BIG RAPIDS — The acquisition by the city of a parcel of property south of the depot building in Big Rapids took another step forward this week.
City commissioners, this week, voted to approve a resolution accepting an agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources stating that the land will be “owned and managed for public outdoor recreation in perpetuity."
“We are getting closer to closing on the property that we wanted to acquire to the south of the depot — the trailhead portion of the property,” city manager Mark Gifford said. “The last step is signing this memorandum of understanding with the state for the long-term use of the property.
“The restrictions that are on the property, because of how it was originally purchased, require that it be used for public recreation into the future, and that is something we have collectively agreed upon,” he added.
Big Rapids attorney Eric Williams said the property also comes with restrictions about development of the parcel.
“If the city wants to put a structure on it, we would have to get permission from the state," Williams said. “Those restrictions are in line with the purchase of the property from the DNR, and I don’t see it as a significant legal restriction so that the city should not acquire it. I recommend approval of the resolution.”
Gifford said the city cannot move forward with the closing on the property without having the agreement in place.
In February, the board approved the purchase of the 1.94 acres to the south of the depot building for $8,000, with plans to develop a public space at the White Pine Trail trailhead.
“There is a great deal of consensus about the idea that we need to improve the way that trail users interact with our community, and I think a great spot to do this is the depot site,” Gifford said at the time.
A Master Plan for development of the property includes new restroom facilities, a picnic area, a playground area, and a fire pit. Additional parking is also included with a turnaround for traffic. Gifford said the city will apply for DNR Trust Fund grant to help fund development.
Discussions regarding the city purchasing the depot building had been ongoing for years.
“There were strong opinions on both sides as to whether we (the city) should do that or not,” Gifford told the Pioneer previously.
He added that he believed the hesitation on the part of the commission to purchase the depot building was partly due to the fact that there was no clear vision of how to use the property, in addition to the cost of renovations, which were estimated to be in the seven figure range.
In 2018, the city applied to purchase the property at the appraised value of $67,000, but budget constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty about what to do with the property derailed the plans.
At a meeting in July, the board agreed to allow Gifford to bid up to $60,000 for the property during a public auction in August, hoping to get the property at a discounted price.
The city was outbid by $500 by Duncan and Marissa Klaussman from Cadillac, who have stated that they would be willing to work with the city to develop a plan for the property.
"We learned that the city has some plans for that area, and we are very supportive of community projects," Duncan Klausmann told the Pioneer at the time. "We are excited to see what plans the city has and decide where to go from there.”
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City, DNR agree to keep White Pine Trail trailhead for public use - The Pioneer
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