Mount Pleasant Center purchasing decision waits for public input

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Questions remain about the possible purchase of the Mount Pleasant Center property as city officials gather facts and public input on the issue.

After Monday’s city commission meeting, a work session was held to gather opinions and ask questions about the approaching decision, due by April 25. However, the city hopes to reach a decision in March.

“It’s time for the City Commission to begin discussion among itself,” City Manager Kathie Grinzinger said.

Mount Pleasant was offered the purchase of more than 300 acres of land, which houses a closed sanitarium, by the state of Michigan, but many exact costs are unknown and depend on the decided usage of the property.

Rich Morrison, director of community services, mentioned the possibility of an organization opening a veteran’s facility in one or more of the buildings. He had heard of support for the project and possible funding, but it was complicated by the inability to tour and enter the property.

“It’s so difficult right now to think of even making a decision and to deal with if we can’t get numbers,” said Commissioner David McGuire. “Any avenues to open the property and get these done — I would encourage it.”

With the possibility of large cleanup costs to the property, Commissioner Nancy English was also concerned with funding from additional sources.

But unless a developer is willing to go forward with a project that is an economic, taxpaying development, there will be little assistance. Neither the federal nor state government has great pots of money for this type of initiative, Grinzinger said.

Vice Mayor Kathy Ling was also concerned with potentially steep costs.

“I’m not saying I’m for or against it, but it feels to me as if the potential environmental costs are right up there,” she said.

Some members of the commission also thought it necessary to discuss what the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe plans to do with the land offered to them.

The decision of the tribe is entirely separate and depends on the will of the membership, said tribal Public Relations Director Frank Cloutier.

“We are working on information now and getting rather involved with a membership survey, discussion groups for the pros and cons, environmental assessment, as well as looking at possibly purchasing the entire property, not just the boarding school,” he said. “There is much to look at and much discussion to be done.”

If the city does not purchase the property, Cloutier believes it would go on the market at market price. The tribe is not necessarily a “next-in-line” option.

City commissioners will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 to hear citizen input and answer questions regarding the potential purchase.