It looks like Oxford Township is going into the real estate business.
Last week, the township board voted to set the asking prices for two pieces of publicly-owned property.
Officials are listing the Oxford Veterans Memorial Civic Center (28 N. Washington St.) and the parking lot behind it for $600,000. Even though they’re being marketed together, they are technically two separate pieces of property.
They’re also listing a 4.66-acre piece of vacant property at M-24 and Dunlap Rd. for $70,000.
Coldwell Banker Shooltz Realty in Oxford was previously selected to market and sell the properties.
A committee consisting of Supervisor Bill Dunn, Clerk Curtis Wright and Treasurer Joe Ferrari was formed to negotiate on the township’s behalf and make recommendations to the township board. Final acceptance of any purchase offer must be approved by a vote of the entire board.
Located on a 8,282-square-foot site in downtown Oxford, the 5,318-square-foot, two-story building, commonly known as the Vets Hall, was constructed in 1952 and contains an elevator and kitchen.
The township purchased it in November 1980 for $48,000. It’s used for government meetings and daily senior citizen activities. A recent appraisal valued it at $516,000.
Behind the building is a 23,526-square-foot (0.54-acre) parking lot, also owned by the township. It contains 43 spaces that currently provide free, public parking for businesses located in downtown’s northeast quadrant.
A recent appraisal of the lot valued it at $56,000.
The Vets Hall and the property it sits on are zoned Central Business District (C-1 Core).
Some principal permitted uses under this zoning designation include retail sales, restaurants, bars, lounges, hotels, professional offices, medical offices, residential dwellings, personal service establishments, and banks and credit unions without drive-through facilities.
Some uses allowed only with special approval include theaters, commercial parking garages, arcades, newspaper offices, printing shops, and banks and credit unions with drive-through facilities.
The parking lot behind the Vets Hall is zoned only for parking, so if it were sold to a private party, the village would have a large degree of control over how it’s used.
To build anything on it or use it for any purpose other than parking would require a zoning change approved by the village.
Village officials would like to see the lot continue to be used for free, public parking, so they submitted an offer to lease the property from the township for 99 years for the sum of $1 annually.
As part of the proposal, the village would assume all the liability and maintenance responsibilities such as snow removal, salting, sweeping, pothole repair, storm sewer repairs, landscaping, etc.
Township officials were not too keen on the proposal.
‘I don’t even consider that an offer,? Dunn said. ‘I’m only one vote (on the board), but as far as I’m concerned the parking lot can be sold with the Vets Hall to the highest bidder unless the village can come through with a serious offer. We’re not going to just give it away.?
Village Manager Joe Young said there are no plans to submit another offer.
‘Not at this time,? he said.
The township property at M-24 and Dunlap Rd. is zoned for single family homes with minimum lot sizes of 12,000 square feet. Because the land is owned by the township’s water customers, any proceeds from the M-24/Dunlap Rd. sale must go into the water fund.
Any proceeds from the sale of the parking lot would go into the township’s general fund. However, any proceeds from the Vets Hall sale must be used for the development of a community center based on a deed restriction.