BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR
The Saugatuck Township Board Wednesday, March 9, weighed closing on an Oct. 4, 2017 agreement to buy 5.8 acres owned by North Shores of Saugatuck LLC north of 135th Avenue for $ 1 to provide municipal well services to neighbors.
The Kalamazoo Lake Sewer & Water Authority — which serves Saugatuck and Douglas cities, plus parts of Saugatuck and Laketown townships — has voiced long-term desire to augment its existing well at Riverside Cemetery, a half-mile or so southeast of the new proposed site, noted township officials five years ago.
Supply from that source is sufficient for current needs, but one or more backup sites are desirable in the event things change: contamination there or at neighbor wells, new demands caused by development, officials said.
Since then the proposed site west of 65th Street has been independently identified through the state Well Head Protection Program as ideal for a municipal well as there are no known contamination sites in the area and it is surrounded by critical dunes areas with minimal chance of development that could threaten water quality.
A preliminary engineering report completed in 2018 based on test drills determined that one or more high-capacity municipal wells remain an option for the site. Per the agreement, the township would be able to close on the property as early as September 2022 and no later than September 2023 for the pittance price.
Work remains before closing, township operations coordinator Daniel DeFranco apprised the board. It includes:
• Have the township attorney notify North Shores of its intent to enact the agreement by a specific date, the earliest possible being Sept. 6.
• A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment report to establish environmental impacts that could pose a threat to the environment and/or human health, plus offer the township liability protection.
Uses of surrounding lands, DeFranco noted, include fruit orchards and soil staging. This report is not required by the agreement but recommended by the township attorney and engineer when purchasing property.
• Obtaining a title commitment and title insurance, again not required by the agreement but “strongly recommended” by the township attorney.
• Obtain an American Land Title Association (ALTA) survey with measurements and legal descriptions as required by the agreement 30 days prior to closing.
DeFranco proposed the township budget $30,000 for professional service fees, title, ESA and survey in ample time prior to closing to facilitate the close.