Oxford Village voters could be asked on an Aug. 5 ballot to give their permission to sell some publicly-owned land on Dayton and Mill streets.
On May 13, the village council voted unanimously to authorize the administration to draft ballot language requesting the sale of two village-owned lots located between 18 and 64 Dayton St. ? west of Pleasant St., east of Willow St. and north of the Polly Ann Trail.
The potential land sale request was sparked by an April 22 letter from Pontiac resident Donald E. Tucker, who offered the village $44,000 for the two lots.
‘I would like to purchase these lots to build myself and possibly one of my sons a house,? Tucker wrote. ‘I realize these lots would require extensive filling and revising in order to make them buildable lots. Due to the high cost of improving these lots, I believe the offer I’m making is reasonable for myself and for the Village of Oxford.?
Tucker offered the village $18,000 for the lot adjacent to 18 Dayton St., which has frontage measuring 80 feet and a depth of 178 feet. For the lot adjacent to 64 Dayton St., which has a frontage measuring 145 feet and a depth of 178 feet, Tucker offered $26,000. The two lots are separated by a right-of-a-way for a street.
Manager Mark Slown recommended council place a land sale request on the ballot before spending any village funds, such as an estimated $2,000 to $4,000 to have the lots independently appraised, which was recommended by village attorney Bob Bunting.
‘We can’t do anything until we find out if the voters will or won’t let the village sell it,? he told council. ‘I recommend we don’t spend any money until we do that.?
Village President Steve Allen said if the voters authorize the land sale, he’d like to see the property ‘available equally for anybody? and offered on a ‘bid basis. . .based on an appraisal.?
Slown informed council that the cost of an election is approximately $2,000, ‘however, an election for a property sale requested and paid for by the (Oxford Community Development Authority) is in the works already.?
‘Therefore, the ballot for this sale proposal could be added to that ballot with minimal additional cost,? the manager noted.
The other land sale request Slown referred to involves the portion of Mill St. located between Stanton and E. Burdick. According to OCDA Chairperson Sue Bossardet, as part of the proposed southeast parking quadrant improvement and expansion plan, the OCDA decided at its May meeting that it wants the village to vacate this stretch of Mill St. and move it to the east so it runs through 38 E. Burdick St., another village-owned property. The house currently sitting on that property would have to be removed, either by demolition or moving it to another location, she said.
The vacated portion of Mill St. between 32 and 36 E. Burdick would then be divided in half, with one half added to each property, which voters gave permission to sell March 10.
However, because this vacated street would become village property, its sale would have to be approved by voters. The ballot language for this is currently being drafted and must go before council for approval.
The remaining vacated portion of Mill St., not located between these two properties and extending to Stanton St., would become part of the parking quadrant.
Bossardet said the main reason for wanting to move Mill St. is a ‘safety issue.? Under the OCDA’s original concept plan for the southeast quadrant, Mill St. divided the parking lot.
Having a street dividing the parking quadrant is a safety hazard to pedestrians, she said. ‘In good conscience, I couldn’t agree with placing a street through the middle of a parking lot,? Bossardet said. ‘It doesn’t make sense.?