Changes to MnDOT land conveyance process pass the House

The Department of Transportation could offer the sale of excess trunk highway land to adjacent landowners at appraised market value, instead of through a bid or auction process, under a bill passed by the House Thursday.

Rep. Paul Torkelson

HF859 would amend MnDOT’s procedure for transferring surplus highway land, as well as authorize the turnback of some parcels to counties and the Minnesota Historical Society.

The House passed the bill, sponsored by Rep. Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska), 131-0. It now heads to the Senate, where Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) is the sponsor.

Under the bill, MnDOT would also be authorized to sell excess land that remains unsold after an offer to the highest bidder to anyone willing to pay the minimum public sale bid amount, and would be authorized to use a real estate broker to sell lands once they are withdrawn from sale.

Other measures included in the bill would:

• remove a statutory reference to a route that is being removed from the state’s trunk highway system;
• allow MnDOT to convey, without payment, portions of McKinstry Mounds and McKinstry Village land in Koochiching County to the Minnesota Historical Society;
• turn back a portion of state Highway 112 from Le Sueur to Le Center to Le Sueur County;
• turn back a portion of state Highway 225, from Ponsford to Osage in Becker County, to Becker County; and
• remove Legislative Route 101 from state statute.