A $700,000 purchase agreement for a piece of land crucial to protecting Oxford Village’s water supply and possibly expanding Scripter Park was approved 4-0 by council Aug. 23.
Council authorized moving ahead with the completion of a real estate purchase agreement for 98 S. Glaspie Street ? a former industrial site consisting of two parcels equalling approximately 3.42 acres and three buildings ? which is valid through Sept. 30.
‘I’m very enthusiastic about our acquiring this property,? said Councilman Dave Bailey.
Sale of the site is contingent on environmental testing conducted and paid for by the property’s current owner, the Clarkston-based Harding Leasing & Equipment Company.
If any remediation and/or cleanup of the site is required, that too would be the responsibility of Harding Leasing, according to the purchase agreement.
Over the years, the property was home to Smith Silo, Spearing Tool & Manufacturing Co. and most recently Sea Link International, a custom manufacturing company. It now sits unused.
The property is bordered by Scripter Park’s baseball diamonds to the north, the village’s water tower, treatment plant, underground wells and DPW garage to the south and Round Lake to the east.
‘We own all around that parcel,? said village Manager Joe Young.
Across the street from the site is a small housing development.
In light of the property’s nonindustrial surroundings, Terrance Groh, a partner in Harding Leasing & Equipment, said, ‘It wasn’t the right setup? for another industrial business.
Also, given how ‘soft? the industrial business is these days, Groh said, ‘It would have been hard to get an industrial client (for the site).?
Groh noted that the village has been interested in buying the property for the last few years. Former Manager Mark Slown was the one who first approached Harding Leasing about selling it, he said.
Although there were three parties interested in buying the S. Glaspie property, the village was the only one willing to pay cash, Groh explained.
For Manager Young, acquiring the property is a vital to keeping the village’s water clean and pure.
‘We’ve got to protect our wellhead area,? the manager told council. ‘Which is a primary concern from my standpoint.?
That’s why the $700,000 is coming from the village’s Water and Sewer Fund.
Councilman Bailey echoed Young’s sentiment. ‘Having this industrial site sitting on top of our water supply has just been keeping me chewing my fingernails for years,? he said.
‘We have some of the best water in Michigan right now and I would hate to see that compromised,? Bailey said. ‘I really would like the village to have that property under our control rather than under the control of some industrialist.?
Councilman Steve Allen was excited about the village owning a ‘contiguous strip of property? from Scripter Park’s baseball diamonds at the north end to the (vacant industrial lot covered by woods) at the south end.
‘Which would give us ownership of the entire west and south shore of Round Lake,? he said.
‘Trying to preserve green open spaces and recreational areas is difficult, particularly in 1.1 square miles,? Allen noted. ‘I think this is a great forward thrust.?
Bailey agreed with Allen as well.
‘It gives us a really major piece of park land,? he said.
At its Aug. 8 meeting, the village parks and recreation comittee discussed possible uses for the new land including a community center with skate park, parking and an additional ball field.
Given the fact that purchasing the property will remove it from the tax rolls, Village President Renee Donovan told council, ‘We need to aggressively pursue further development of our industrial property that’s remaining.?
With a combined taxable value of $357,860, the two parcels that makeup 98 S. Glaspie St. generated $4,516 in village property taxes this year.