(Independent Photo/Karen Mead-Elford)
The addition of an item regarding the city reacquisition of a property on Beehler Street was added to the Owosso agenda during the Tuesday evening, July 6 meeting. The city had mistakenly sold the property at 1112 Beehler Street in May 2016 under different city administrators and the added agenda item was about the city repurchasing the property. Owosso City Council agreed to the repurchase for $30,000.
The backstory involves an error made under prior management in 2016 when the Beehler Street property was sold as part of an auction of city-owned properties. The property had originally been purchased by Owosso to maintain access to the sewer interceptor running along the Shiawassee River at the rear of the property. According to a city memorandum, direct access to the interceptor was also needed to allow for a potential sewer overflow detention tank – part of a solution the council has discussed in previous meetings regarding city sanitary sewer overflow problems. The city also needs the lot to have direct access to the sewer interceptor for cleaning/maintenance.
In recent months, city staff had approached the property owners on the repurchase, but the owners did not want to sell. The city took advantage when the property was put up for sale, offering full-price, which was accepted. The closing should take place before the end of July. It is not known what the property sold for at auction in 2016.
The city of Owosso recently adopted a new master plan including a redevelopment strategy at the former Vanguard Site located across from the Beehler Street lot. The city is considering potential construction of a new 1,000,000-gallon sanitary sewer overflow detention tank to be built in this area, to alleviate sewer overflow into the river.
