Brandon Twp.- Three wetland crossings are expected to be installed on township-owned property off M-15 and south of Brandon High School this summer.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the township board have approved the crossings, which will allow vehicle access to uplands at three different areas.
Fire Chief Bob McArthur described the largest crossing as one across Kearsley Creek that is similar to the Brandon High School bridge. This crossing will be 117 inches long by 79 inches wide and will consist of two tubes placed in wetland areas and covered by fill. The other two crossings are also in wetland areas and will be 48-inch culverts.
‘I anticipate this will be done in August or September, we have to get the contractors,? McArthur said. ‘It will cost about $210,000.?
Like the property, the crossings will be paid for out of the fire department fund, since the property was purchased by the township in 2006 at a cost of $1,955,000 for the main purpose of locating a new fire hall there to replace Fire Station #1. That station, located on South Street in Ortonville, is a safety concern, with emergency vehicles responding out of the village on about 500 calls per year, encountering a 25-mph zone, with pedestrians, crosswalks and traffic from three schools.
The original property purchase involved 66.1 acres of land, but has since been whittled down to about 56 acres after the sale of a portion of the property to the Brandon School District for additional parking at Brandon High School. McArthur said the fire department only needs about 5 acres for the firehall. Suggested uses for the remainder of the property include a municipal complex and wastewater treatment plant.
McArthur is keeping track of all expenses and investments made in the property to help calculate a possible future sale price.
‘I have no idea when the fire station will be built,? McArthur said. ‘We’re just protecting funds for in the future.?