Car dealer gets extension on M-139 property

By Tony Wittkowski | Business Reporter | The Herald-Palladium

BENTON TOWNSHIP — Property along M-139 that Benton Township is trying to sell to a Kalamazoo car dealership is still a work in progress.

DeNooyer Automotive Group LLC was recently granted a 45-day extension on the due diligence period. The dealership intends on conducting environmental assessments on the land because a portion of the nearly 10 acres had a gas station on it.

Superintendent Kelli Nelson said after the due diligence period expires Oct. 25, DeNooyer Automotive has another 15 days to close on the property.

The original deadline for the period was in early September.

“They said they were going to complete additional environmental assessments, which is standard procedure for a site that was home to a gas station,” Nelson said. “Only the half-acre portion had the gas station on it.”

Nelson said DeNooyer Automotive had also inquired about what assistance might be available through Brownfield Redevelopment to recapture some of the environmental assessment costs.

“Typically when a Brownfield is set up, we would know what the planned improvement is for the site,” Nelson said. “At this point we don’t know as they are in the beginning stages with Berrien County.”

Todd DeNooyer, general manager of DeNooyer Chevrolet in Kalamazoo, has previously said there are no immediate plans for the two parcels of land.

Trustees first approved the sale agreement with DeNooyer Automotive for the property during a July board meeting.

The agreed upon price is still for $390,000. The original asking price was $400,000.

Nelson said the total amount of money the township has put into the property was $62,505. With those costs, coupled with an 8 percent commission fee to the broker, the township stands to make more than $296,000 from the sale.

The property was listed for a year and half before the township got an offer close to the asking price.

The township bought the land in 2013 and eventually demolished the Lake Breeze Hotel that was on the property in June 2014. Prior to that was a Holiday Inn, which township officials said was problematic with various break-ins.

Contact Tony Wittkowski at twittkowski@TheHP.com or (269) 932-0358. Follow him on Twitter: @tonywittkowski.

(Author’s Note: This article was originally published on Oct. 6, 2016)

Benton Township to get new police vehicles

By Tony Wittkowski | Business Reporter | The Herald-Palladium

BENTON TOWNSHIP — Trustees have agreed to update the vehicle fleet for the Benton Township Police Department.

At Tuesday’s board meeting, trustees voted to buy two new 2017 Ford Explorers. Each vehicle will cost $29,510, with an additional $345 for one of the vehicles to include a bumper hitch for pulling a trailer.

Both are 2017 Ford Police Intercepter Utility vehicles with all-wheel drive.

Controller Kellie Nelson told trustees the money is available as the township budgeted to replace two police vehicles in 2016.

The vehicles will replace two squad cars – one rendered unserviceable due to severe engine problems and another that will be transferred and used as an ordinance vehicle.

“(Public Works Supervisor) Andy (Jordan) is usually pretty good about getting everything out of the cars that we can use,” Supervisor Kevin White said. “It’s pretty much a shell of a car once Andy is done with it.”

M-139 property update

Trustees were given an update Tuesday on the two lots along M-139 that are in the process of being bought by a Kalamazoo car dealership.

Benton Township trustees in July approved a sales agreement with DeNooyer Automotive Group LLC for property at 2860 S. M-139.

“We have been in touch with DeNooyer and there are just a few more pieces of information they have requested,” Nelson said. “We anticipate the sale will close this year as everything is progressing very nicely. We’re working on finalizing their requests and are working on a closing date.”

Nelson said the property’s buyer is working on the title. The agreed upon price is $390,000.

The township bought the nearly 10 acres in 2013 and eventually demolished the former Holiday Inn that was on the property in 2014.

Todd DeNooyer, general manager of DeNooyer Chevrolet in Kalamazoo, has said there are no immediate plans for the two parcels.

Contact Tony Wittkowski at twittkowski@TheHP.com or (269) 932-0358. Follow him on Twitter: @tonywittkowski.

(Author’s Note: This article was originally published on Sept. 8, 2016)