Voters may face bond question on Lakeview, water main enhancements
Rogers City voters may have to vote on the issuing of bonds to finance infrastructure improvements for the proposed Lakeview residential development and a water main loop through the new industrial lots south of the Rogers City Airport. Ed Lamb, a Rogers City real estate broker, is taking steps to organize a petition drive to force a referendum. He wrote a petition, submitted it to attorneys, and is hoping for support. Lamb told council members Monday he has volunteers prepared to begin collecting signatures.
The referendum period is now through September 8. The bonds would finance $300,000 in improvements. About $144,000 would cover the cost of paving, curbing, sewer and water in the Lakeview development, while the rest will pay for the water main loop.
AT THE JULY 21 meeting, council authorized city manager John Bruning to sign the notice of award for the Lakeview infrastructure project within 30 days of the bid opening, but that has been delayed because of the potential petition drive. Staff requested council extend the period for the awarding of the project until after the referendum period is complete and that the award be contingent upon the referendum question being resolved and bond financing being in place. Council approved the extension.
If there are no petitions handed in to send the measure before voters, the city could issue the bonds. Bruning said the contractor, Curtis Excavating of Rogers City, is anxious to get started, because the further they are delayed the more difficult it could become to complete the project this year. In addition, there are subcontractors involved. ?We can, if necessary, delay paving until next spring,? said Bruning.
LAMB DOESN?T believe the city should proceed with the project and that infrastructure improvements should be left to a developer. He also believes the city is overstepping its bounds and the Community Development Authority (CDA) is moving too slow. ?I want to feel comfortable that my taxes are not raised for gambles,? said Lamb. ?I just want people to vote and participate. This is a big project for Rogers City and our future is so extremely important.?
The CDA has been developing the project in the absence of a developer and requested council proceed with infrastructure improvements, which they believe would be more attractive to a potential construction firm.
?A substantial investment was made in the current design package,? said mayor Beach Hall. ?The holdup, as much as anything, for the last year plus, has been waiting for the environmental clearances, waiting to get them done. We have been told it is all done,? the mayor continued.
Hall said that a year ago, but more soil had to be removed, creating another setback. As of two weeks ago, the Department of Environmental Quality said the contamination had been cleaned up, and all that?s left is the completion of the paperwork. Nonetheless, it caused another delay.
?ONE OF MY problems as a real estate broker in the city of Rogers City is that I will probably gain with any development,? said Lamb. ?I can say I will gain one way or another. But financially, and in the scheme of things, it?s probably a silly idea for me to contest anything that has to do with development.?
Hall also was ?delighted? with the citizen involvement, but noted a referendum ?will slow things down.? ?The project may not go as rapidly as possible, which involves risk in that direction as well,? said Hall.
KARL VOGELHEIM JR. owns property across the street from the development and is concerned about the impact the project could have on his taxes. ?I feel like the early citizens of this country did when we had the Boston Tea Party, Vogelheim said. ?I still pay the taxes. I get a bill from the city and I send them a check, but I don?t get a chance to vote.
?I have no basic problem with development as long as it?s handled right. I was looking at the road map (US-23 project) on the wall. My concern is that there is no road map and I?m very, very concerned that this project is going on a step-by-step basis.?
Vogelheim questioned the city putting another $144,000 into the development and what might happen if a developer doesn?t take the reins from the CDA. ? My concern is taxes, obviously,? he said. ?It will impact me as well as the rest of the citizens.? ?I think anything of this magnitude for a city of this size, that has shown very little growth over the last, unfortunately 100 years, should be brought before the citizens.? Vogelheim supported Lamb?s efforts to put the issue before voters.
TOM BECKER of Rogers City, who lives in the vicinity of the development, says the city has one chance to do the project right and is not convinced it?s being handled correctly. ?We can talk all we want,? said Becker. ?Don?t put these houses on 40 (to) 50 foot lots. That is so stupid in today?s environment.?
Hall reiterated the city?s goal of trying to bring more people into Rogers City, which, it is hoped will spur growth within the business community. ?The Renaissance Zone designation time is marching on,? said Hall. ?The tax incentives
Hall said the city can complete the infrastructure at a much better price than a developer and get it done all at once instead of one lot at a time.
MARY ROBINSON also commented on the development. ?I don?t think the people of Rogers City are really clear on this project,? said Robinson, ?because everybody I?ve talked to has it confused with what my brother John (Vogelheim) is planning on his property. People simply do not understand.?
?Every comment I?ve heard, and I?ve talked to a lot of people in the last week, has been totally negative about that. Putting this type of home in there, The lack of green areas, the lack of landscaping. If a developer comes along, he?s going to have his own ideas and his own plans and if you go ahead and put the infrastructure in and you lock him into a particular situation, he may walk away.?