CMU accepts a gift of land but has no current plans for it

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Central Michigan University was given a large chunk of land in December 2008, but plans to do nothing with it for a decade or more.

United Investments donated 62.6 acres of its 157 acres of vacant land located at the southwest corner of the Broomfield and Crawford Roads.

“It was a gift, so we accepted it,” said Steve Smith, director of public relations. “We have no plans to use it at all.”

Smith said the land may be used in 20 or 30 years, but nothing is planned for the near future.

Rick McGuirk of United Investments declined to comment.

The land has been a hot topic in the city and the quiet donation of the land to CMU might not be any different.

“There’s long history of the property,” said Mount Pleasant City Manager Kathie Grinzinger.

The land is zoned for planned residential development and has been for the past 20 years, but when United Investments acquired the land it wanted to do something different. The company proposed 26 duplexes and 72 single-family homes on the open space, which would have increased the density for the area than previously planned.

The City Commission approved a Conditional Zoning Agreement, but on Nov. 11, 2007 city voters rejected it.

Residents were upset by the change of plan, Grinzinger said.

In 2006, United Investments sued the city for a breach of contract, but on May 8, 2009 a bench opinion said the city did nothing wrong and the vote stands.

Grinzinger said the file was appealed in July.

“United Investments lost the law suit, then donated a large number of land to CMU,” she said. “Only United Investments can say why they donated the land to the university.”

If CMU plans on doing anything with the land in the future, officials will need to go through the city, since the land is within city limits, said Jeff Gray, Mount Pleasant community and development director.

The university has not mentioned anything to the city at this point, but discussion is welcomed, he said.

“If they are (interested), we are willing to sit down and talk about it,” Gray said.