It’s not a done deal yet, but it appears any attempt to stop the City of Wayland’s agreement with developers Keith Nickels and Josh Otto for the sale on land on Reno Drive near 133^rd Avenue will not succeed.

The City Council took public comments Monday night on the proposed sale of 25 acres for just $20,000 and Councilwoman Tracy Bivins even moved to rescind her April 17 motion to proceed with the sale, but it died for the lack of a second.

Some business owners along Reno Drive expressed their displeasure with selling the land so cheaply, at less than $800 per acre, when they had paid far more in bygone days. Some had called for rescinding the agreement.

However, city officials have pointed out they tried to unload that site unsuccessfully for 19 years, at one time offering a deal to a Portage firm for $1 plus tax abatements. It seems prospects of having to deal with wetlands on the site could cost as much as $1 million for remediation.

Nickels, a graduate of Wayland High School, as is partner Otto, spoke to the council about the issue and tried to explain why the developers had not yet revealed plans for the property, which now is zone I-2, light industrial.

“Some of the news that’s been going back and forth (about the issue) has been disappointing,” Nickels said. “We made an offer and it was approved, plain and simple. It was about as open as it could have been.”

Nickels said he and Otto are in the very early stages of a lengthy process with the site, beginning with an environmental assessment, then an economic feasibility study and then developing a master plan.

“It would be irresponsible for us to say what we’re going to do, whether it’s light industrial, assembly manufacturing or mixed use,” he said.

He mentioned that a mixed use could include a hotel, but needed first is information that the city could sustain such a business.

“I am committed to this process,” he told council members. “I’ve invested time, resources and capital.”

Bruce Schwartz, owner of Wayland Hardware on Reno Drive, said he still didn’t like a WOOD-TV Channel 8 report that suggested the city coached the developers on what price they should offer. All city officials denied such coaching ever occurred.

Ben Frigmanski, owner of another business on Reno Drive, said, “I remain critical of how this process was handled. I ask the city to meet with me to purchase property (1.5 acres) to the east toward Rockwell for that $800 per acre.”

Frigmanski said his property value as a neighbor now will go down.

Yet Jim Wobma, also opposed to the deal, said his property assessments were going up by $20,000 an acre. He urged the city to sell the land via auction.

Bob Genther, another business owner, told council members he formerly was a City Council member and “We sold a lot of assets back in the day, but we never did it this way.”
He added, “This sounds to me like real estate speculation.”

But Jason Lueer countered that anybody could have made an offer over the 19 years it was for sale.

One of the problems was Wasinski, the city’s real estate sales firm, still had its sign at the site suggesting a price of $50,000 per acre. Wisinski had been dropped last December after the failure of state assistance to put in a new public safety complex at that location.

That was what prompted Bivins to offer to rescind her April 17 motion to proceed.

So city officials as a result were eager to have the site earn property tax revenue rather than sit idle like it had for nearly 20 years.

City Council members decided to draw up a proposed purchase agreement with Nickels and Otto, but they stipulated that the two pay for the land survey, which customarily is done by the seller.

Councilman Tim Rose said, “The history has been out there that we’ve been trying to sell this land. “I feel confident they (the developers) are going to do something with it.”

PHOTO: Keith Nickels explains to City Council members how the proposed sale of 25 acres for $20,000 came to be.