Caledonia Argus

Salvage yard will close shop

Posted: 12/10/02

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

A second opportunity for Russell Besse to obtain a salvage yard permit for his property at 820 East Main Street became irrelevant this past Monday, December 9, when Besse told the Caledonia City Council that he has no plans to continue his salvage business.

ìThe salvage yard issue is now a moot point, there wonít be a salvage yard on the site,î said Caledonia Mayor Robert Burns. ìMr. Besse has stated heís not going to be in the salvage business, heís in the final stages of cleaning up the business, heíll be running a retail operation, and heíll be putting up a fence not for screening purposes, but for security issues.î

Besseís decision to close shop came in the wake of a suspension of a permit previously authorized by the city council, which allowed Besse to obtain a salvage yard permit, provided he pursue several directives, including the erection of an eight-foot high fence to obscure salvage items and the submission of a written plan for mosquito and rodent abatement. Besse, however, declined to pursue the directives and instead opted to use the property to sell retail merchandise. He said he intends on having utility sheds at the site, to sell, and to be used for storage until theyíre sold.

The lionís share of the salvage material at the property was removed in the past month, Besse indicated, and only 4-6 pallets of salvage material remain, which will be removed in the near future.

Besse conveyed to the city council his belief that there are other properties in Caledonia with salvage material that are subject to the salvage yard ordinance, yet these other property owners are not under the councilís scrutiny. He intimated that heíd been singled out by the council, and questioned if others in town with salvage material on their property would be required to meet the standards which heíd had to meet.

In response, Mayor Robert Burns noted that, at the present time, the council is dealing with two other property owners regarding the salvage yard ordinance, and the matter is being discussed informally with several other property owners; compliance with the ordinance, Burnsí comments suggested, was by no means limited to Besse.

Council plans funding for Kruckow Avenue construction

Also at Monday nightís meeting, the council discussed plans for financing further construction of Kruckow Avenue near the intersection of Gjere Avenue. The council has allotted $25,000 for the Kruckow/Gjere project adjacent to the new middle/high school.

The ISD #299 school board estimated that the cost of the project would run to roughly $59,000, and the cost would be split by the school district and the city. However, the council pointed out that two items figured into the total cost of the project, a storm sewer and a bike path, did not appear to be within the agreed upon work areas, and these costs should not be included in the cityís share of the bill.

Recent data indicates that the cost of placing aggregate base, bituminous surfacing, and concrete curbs to finish Kruckow Avenue will cost $9,042. The council allotted $5000 for this portion of the construction, though it is yet to be decided when this construction will occur. The council considered either paying the initial $20,000 and holding $5000 until the project is completed, or extending Kruckow Avenue next summer when thereís other construction going on, which will reduce the mobilization costs of the project, in which case, Mayor Burns noted, the city would foot half the bill. Finalized plans for a financing and a construction timetable will be discussed with the school board in the near future.

Top of Page