MillWorks owners seek land transfer
- Published: December 22, 2011
At their Dec. 5 meeting, Village Council members heard a request from the owners of MillWorks to purchase from the Village a strip of land near their building so that trucks could use the loading docks there. The action would help to attract new business to MillWorks, they said.
“This potential land transfer will allow a local business to more fully utilize their property and attract additional economic development to the Village,” Village Manager Mark Cundiff wrote in a memo to Council.
The land in question is a 12-foot wide strip along the full length of the Mills property lines adjacent to the bike path. According to a letter from the owners, — Ellen and Rod Hoover and Sandy Love and Sam Young — the purchase of the land would extend the depth of the MillWorks property, and “give us both the ability to negotiate with future tenants who might need loading docks as well as time to reconstruct them.” Currently, the docks are unusable because large trucks have insufficient room to back up to the docks.
While the MillWorks owners urged Council to take action, Council President Judith Hempfling put the vote on Council’s next meeting agenda, in order to give building neighbors time to weigh in on the proposed land sale.
The purchase of the strip of land, which runs adjacent to the bike path, would not prevent the Village from servicing the bike path or utilities, as sufficient space will remain between the MillWorks property line and the bike path curb for maintenance workers and vehicles, according to a letter from the MillWorks owners.
In the same letter, the owners wrote, “We want to be ready to respond affirmatively to both existing and potential tenants who might require loading docks to expand their businesses; three of our current tenants have discussed dock use with us.”
Village staff have no problem with the land transfer, Wildman stated. If Council agrees on the transfer, MillWorks owners will commission a survey and apprasial leading to the purchase of the land, according to the letter.
Council members expressed initial support for the action, and will address it again at their next meeting.
In other Dec. 5 Council business:
• Council unanimously approved the final vote accepting annexation of the Dayton Yellow Springs Road right of way, with a vote of 4-0 (Councilman Gerry Simms was absent.) The move allows the Village to purchase a strip of land currently owned by the county at the proposed Dayton/Yellow Springs Road entrance to the Center for Business and Education, or CBE. The change will extend the Village corporation limits to the western property line of the Yellow Springs schools property, which will allow a change of speed limit, from 55 miles per hour to 35 mph.
• Council voted unanimously on a resolution to support HR 1746, the community access preservation act. The act addresses threats to local educational and government access channels.
• Council unanimously approved a resolution allowing Cundiff to enter into a one-year contract with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield for health insurance for Village employees. It also approved authorizing him to enter into a contract with Superior Dental Care for dental insurance for Village employees. The health insurance premiums from Anthem will increase 5.16 percent compared to last year’s rate, which was a 9.5 percent increase compared to the year before, according to a memo from Cundiff. The dental insurance premiums will increase 4.99 percent from 2011 rates, which had a 6.01 increase from the previous year.
• Council approved 3-0 a resolution that accepts the library evaluation recommendations for energy upgrades and building rehab. The resolution only officially accepts the recommendations, and does not approve any of specific building changes at this time, Cundiff said. Council member Karen Wintrow did not vote, because her husband, architect Ted Donnell, had made the recommendations to Council.
• Council reviewed the Village special revenue funds in the 2012 Village draft budget. These include special funds such as the green belt fund, the economic development fund, streets and parks funds and various funds related to the police department, all of which are mainly funded by transfers from the Village general fund. Those who want to view the 2012 budget draft can go online to http://www.yso.com, click on Village Council Nov. 28 special meeting packet.
• Council heard a request from Tecumseh Land Trust Executive Director Krista Magaw that in 2012 Council continue its current strategy for funding the greenbelt fund, using the first $50,000 of estate tax revenues. While the state of Ohio has recently eliminated the estate tax, 2011 tax revenues still coming in may be sufficient for the 2012 allotment, according to Magaw. She said that the easement conservation work on the Fulton and Semler farms, funded partially by the Village greenbelt fund, has been completed.
• Council’s next regular meetng takes place Monday, Dec. 19, at Council chambers.
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