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IRON MOUNTAIN -- A landowner plans to sell a large section of undeveloped property near Pine Mountain that is zoned for residential use.
The 186 acres owned by Keweenaw Land Association is within the city limits of Iron Mountain and is mostly along Kramer Drive, said City Manager Jordan Stanchina. It's one of "the last few tracts" in the city that might accommodate extensive housing, he told the city council during a Zoom session Monday.
Keweenaw Land intends to make the property available through Stephens Real Estate. The land west of Kramer Drive is zoned for multi-unit development, while parcels east of Kramer Drive are zoned for single-family units, Stanchina said.
The area has a water line but no sewer.
Although no projects or buyers have been identified, Stanchina said he recently met with representatives of both the owner and Stephens to hear their plans. The city has the option of considering a zoning change if the right proposal comes along, he added.
In other action, the council:
-- Learned from Stanchina that up to $720,000 may be available to the city under the American Rescue Plan Act that President Joe Biden signed into law last week. The amount Iron Mountain actually could receive is uncertain, he stressed, as the city's direct COVID-19 costs over the past year have been fairly limited. "The details will be coming out," he said.
-- Agreed to seek reports from four marijuana businesses on their progress in fulfilling promises made during the city's licensing application process in 2019. The council at that time capped the number of dispensaries at two and scored the proposed projects on a number of factors, including economic impact. Because the pandemic has slowed construction, the deadline to begin full operations was extended from Oct. 1, 2020, to April 1, 2021. With the new deadline near, the council might again extend it or consider other options. Stanchina said it may be three or four weeks before the reports are in hand. In October, the council denied council member Nathan Zemar's proposal to expand the number of marijuana dispensaries.
-- Made plans to meet March 29 to approve a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant application for a Pewabic Hill mountain bike trail. The estimated total cost is $262,000, which would require a local match of 30%, or $78,600. Although the city isn't expected to make a cash contribution, plans for the local match through the Dickinson Trail Network must still be finalized, Stanchina said. During Monday's public hearing, DTN representative Chad DeGroot said the neighboring Millie Hill trail system already draws tourists, and the planned new 6-mile trail on city property should draw many more. Bob Werner of DTN said he doesn't expect the local match to be a problem for the group.