Slow development worries village

Owner asked to move ahead on parcel in next six months

By Gail Peckler-Dziki

Correspondent

Ten years ago, Bill and Karen Erb purchased a 4.2-acre parcel with a pole barn in a business park on Highway B on the north side of the Village of Silver Lake.

The parcel was purchased for $135,000 with a stipulation that the village can purchase it back for the same price if no development occurs within 18 months of purchase.

The parcel is still undeveloped and used only for storage. Bill Erb said at the January 6 Silver Lake committee of the whole meeting that it also took Harm Garwood 10 years to develop the parcel he purchased with the same stipulation.

The plan had been for Erb to move his Boat Doc business from Cogswell to the business park. The reason he gave for the delay in development was that the economy tanked.

Garwood recently completed development of his parcel and, according to village officials, has been working with the village during those 10 years, presenting plans to the Planning and Zoning Commission and moving ahead, albeit slowly, with his project.

Some interest in the parcel has been expressed, but there have been no offers yet, according to Village President Bruce Nopenz.

The village recently offered a property split, selling two acres to another buyer and allowing Erb to keep the rest, but Erb contacted an attorney who turned down that offer.

During a meeting on Jan. 6, Silver Lake Trustee Roger Johnson commented, “This should have been taken care of long ago and we shouldn’t be sitting here listening to this.”

Nopenz asked Erb if he thought he could break ground in six months and Erb replied affirmatively.

The village made no plans to monitor the situation.

See the Jan. 15 print edition of the Westosha Report for the full story.


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