By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

The town of Van Buren is selling the two parcels of land that formerly housed its highway department.

The town board voted July 16 to publish a request for proposals for the parcels located at 7895 West Dead Creek Road. Proposals are due by noon Monday, Aug. 19, and the town board will award a bid at its Aug. 20 meeting.

Together, the two parcels are about 5.527 acres and are zoned AR-80. The properties include the former highway garage and salt storage shed.

The property is being sold as is. Bidders must submit a deposit of $1,000. The RFP is available in the town clerk’s office or on the town website at townofvanburen.com/sale-of-highway-garage-on-west-dead-creek-road.

Interested bidders may contact Highway Superintendent Doug Foster at 315-635-5124 or 315-720-6968 to inspect the property.

“If there’s anyone interested in that property, they can contact Doug and he can give them the grand tour,” Supervisor Claude Sykes said at the July 16 town board meeting.

The sale will be subject to permissive referendum. This means that any resident who is opposed to the sale may start a petition within 30 days of the town board’s resolution to sell the properties. If more than 10 percent of the town’s registered voters sign the petition, the town must hold a vote.

Van Buren repurposed a building on Walters Road as its new highway facility in 2017.

Marion Meadows PUD public hearing is Aug. 6

Also at the July 16 meeting, the town board scheduled a public hearing for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, to amend the Marion Meadows Planned Unit Development.

According to town officials, the proposed changes to the PUD are minor. The developer is seeking to change the rear yard setbacks on the PUD’s lot 91 along Route 690 and the eastern boundary to 25 feet and 35 feet, respectively. The approved use on lot 91 also will be changed from “Apartments” to “Townhouses,” which Sykes called a welcome change.