000, but the city opted to provide a discount given the economic benefits that the new owners are expected to provide. 
Yellowstone Motors plans to use the lot to expand its adjoining auto dealership, intending to offer a new line of electric Hummers on the additional land. 
The Bennetts, meanwhile, plan to install charging stations for EVs, potentially along with features like electrical connections for food trucks or a coffee hut. 
During a lengthy discussion at the Nov. 21 meeting, councilors debated whether to seek bids on the lots, but ultimately decided it would be best to directly sell the properties to the interested parties, given the potential economic benefits the businesses will bring. 
The city used the same process in 2021 to sell a small sliver of land along Coulter Avenue to a developer who’s planning to build a Dairy Queen. That 0.12 acre parcel appraised for $35,000, but was sold for $5,000 plus costs. 
The council publicly considered and advertised the potential sale of the Gateway West properties over a period of months, and city officials said the Bennetts and Yellowstone Motors were the only ones to express serious interest in the lots. 
When the council opened a formal public comment period on the sale at its Dec. 19 meeting, no one spoke up. 
Given their small sizes, the options for developing the properties are somewhat limited. 
“Has anyone really done the research on whether or not EV is really coming this way?” Councilor Geoff Hovivian wondered aloud at a Nov. 21 meeting. “Because everything that I’ve read, Wyoming is horrible for electric vehicles.” 
However, Yellowstone Motors CEO Anthony Brownlee told the council by phone that “every single manufacturer I’m currently doing business with is 100% in on electrification in every market.” 
General Motors, for example, has committed to “an all-electric future,” and will require its dealers to adapt accordingly. 
“The EVs are coming,” Councilor Steve Lensegrav said. “No matter what we say, they’re coming.” 
Brownlee said supply chain issues related to some needed chargers had delayed the rollout of the new line of vehicles in Powell, but he hopes to move forward “sooner rather than later.”
 
This story was published on Jan 3, 2023.