Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Bessemer — Plans by the Bessemer Area Historical Society to construct a new Bessemer Heritage Center on East Sellar Street have reached an impasse due to a discovery that part of the targeted property is not owned by the city, as originally thought.
The Heritage Center is now at the main street address of 403 S. Sophie St., but the plan was to construct a new building on the south side of the 100 block East Sellar Street after the City Council and Downtown Development Authority both voted to sell a piece of land in that area to the historical society.
Richard Steiger, BAHS treasurer, reported the problem to the city in a written status report dated March 19. He then also addressed the matter at Monday’s meeting of the Bessemer City Council.
Steiger said there were no issues with the one lot provided by the DDA, but the property offered by the city turned out to be only one lot, rather than one and one-half lots, as originally reported.
“We need the two and one-half lots for the building to sit at that site,” said Steiger of projected construction. “We’ll have to do something else. I don’t know what that is yet.”
In his status report, Steiger said, “Upon the city of Bessemer and Bessemer Downtown Development Authority’s approval of a sale of land parcels to the Bessemer Area Historical Society, a deed was prepared by a firm in Ironwood. When it came to the clerk’s office I reviewed it and found that the description was not complete. It deeded only two lots, not two and one-half lots.”
He continued, “The east one-half of Lot 3 was missing on the deed. The deed was sent back to the Ironwood firm for review and correction. They responded, said their deed is correct, that there appears to be an issue with the city claiming ownership of the east one-half of Lot 3. Therefore, it is not on the deed document.”
The status report then concluded, “The BAHS has contracted with Associated Title Company to conduct research on all three lots: east one-half of Lot 3, all of Lot 4, and all of Lot 5, of the original plat of the city of Bessemer.”
During the meeting, Steiger then reported the results of the title search, which he said confirmed the fact that the city does not own the east one-half of Lot 3.
“I’m glad we did the title search and got the results,” he said, adding that it would have been unfortunate to move forward without knowing the true status of the land.
Councilman Adam Zak said the city assumed it owned the full area of land because the Gogebic County’s global positioning system indicates that it is city property.
Zak asked if another city plot directly west of the originally targeted site would work, but Steiger said that area would involve stricter main street zoning, requiring entrance from the main street and an emergency exit from the opposite side on the west, where land is higher, thus complicating construction.
Zak asked Steiger to provide in writing any zoning issues at the council’s next meeting, so that council members can decide whether they can resolve them.
Zak also asked that city zoning be placed on the next council meeting agenda and that Steiger attend that meeting as well.
Steiger emphasized that time is running short.
“We’d like to move on things quickly here,” he said. “The architectural firm is on hold.”
Steiger left each council member with a written summary of the title search, as well as an original copy of the full report he received for the DDA and council.
Mayor Peter Tacconelli offered for the city to pay the cost of the title search, but Steiger declined, assuring, “We took care of it.”
In a Tuesday email, Deputy Clerk Samantha Dorr said that the result of the findings is that “the Historical Society will not be purchasing parcels 51-00-104-000 and 51-00-104-100 as previously agreed.”
