Caledonia Argus

City to order clean up of Main Street property

Posted: 10/15/02

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

The owner of a proposed salvage yard on East Main Street has not followed the directives given several months ago by the city council and will now be given until December 1 to clean up the property, the city council decided Monday night.

Russell Besse is the owner of the property, and in August had applied for a salvage yard permit. Because a salvage yard is a permissible use of the property as it is currently zoned, the city approved the permit as long as several conditions were met. Besse was to erect an 8-ft. fence behind which all the salvage material would be kept and submit a plan for control of rodents by September 1.

Because the deadlines were missed, the council agreed Monday that it would not now allow a salvage yard on the property, and would order that all salvage materials be hauled away.

In discussion of the situation, Mayor Robert Burns noted that the council plan to approach owners of two other properties in town and request that they too remove salvage materials from their property.

ìOnce we get these three out of the way, weíll go after other violators,î said Burns.

Sidewalks a topic

at council meeting

In other business, the council accepted a letter of thanks from People First of Houston County, a self-advocacy group for the developmentally challenged, for the sidewalks that are currently being repaired along Old Highway Drive. The sidewalks are used by the clients of Woodland Industries, some of whom are wheelchair-bound.

The city also addressed a sidewalk issue with builder John Esch, who received a letter asking him to replace a sidewalk along Pine Street which he removed after constructing a new home at the corner of Pine and Grant Streets.

Esch told the council that the sidewalk he removed was in such bad shape it was practically gone.

ìThere was no sidewalk there,î said Esch. He said he was not against putting the sidewalk in, but believes that if he puts a sidewalk in, it should extend the entire length of Pine Street, including in front of two properties to the south.

Councilman Mark Schiltz said that the if the council goes against its policy of requiring people to replace sidewalks that they take out, ìothers will go and do the same thing.î He said he agrees that the sidewalk removed was in poor repair.

The council agreed that it would look into requiring sidewalks in other areas of the city where they have been removed.

The city shares in 20 percent of the cost of having sidewalks installed. Homeowners can have their portion added to their tax bill.

The council agreed that it would set June 1,2003, as the deadline for Esch to have his sidewalk in.

Also in regard to sidewalks, Councilman Paul Fisch said he would like to see a sidewalk installed on the south side of Esch Drive on the Dairy Queen property and two other parcels before the end of the month. He said Nancy Braaten, owner of the Dairy Queen, has agreed to the sidewalks and would like her share of the cost assessed to the property. The other two landowners will be contacted this week.

Eminent domain

meeting set

The council learned that a meeting has been set for October 28 for a viewing and second meeting of commissioners in regard to the eminent domain action taken against Ma Cal Developers to acquire land for a second access road to the school.

Councilman Schiltz updated the council on the proceedings, and said that an amount has been set by the commissioners who appraise the property, and construction may begin this week.

Top of Page