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Commissioners discuss sale and clearing of timber at Park East; no final sale recorded on the public record
Summary
Commissioners discussed selling timber on Lot 6 at Park East Industrial Park and the low offers received, but the public transcript does not record a final sale approval at the Oct. 7 meeting.
Wayne County commissioners on Oct. 7 discussed selling county-owned timber on Lot 6 (and surrounding acreage listed in the staff report as part of the parcel cluster at Park East Industrial Park) to clear land for development but the public record in the meeting transcript does not show a definitive final sale approval.
Staff summarized the request as an offer to harvest timber on what the agenda described as 69.71 acres in the industrial park, explaining that the acreage in the offering included some already-cleared portions of Lot 7. When staff described the actual wooded land to be cleared, they said Lot 6 is about 11.83 acres and largely timbered. Commissioners and staff exchanged questions about the low offer received: staff reported one bidder offered $2,000 while other interested parties expected payment or no-charge removal.
Commissioners discussed options. Staff explained the county must advertise the sale and run an upset-bid process, after which the board retains authority to reject all bids. Commissioners asked whether additional advertising or seeking other offers could bring a higher price. Staff also described the practical results of harvesting: the initial harvest would leave stumps and the county would need a separate grove/clearing contract to finish site preparation for development.
One commissioner noted there had been offers that would have paid the county $17,000 to $20,000 to clear the parcel and leave it in better condition, but that the current offerters were not offering that sum. Staff said the county could proceed with advertising and accept upset bids, and that the board would still have the option to reject all bids after the upset-bid period.
The meeting record then shows the board moved into a closed session; the public transcript portion does not record a final public vote approving a sale contract for the timber. Because the transcript does not contain a recorded final decision, this article reports the discussion and the county’s stated next steps rather than asserting a completed sale.
Why it matters: clearing Lot 6 is a preparatory step for development at Park East Industrial Park; timber-sale terms, clearing quality and the county’s decision to accept or reject upset bids will affect the pace and cost of future development on the parcel.
