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After considerable discussion at a public hearing last evening, the Houghton City Council abandoned an easement it had controlled over the property at 326 Shelden Avenue downtown.
The sidewalk there connects Shelden Avenue with the big parking deck, immediately to the west of Swift Hardware.
Although some residents noted the frequent current use of the sidewalk, several council members noted that the need for it will be significantly reduced when the deck is removed.
The lot is owned by Jon and Jennifer Julien’s Braveworks Development Company. They hope to build a residential project on the site. Bud Cole, the owner of the Hall Building, immediately to the west of the site, has challenged the plan in circuit court. A temporary stay preventing work at the site from proceeding was recently issued by Judge Charles Goodman. Noting that the city’s agreement to consider abandoning the easement was based on an approved site plan, Cole’s attorney encouraged council members to delay a decision until after the court battle…
In the end, the vote was 4-2 in favor, with councilors Brian Irizarry and Craig Waddell voting against, and councilor Jan Cole abstaining because of her family relationship to the plaintiff in the lawsuit.
City Manager Eric Waara presented to the council Waste Management’s proposed new contract for trash pick up in the city. Waara explained that he has called around the region looking for other companies that might be interested in working with the city, but has found none. No action was taken.
With the November election less than a month away, council members set the organizational meeting for the next term for November 15th at 7:30. That will follow a Planning Commission meeting. Mayor Robert Backon and council members Robert Megowan, Mike Needham and Craig Waddell are running unopposed.
Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the November 23rd regular council meeting was rescheduled to November 30th.
Council members approved the purchase of a pickup truck with a plow from Keweenaw Chevrolet Buick GMC. Most of the $66,244 cost will be covered by a Michigan Department of Transportation grant. The city’s portion will be around $17,000.
