Belleville DDA approves purchase of 258 Main St. on 6-2 vote

After discussion on the environmental status of a parcel of land at 258 Main St., the Belleville Downtown Development Authority voted 6-2 to buy the land at a special meeting on Saturday, March 2.
Voting no were Mayor Ken Voigt and DDA Treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams.
Mayor Voigt said he felt the owner should pay for any further environmental testing, which was estimated to be from $3,000 to $5,000.
“We’re the only buyer that makes sense to me,” he said noting the DDA’s proposed use of making it into a parking lot or using it for popup shops would be possible without disturbing the former gas station underground.
“I don’t feel comfortable buying it,” Mayor Voigt said.
Treasurer Richardson-Williams said she doesn’t like the DDA just buying property and sitting on it.
Assistant City Manager Steve Jones, who also manages the DDA, gave the background on the property.
He said the purchase price for 258 Main St. was negotiated and an environment survey on the former gas station site set. He said it came back. He said Wayne County took out the tanks and there are seven to eight test wells still there.
Jones said the next step is to test the wells and file paperwork with EGLE [the state department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy].
Jones said the DDA talked about green space and a parking lot and that is something EGLE would approve. He said green space or popup shops would pull people down the street from the new shopping center at the bridge.
He said because of the timeline, the DDA has to make a decision.
When asked about whether the DDA would invest in popup shops, Jones said it would but they would be temporary structures and could be relocated.
Kelly McWilliams asked about restrooms and suggested maybe that couldn’t happen because it would break the ground.
Jones said that would depend on the test wells, but, “I would say no at this point.”
Treasurer Richardson-Williams asked if the purchase would be financed and Jones said the deal was for $90,000 cash by the end of March, would be the 180 days agreed upon.
DDA Chairperson Alicia McGovern said the property was listed for $120,000 and the DDA bid $90,000.
DDA member Mike Gatteri said that is 20% less and asked how much more is the buyer going to give?
DDA Vice-Chairman John Winter said the parcel looks terrible now and at least parking could be put in there.
Gatteri said if they can take things off the market, there would be less for sale on Main Street and the property prices would rise.
“Our job is to make the site look good,” said DDA Secretary Denise Baker.
The motion to purchase the property according to the agreement was made by Winter and seconded by Chris Donley and passed 6-2. DDA member Valerie Kelley-Bonner was absent and excused from the meeting because she was ill.
In other business at the 52-minute DDA meeting following its two-hour strategy session on March 2, the DDA:
• Heard Jones announce that the DDA is the proud owner of two properies on Main Street, noting the closing on the former hardware store closed the previous week. He said there needs to be work on the parking lot in back and changes in front. Mayor Voigt said Hennessey engineers can give the DDA information and what it would take to extend the parking lot. Winter said the wall inside needs to be fixed. Jones said he could check with the former owner on who he had lined up for that. Jones said this conversation allows him to go to Hennessey and reengage planning consultant Jill Bahm on this;
• Agreed that Jones should go out for quotes again for the LED sign at the corner of Main and High streets that is not functioning now. He said he has found how to turn it off completely and will do so in the next two days or so. DDA members showed irritation with the continued messages from the holidays. Jones said 16 years ago when it was erected the sign was the cutting edge. He said the DDA put the sign up and Contract Welding did the enclosure. He said they don’t have to redesign the shell, just get a new replacement for the LED section. He said the new sign could be cloud-based and able to be used by the public safety department for emergency announcements. Estimate so far is around $24,000. Mayor Voigt asked that this project be fast-tracked and Jones said the call for bids would be put out this week and back by the next DDA meeting;
• Approved a grant of $5,000 to the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce to help market Lake Fest and $3,000 for Winter Fest. Gatteri said they should have something to replace the boat races that made a big splash last year and brought a lot of people. Chamber Director Martha Hanoian said they would love to have a boat show on High Street and they are working very hard to expand the festival. Hanoian said, however, that a zipline is not financially feasible, although many are in favor of having one;
• Approved a grant of $4,300, said to be the same as last year, to the Belleville Central Business Community. The application did not designate a specific amount requested, asking the DDA to give “as much as possible,” so the DDA gave the amount allocated last year. No one was present at the meeting from the CBC to discuss the application. Winter criticized the Chamber and the CBC for not working together and Jones said the city and the Chamber have attended the CBC meetings over the last year to bridge the gap. “They are very established in their events,” Jones said. He said they are trying to work together;
• Heard Mayor Voigt say he would like to keep the parking lot on High Street on the front burner for upgrades and he doesn’t want the DDA to lose sight of clearing sightlines to the lake. He said he wants to turn the banner program back over to the DDA and make sure the goats are on the next agenda so the DDA can pay its share of their work at Horizon Park. He said he wants to up city maintenance this year. Also, not all of the planters were returned to Main Street after the streetscape work 12 years ago and he would like them put out. “The more flowers on Main, the better,” Mayor Voigt said. Also the DDA should be working on the budget;
• Heard Donley say the Cozadd room at the library, where they were meeting, was more conducive to the DDA because at city hall there isn’t enough room for all nine members to sit together. He said he would like all DDA meetings to be at the library;
• Heard Baker say that she has started putting the budget together as chairperson of the budget committee, although McWilliams just now left on vacation. She asked DDA members to send ideas to her;
• Heard Treasurer Richardson-Williams say she would like to know just how much money the DDA has; and
• Heard Winter say the DDA meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month and, “I can’t believe we have nine members and couldn’t get a quorum for the last meeting,” referring to the cancelled February meeting. He said he would like people to make a valiant effort to attend the meetings. He said he would like to see a copy of the bylaws.