The city of Langley is considering the sale of a small, oddly shaped piece of property near the South Whidbey Harbor.

Members of city council, however, are divided on the issue and have temporarily put the discussion on hold amidst concerns expressed by the public.

At the council meeting Monday night, Director of Community Planning Brigid Reynolds presented the council with a request for the purchase of a triangular-shaped parcel of pavement the city owns down by the marina.

The property is just 340 square feet and is often used as a parking space.

The owner of the Boatyard Inn is hoping to buy the lot. As a condition of the sale, they would transfer the piece of property to the Port of South Whidbey so that the building owner and the port can enter into an easement agreement for a larger and more functional parking area.

As another condition of the sale, striping and paving along Wharf Street would take place.

If the sale is made, it’s unclear how many more parking stalls the port-owned lot it is located next to would gain. In an interview with The Record, Reynolds said the triangle might be able to provide 1.5 stalls.

The hotel owner is in the process of applying to convert the building to a 10-unit condominium. As required by city code for a residential unit, it is in need of a total of 15 parking stalls.

An analysis prepared by a transportation engineer determined that 11 stalls would be sufficient; however, Reynolds stressed that decisions about reducing parking can only be made by the city’s hearing examiner, not city council.

She said it would be up to the council to determine the fair market value of the parcel. A resolution would have to be prepared for the council’s consideration declaring the property to be surplus and conditions of sale conveyed to the port, including the completion of improvements along Wharf Street.

The triangle of pavement owned by the city does not currently have an assessed value. Reynolds said she was having trouble hearing back from appraisers. As of Thursday afternoon, she told The Record she had still not found an assessor to do the work.

Langley citizens attending the meeting expressed their disapproval of the proposed sale.

Rhonda Salerno said she didn’t think it was worth selling the piece of property just for parking. A small food truck, for example, may be able to inhabit the space.

“I see greater things for it,” Salerno said.

Pauline Cruchon also voiced concerns about the transaction.

“I feel that any land that the city owns on the waterfront, no matter how small, should never be let go of,” Cruchon said.

She added that the city could consider turning it into a little green space.

“It seems like a really bad move to sell it or to release it,” she said. “You’ll never get it back.”

The proposed sale garnered mixed reactions from the council.

Councilmember Dom-inique Emerson pointed out that the property in question is not directly located on the waterfront.

“I’m not sure what Langley would lose by selling this,” she said.

Councilmembers Peter Morton and Thomas Gill both agreed that cosmetic improvements such as striping might help alleviate the busy parking situation down by the marina.

“Anything that would improve the organization of parking down there would be a great improvement,” Mayor Tim Callison said.

Councilmember Christy Korrow, however, was hesitant to throw her support behind the sale. She expressed concerns about the condominiums taking parking away from the community.

“I know that’s not the issue that we’re directly discussing, but for me it does tie into why I would lean to not be in favor of it,” she said.

She was also skeptical about selling the property just to trigger the curbing and striping.

Callison said that instead of selling the land, the city could alternatively seek an easement for its use.

Discussion on the sale was tabled so all the council members can view the property and allow time for public comment.