When Cronyism and Junk Ordinances Collide

[XLFD]

Readers of The Ludington Torch will be familiar with the odd real estate transaction that had a valuable piece of land in the central business district basically given away by the city manager to his daughter's soccer coach and that coach's wife who had served on the Downtown Ludington Board.  Lee Peter's Bicycle Circus had stood on the lot about a dozen years prior, when it was torn down after falling into disrepair and into ownership of the City of Ludington, who spent about $50,000 for the demolition, and were quoted that price as a valuation a couple years later. 

Two neighborhood businesses expressed an interest in the lot over the next few years, both were rebuffed by the city, since their main interest in the lot was for extra parking and possible business expansion.  But it took an interest by Nathan and Amanda Grubich last year to purchase the lot for 11% of what it was valuated for in 2003, and probably a lot less than what they would have been offered in 2006 by the adjacent lot-owner if he ever got the chance.  It was never considered to put the lot on the open market for any fraction of the lot's value.   The fully documented story is here, including this picture taken in June.

In October, we noticed that the new owners (they were granted the purchase uncontested on June 23, 2014) had started their garage project.  The most difficult part of the purchase seemed to be getting the curb cut okayed by the MDOT, an agency who just a few years earlier made it a point to close quite a few curb cuts in the area.  One of the concessions for the approval was that any vehicle or trailer using the curb cut could not back into or out of the garage, which almost seemed a mathematical impossibility considering their plans for the adjacent 'green space' depicted below.

They eventually completed the frame of the garage and covering up the disintegrating brick wall depicted in the first picture of this thread over these last few months, and this is how it looks now and what it's looked like since before Christmas, from across the street :

Over the last two weeks, the truck you see on the lot, 420 South James, has been there with a 'for sale' sign on both of its front windows.  This was taken at dusk of last evening, where you'll also notice the abundance of glare reflecting off the shiny metal panels of the new walls put up.

From the other side looking south, you will also notice the lack of a garage door of any type for the new garage, and the complete denudation of the ground where the new cinders of the new driveway is not otherwise covering it. 

Now the Grubich's gave up a paltry $5000 for this lot, 1/9 of the 2003 valuation, with no arguments from the City.  The couple guaranteed they would make the lot and building become a 'visual asset to S. James Street'.  They said they would 'at times need outdoor space for display'.  They offered grand visions immediately, and were handed the parcel over a half year ago.

Yet what is at this place as we speak: 

1)  a new 'green space' that has went from a grass covered area before they arrived to barren land, and black cinders 

2)  a used vehicle which apparently needs constant recharging being put up for sale in a non-conforming use for the Central Business District,

3)  a vehicle that would be declared in violation of the new junk ordinance to be decided on January 12, as it has sat at that spot for over ten days without being operated and has made itself an attractive nuisance in that time,

4)  an open garage with a variety of scraps inside, becoming its own attractive nuisance,

5)  a glimmery building exterior that reflects vehicle headlights and other lights back into the eyes of drivers and pedestrians heading north on South James Street, and seems utterly alien to the rest of the buildings in the area.

Progress sometimes moves in mysterious ways.

[Willy]

This is a disgusting display by City Hall personal of what cronyism and corruption looks like. They have pulled the wool over citizens eyes and have acted contrary to the interest of Ludingtons residents. This smells of a potential prosecutable case of corruption. If I were the neighbor to the west I would file a complaint.

I'm also wondering if the statement "One of the concessions for the approval was that any vehicle or trailer using the curb cut could not back into or out of the garage", is correct. If so then the garage has been rendered useless for use by any vehicles or trailers. The only way around this is to enter the lot and garage by driving up and over the curb and sidewalk.

[XLFD]

That stipulation was made by Rick Liptak of the MDOT in his E-mail to Shay and John Shay dutifully replied:

[Willy]

My apologies. I meant the house south of the lot. This is such an obvious and blatant misuse of a position of trust by all of those involved.

[XLFD]

That's what I thought you meant.  FYI, the neighbor to the west is across the street at AJ's Party Port, owned by Councilor Les Johnson, who agreed with this public giveaway.  Mr. Gibson, who made serious overtures on the lot in 2006, just to be denied by the city, has a definite grievance if he desires to pursue it.