Cook County to consider sales or uses of tax forfeited lands

The Cook County Board of Commissioners will soon decide the fate of seven parcels of land that came under county ownership through tax forfeiture.

On March 24 the board will hold a public hearing about proposed classification changes and potential sales of the land at 9 a.m. A decision on those questions is scheduled immediately after the hearing.

County Assessor Bob Thompson told WTIP that his proposal to the board requests that they designate the parcels as “non-conservation,” which will allow the county to eventually sell those properties. He added that the county is required to sell most of the properties based on state law and court precedent.

Tax forfeiture properties can be classified differently and put to a variety of uses. In some cases, they must be offered for sale. In other cases, the county may opt to retain ownership, either keeping it as environmental conservation land, or allowing it to be developed to meet a community need.

Some county resources, like the Grand Marais/Cook County Airport, the Highway Department headquarters, the Tofte and Hovland Transfer Stations, and come communication towers are all located on properties the county acquired through tax forfeiture.

Thompson explained that while the board will discuss potential options for the properties, they won’t be starting from a blank slate. “Most of that vetting of potential uses happens before the meeting, with county staff reviewing tax forfeited parcels and making recommendations for potential uses,” he said.

Thompson said that before recommendations are made, potential county uses are identified. He added that if properties were to come up that fell within the Grand Portage Reservation, the recommendation would be to return ownership to the Band.

The seven properties are spread out across the county. None of them has been developed. The proposal to the board recommends they take three actions. First, a general reclassification of the properties as non-conservation. Second, the conveyance of an additional parcel to the Cook County Housing Redevelopment Authority( HRA). That property was part of a land exchange between the county and the federal government. Third, allow the county to pursue sales of several of the properties to adjacent property owners, because the parcels in question have been deemed substandard as standalone properties.

The second recommendation is based on a request from the HRA. The county property is adjacent to a property in Tofte already owned by the HRA, next to the Birch Grove Community School. The HRA-owned property has been the site of several planned developments, and HRA Executive Director Jeff Brand previously told WTIP that the organization still hopes to see the land developed with affordable housing.

Brand has appeared before the Board of Commissioners with the request that the county-owned property be conveyed to the HRA with the specific aim of allowing for a larger potential development in the area. The conveyance would allow the HRA to help keep home prices lower, since the cost of land would not be a burden for a future developer.

The properties that will be considered on Tuesday March 24 are:

• PID# 25-054-0104 – Overlook Trail (Tofte)
• PID# 51-015-2205 – West Highway 61
• PID# 54-234-2475 – West County Road 14
• PID# 55-320-1100 – Camp 20 Road
• PID# 55-321-2200 – Camp 20 Road
• PID# 55-326-2250 – Tom Lake Road
• PID# 80-060-1801 – Blackwell Addition (Grand Marais)

Details on the properties can be found in the proposal that appears in the Board of Commissioners packet for the March 24 meeting.

Kirsten Wisniewski March 22, 2026