Norwich — The Harbor Management Commission will spend this week researching environmental, legal and feasibility issues to decide whether the city should attempt to purchase the former Shetucket Iron & Metal scrapyard at 7 New Wharf Road, as well as another Thames River waterfront property in the former Shipping Street industrial district.

The harbor commission discussed the two properties behind closed doors for 45 minutes Tuesday and emerged with no decision, except to continue their research. The commission hopes to tour the former scrapyard property later this week with attorney Mark Block, the court-appointed committee of sale for the July 29 property auction.

The harbor commission will give a presentation with possible recommendations on both the former scrapyard property and property at 1 Terminal Way in the Shipping Street area at next Monday's 7 p.m. City Council meeting.

“If the City Council doesn't back this idea, then it goes nowhere,” harbor commission Chairman and city Alderman Gerald Martin said after Tuesday's meeting.

The scrapyard property auction, scheduled for noon on July 29, is the last action to dissolve the former scrapyard business and divide the proceeds among partners and creditors. City officials are concerned that another scrapyard business could buy the property, which would be allowed as an “existing nonconforming use.”

An attempt by one co-owner, Walter Seder, to delay the auction for health reasons was denied this week by a New London Superior Court judge presiding in the complex dissolution dispute among Seder family members. In an objection to a potential delay, attorney Block, representing Stephen Seder, wrote that publicity about the upcoming auction has spurred interest in the property by several parties.

Shetucket Iron & Metal owes the city $62,133 in back real estate taxes on the New Wharf Road property.

Prior to the executive session, Geoff Steadman, consultant for the Harbor Management Commission, gave a presentation using aerial photographs of the Thames River, one view showing the former Norwich Hospital property in the distance.

Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment's proposed $200 million to $600 million development on the former Norwich Hospital property in Preston is one motivating factor for the city's possible interest in purchasing the former scrapyard to ensure it does not become another scrapyard.

Steadman discussed scrapyard contamination and cleanup issues with state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials. He said many questions remain to be answered about the legal cleanup requirements. He said it's unclear whether a buyer would be ordered to clean up the property within eight years as defined in the state's property transfer law. But the city would be exempt from that deadline, Steadman said.

Steadman said the 20-year-old Harbor Management Plan says little about the New Wharf Road property, but an accompanying vision statement endorsed by the City Council called for creating a public park, fishing piers and a possible music venue at the scrapyard property — a plan Alderman and mayoral candidate H. Tucker Braddock strongly supports.

Braddock, a member of the Harbor Management Commission, is leading the effort to try to acquire the property. He declined to comment after Tuesday's meeting.

The city came close to purchasing the 1 Terminal Way property in 2016 for a boat launch, but backed off when the state withdrew support for the project because of the floodway status.

c.bessette@theday.com