Free land! Free land! Here's the Catch:

BEATRICE - Nearly 150 years ago, Daniel Freeman was one of the first people to claim 160 acres of free land under the Homestead Act of 1862.

Today, the Homestead National Monument of America is on the site of Freeman's claim, just west of Beatrice.

Now the city of Beatrice is attempting to recreate a piece of history with its own version of the Homestead Act.

Beatrice announced on the 148th anniversary of the signing of the original act, that will provide free city lots to people willing to build a home on the land and make the home their primary residence for at least three years.

"Hopefully we can spur a little building in west Beatrice that way," said Mayor Dennis Schuster.

The lots in the program have at least 50 feet of street frontage and will be around 50 feet deep, but an adjoining lot can be requested to double the area.

The initial lots being offered are on the west side of Beatrice, and were acquired by the city through foreclosures and other means.

Initially, two lots will be given away in the 600 block of Grace Street on a trial basis.

More lots are expected to be given away as part of the program, according to City Attorney Tobias Tempelmeyer.

While other communities have done similar programs to distribute unused lots, Schuster said Beatrice's tie to the Homestead Act makes the local program unique.

Much like with the land given through the 1862 Homestead Act, the free lots will come with stipulations.

Upon signing the final contract, the person with the land has six months to get a building permit and another year after that to complete the building. The homes must be at least 900 square feet in size.

After the house has been built, the owner must live in it as a primary residence for three years. The applicant may be a resident of Beatrice or not.

The original homestead act required homesteaders to live on the land, build a home, make improvements and farm for five years before they were eligible to "prove up." A total filing fee of $18 was the only money required.

Schuster hopes to see Beatrice's economy benefit from the program and bring additional revenue to the city.

"There aren't a lot of homes being built, given the state of the economy," Schuster said. "It's something that hasn't been tried here before. Might as well give it a shot, and who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and things will go good with this program."

Tempelmeyer estimated that the city spends around $1,000 annually to maintain each city-owned property.

"You're always going to pick up a lot or two a year through various reasons," Tempelmeyer said.

http://journalstar.com/article_1313b238-64f4-11df-a382-001cc4c03286.html

 

Talk about this on the forum! Not a member? Email us for free membership.