Brandon Twp.- The township board will discuss purchasing a 14-acre parcel of property on M-15 during an informational meeting at 7 p.m., Jan. 30, at the township offices, 395 Mill St. The meeting is open to the public.
Brandon Fire Chief Bob McArthur received unanimous approval from the board last April to get an appraisal on the property adjacent to MacPhee’s Restaurant. R.S. Thomas and Associates of Farmington, the appraiser hired by the township at a cost of $2,700, estimated the property to be worth $1.695 million. Gray Enterprises, who owns the property, had it appraised at $2.3 million. McArthur says he will propose the township offer to purchase the property for $1.8 million.
‘If we buy it, it would be for future use by the township,? said township supervisor Ron Lapp. ‘Our thought is to move Fire Station #1 over there. We want it in close proximity to the village. It makes good sense to own additional property for potential future township needs and so we don’t have any concerns with pedestrians.?
A new fire station on the M-15 property would replace the existing Fire Station #1 at 53 South St. McArthur has cited safety as the reason for a move of the main fire station. The fire department responds out of the village during busy times, such as when school is letting out and children are often walking along South Street. Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School is located on South Street and two elementaries, Harvey Swanson and H.T. Burt, are located on Varsity Drive, which is accessed by South Street.
The main fire station has been at 53 South St. since 1979 and was remodeled in 1989. The location was chosen because fire officials at the time wished to stay in the village (the prior location was where the current township offices are on Mill Street.) However, McArthur says, at that time the volume of calls was low? about 150 per year. Fire Station #1 now responds to 500 calls a year.
‘Our call volume has been increasing every year and we have to make these responses out of a street that has a 25 mph speed limit, three elementary schools, and crosswalks and sidewalks,? McArthur says. ‘The police department does also. On a typical car accident, there are typically two police cars and three fire department units. It’s a huge safety issue.?
The property that is being considered is cited by McArthur as the only remaining large chunk of land that is located close to the village and on M-15.
The M-15 location is attractive because it would allow fast response times for a growing township. Because emergency vehicles have to go to M-15, McArthur says, they might as well start there.
In a projected 15-year budget the fire chief has created, the property could be paid off by 2016 and a new fire hall could be built in 2017 without any new taxes being levied on residents. If necessary, it could be built sooner with loans and still no new taxes. Proceeds from a sale of the South Street building, which McArthur estimates could be valued at more than a million dollars, would also go toward building costs. His immediate concern is that the property be purchased.
‘I think it’s a smart move,? McArthur said. ‘We’ve studied it to see if it’s feasible. We’re not in the safest place to respond out of and we will need to expand eventually… Why wait until the property is going to be such an astronomical amount of money to buy and it may not even be available? If they turn it down, no harm, no foul. The taxpayers 10 years from now will suffer those consequences and have to buck up to do it. It’s done all the time, but we have the funds to do it right now.?
The parcel is zoned light industrial. The front two acres of the property are wetlands, but there are 12 acres on which to build. McArthur has noted that in addition to a new fire station there would be enough room for several more municipal buildings, such as new township offices or a police station.
During the informational meeting Jan. 30, the terms of the potential sale will be discussed, as well as other contingencies. For example, a Phase I study would need to be conducted prior to any sale, to ensure there are no leins on the property, as well as no contamination, etc.
Before the township board votes on purchasing the land, a public hearing is also required, which could happen as early as February.