Investigation into Walled Lake land swap continues

An article by Leslie Shepard    No Comments

The city of Walled Lake is making another attempt to negotiate with Oakland County on an alternative site to house the county’s fiber optic hub now that it will be relocating its operations from the West Oakland Office Building located at 1010 E. West Maple Road in Walled Lake.

The city has suggested relocating the fiber optic hub to the north end of Riley Park, where there is an approximate 30-foot-by-100-foot section currently unused due to the proximity of a private residence and its distance from play equipment and the gazebo.

Currently, Oakland County Deputy Director of Management and Budget Art Holdsworth is investigating the issue.

“We’re still investigating and doing a site visit today (Monday, Feb. 13), then we will get a sense if it will work and be looking at cost estimates,” Holdsworth said.

“Nothing is taking place yet,” said Walled Lake City Councilman Casey Ambrose. “Oakland County will be getting back to us. They are going out there to assess the situation, but they only need a 10-foot-by-10-foot area so it could work.”

The fiber optic hub currently in the county building must be moved in close proximity to the current site since the hub is a vital component of the County Law Enforcement Management Information System (CLEMIS) serving Walled Lake and surrounding communities.

Initially, the City Council denied the county’s suggestion of using a parcel on North Pontiac Trail when it was informed there was an “encumbrance” on the land deed that would complicate any parcel swap. The site is zoned for community service and was initially a well-site that the city utilized to provide water to residents. It was later vacated when the city hooked up to the Detroit water system, but apparently the property was donated for municipal use. If sold, the property would revert to the original owner.

The county expects to reap a $135,000 annual savings by relocating services formerly housed at the West Oakland Office Building to other locations, and realize the ability to forego $500,000 in capital improvements that were expected at the Walled Lake building that was once home to staff of the county Health Department, the Probation Department of the Probate Court, the Circuit Court Family Division, and the Information Technology communication hub.

Currently there is no buyer for the property. This past December, the McDonald’s Corporation, which was slated to purchase the West Oakland Office Building, let its purchase agreement for the property expire, essentially nullifying the original offer of $675,000 it reportedly made for the 17,000-square-foot, single-story building.

“We don’t have a buyer and will be putting it up for general sale but must first get a reappraisal since it’s been a year since we’ve had one done,” Holdsworth said.