The Berrien County Board of Commissioners will soon consider an amended purchase agreement for 36 acres of property in the village of Three Oaks after the developer buying the property from the county requested some changes.
The board back in December approved a purchase agreement for the Schwark Drainage District property, at 6974 US-12, to Green Development Ventures, a subsidiary of Edwin Allen Homes, for $305,000. The developer plans to build homes on the site. However, it has since determined that only about 12 acres of the parcel can be developed and is now only purchasing that amount.
County legal counsel Thaddeus Hackworth told commissioners Thursday a resolution reflecting that change is coming next week.
“The property as of right now, the entire property is owned by the county,” Hackworth said. “This just amends the purchase agreement so that instead of the entire 30 some acre parcel, only 12 acres will be purchased by the new buyer.”
That leaves 24 acres still owned by Berrien County. It’s now planning to donate that land to the village of Three Oaks. Commissioner Julie Wuerfel had some questions about that.
“I’m really disappointed that moving forward in that direction, just because we bailed Three Oaks out of that property and we took a big hit on that in the sale of it to Allen Edwin, and just to then turn around and donate it back, there should be some kind of dollars from Three Oaks.”
Commissioner Teri Freehling said a plan along those lines may be in the works.
“Donation doesn’t mean necessarily free,” Freehling said. “So those conversations are going on between our staff to the staff of Village of Three Oaks is my understanding.”
Community Development Director Dan Fette tells us Green Development is still paying the original $305,000 sale price for the 12 acres it’s now seeking. Three Oaks may use the other 24 acres to expand a park.
The county has been trying to find a use for the Schwark Drainage District for more than a decade after a residential development planned there failed in the 2000s.
