St. Charles Village discusses potential on empty properties

ST. CHARLES — The St. Charles Village Council discussed the potential of several undeveloped properties Wednesday but decided to take no action, opting instead to keep or add the land to the tax roll. The discussion resulted from a foreclosed property up for municipal bids, a village inquiry into purchasing and developing empty lots and a search for a new location for the local museum.

The council decided to pass on the chance to buy a foreclosed lot housing a closed gas station at the corner of North and Saginaw Streets because of concerns over the contaminated soil and small size. The property has been a ongoing discussion for the village after complaints that the property was not only an eyesore, but dangerous. In July 2009, the Saginaw County District Court gave the village permission to clean up the property—including painting boarded up windows and removing a fallen light pole—after the property owner failed to show at the hearing.

Village Manager Hal Mead estimated the property was valued between $20,000 and $25,000, but that tests had shown the soil was contaminated with oil and the cost to clean the property would be nearly as much as the land was worth.

Trustee Lewis Gould said that the lot is too small for the village to do anything with.

Trustee Maureen Roe asked why the village couldn’t purchase the property to clean it up and build a small, treed park area.

Mead mentioned not only the contamination and size, but that the village would benefit from getting the land back on the tax roll. Mead mentioned that representatives from the land bank had shown an interest in obtaining the property, adding that the land bank actively looks for buyers.

The council unanimously decided to deny the property.

Empty individually-owned property within the Industrial Park was also part of Wednesday’s discussion, after a council member suggested the village look into repurchasing those properties in order to find a buyer that would build on the lots. Two of the owners responded to the village’s inquiry; one asked for $45,900 to $59,000 for a 3.3 acre lot and the other $16,000 to $18,000 for a one acre lot.

“We would be taking a chance buying them because nothing is moving right now,” Gould said. “I just don’t see that as a good investment for those prices.”

The rest of the council agreed and no motion was made to move forward.

The village also looked into donating a portion of the St. Charles Area Park to the local museum, who is currently looking for a location for a new building. The front of the park was suggested, but Roe said that location would detract from the welcoming road front the park has, with its gazebo and historic war cannon. Representing the park committee, she recommended looking for spots that wouldn’t detract from the park.

Trustee Kristine Neumann questioned what would happen to the building if the museum’s funding was cut or the organization dissolved, suggesting that the agreement would have to plan for such situations.

The council tabled the discussion, suggesting that representatives from the museum and park committee meet to look over proposed sites.