Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
A LARGE crowd listens at the Ontonagon Village Council meeting Monday where junk ordinances, blight, a donation of land and other issues were on the table.
By Jan Tucker
Ontonagon - A public hearing on a proposed junk ordinance drew a larger than usual crowd at the Ontonagon Village Council meeting Monday night. The ordinance would not permit the storage or accumulation of any junk motor vehicles, junk equipment, debris, wreckage or parts of junk motor vehicles or junk equipment on any public right of way, public property or private property within the village unless they are wholly contained within a fully enclosed building with some minor exceptions.
Resident Kim Langdon expressed concern the exceptions did not include the restoration of vehicles. Langdon restores vehicles as a hobby and will be in the yard for limited times. Ed Garcia, with a residence in Ontonagon and White Pine added that those who indicate they are working on their cars should have a limit of time for that process since some are junk cars. Dave Rosemurgy, a realtor in Dallas Texas and part time resident of Ontonagon, noted that blighted areas and junk reduces the value of property by 17-25 percent and that hits everyone's property.
Others in the audience addressed property with numerous boats, ATVs, and campers. Village President Ken Waldrop said that those living in the village do not have the space of those in the country, and in many cases need to use their yard for their boats, and ATVs. He said the most important thing is enforcement of the vehicle ordinance.
The council agreed the ordinance should have a clause permitting restoration of vehicles and it was returned to the planning commission for that issue. The council will have the ordinance on the next agenda.
Jill Johnson, owner of JJ'sTackle Shack, requested permission to purchase her building which she now leases from the village, as well as permission to purchase 1.4 acres surrounding it. She said she has outgrown the present building and needs to expand the building, put up a boat storage building and in the future add another business on the River Road frontage. She said with expanding the property she could add more goods and be a benefit to the community. She said her hope is that "within the next two years the business could employ 15-20 people." The request was referred to the business committee.
The council approved rezoning the old store at 102 Mercury on the corner of the Rockland Road as requested by Jody Axley. For many years the building was a grocery store but was rezoned R1. The property will now be GC Gateway and corridor and allow for her personal services business.
In other action the board:
-named David Rosemurgy to the Planning Commission.
-Accepted donation of property behind the Pine Street Dump from Dr. Sajjad Syad who bought the property unseen and did not know it was inaccessible. The land will be deeded to the village which will acknowledge a donation of $1,100 for tax purposes.
-Heard from William Johnson the formation of a volunteer Coast Guard Flotilla in Ontonagon. The members will train during the winter with Coast Guard officials out of Bayfield. Others interested in joining can contact Johnson.
-Approved contracting with GEM and OHM on engineering and design of a new roof on the village garage which was torn off in the recent storm , at a cost of $5,200.
-Set the date for a meeting of the blight committee for Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 3:30 p.m.
-And heard Councilman Donald Chastan urge the council to write to the Upper Peninsula Power Company on the complains by residents on complicated and confusing bills that Chastan claims is impacting many residents.
