Politics & Government

Land Negotiations Break Down Over Proposed Dexter Township Fire Station

Township board members will discuss possible purchase of a fourth property at the Multi-Lakes Water & Sewer Authority meeting Thursday.

The battle over the location for a proposed permanent fire station in Dexter Township continues after the Board of Trustees took no action on a purchase agreement with Dexter Plaza One, LLC. during a special meeting on Monday.

Clerk Harley Rider said the fire station search committee is still looking at other properties, and representatives from Dexter Plaza One, LLC. failed to show up to a scheduled meeting with Supervisor Pat Kelly on Monday afternoon.

The company owns 5 acres of land at 11485 North Territorial Road and previously stated that it would be willing to sell the property for its purchase and clean-up cost.

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Kelly said she plans to reach out to the company to determine if it wants to move forward with a purchase agreement.

"It's possible the property owners no longer want to sell to the township," she said. "If that’s the case we need to be looking at other properties."

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During Monday's meeting, the board directed the search committee to investigate property owned by the Multi-Lakes Sewer and Water Authority near the township's temporary fire sub-station, which is less than a mile west from the 11485 location, Rider said.

At its Feb. 19 meeting, the board voted to direct Kelly and Trustees Carl Lesser and Michael Howard to negotiate purchase agreements with Dexter Plaza One, LLC., as well as two other property owners with land near Dexter Townhall and North Territorial roads.

Trustee Jason Maciejewski, who replaced Kelly on the committee searching for potential sites, said he came to Monday night's meeting hoping to discuss and settle the final negotiations for the 11485 property. 

"That property has been identified by work our Public Safety Advisory Committee has done over the years," he said.

According to Kelly, the location will put all of the township's residents within 5 miles of a fire station and drastically reduce response times with the Dexter Area Fire Department.

However, Rider said the temporary location at the sewer authority is working out fine. He said more evaluations are needed before the board can vote.

"If we bought a piece of property without doing the evaluations, that would be irresponsible," he said.

The Multi-Lake Sewer and Water Authority meets Thursday, Rider said, and four of its eight members sit on the Dexter Township Board of Trustees. He said trustees will discuss a land purchase at the meeting.


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