Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MAKING A CASE for Forward Wakefield Development Corporation at the Monday evening meeting of the Wakefield city council is John Siira, who is vice president of the group. Siira was requesting a public hearing in relation to Forward Wakefield's desire for tax-exempt status of the land that once held the town's Memorial Building.
By P.J. GLISSON
Wakefield - The Wakefield City Council on Monday approved an Oct. 14 public hearing to consider a tax-exempt status request for the former town memorial building site.
The property has been vacant since the memorial building was razed in 2010. Forward Wakefield Development Corporation, the nonprofit owner of the three-acre plot at 500 Lakeshore Drive, received the land from Marvin Suomi, who donated it in 2018 after his own tax-exempt status expired.
Overlooking Sunday Lake on M-28, the property sits across from the Wakefield Visitors and Information Center and near U.S. Hwy. 2. The property is adjacent to the Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School and the Michigan State Police.
The council granted a similar public hearing to Forward Wakefield last fall. The meeting was cancelled until the nonprofit first met with the city planning commission to present development plans.
Forward Wakefield Vice President John Siira said at the time that a meeting is useless without a plan for the property. The point of the hearing is to get public input, he said.
Siira, addressing the council again on Monday, said members are working toward a viable plan. He said he wants the public hearing to inspire citizens to share ideas on how best to use the land in a way that increases the city's tax base, as well as local employment.
"If anybody has any ideas, let us know," Siira said. "We're open."
Siira said that Forward Wakefield President Tim Lynott has been developing a website for the purpose of generating ideas for the land.
"We've been meeting monthly, trying to move things along," Siira said.
Forward Wakefield paid this year's taxes on the land and would like a council resolution granting three years of tax-exempt status on the property following the public hearing, Siira said. Any loss in tax revenue would "hopefully" result in a gain with the development of a good plan, he said.
Rob Brown, city manager, said Forward Wakefield may qualify for a tax exemption under the General Property Tax Act of the Michigan Legislature. If the exemption is granted after the public hearing, the resolution will need to be approved by the state treasurer, he said.
In other business, the council authorized up to $3,600 to Nasi Construction, LLC, of Hurley, Wisconsin, to repair north exterior wall leakage in the community room and gymnasium of the municipal building.
The next regular council meeting and the public hearing is Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the council room of the municipal building. The planning commission meets Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m.
Coffee with Council will be held Oct. 12 from 9 to 11 a.m.
