Jeff Houin a member of the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety shared during Monday’s meeting the concern of a citizen shared with him. They have concerns that the vacant lot where Subway used to be located at the corner of Michigan and Jefferson Streets is not being maintained very well. The city now owns the property.
Houin said he wasn’t sure if the Street Department or the Park Department is responsible for cutting the grass.
Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt said his crew mows the terrace and may have mowed the lot, but he was unsure. He said the ground is very soft and with a couple of test wells heavy equipment should drive on the property.
Plymouth Park Superintendent Mike Hite said his crew would assume responsibility from this point on.
City Attorney Sean Surrisi reminded Board of Public Works members of plans for the property. He said initially the city purchased the property to create a “pocket park” that would be known as Crossroads Plaza. The name was for the historic roads that cross at the intersection. Surrisi said the project was part of the Stellar Designation, but the site didn’t have environmental clearance from IDEM, and funding didn’t work out.
Currently, the site is involved in the state’s “Petroleum Orphan Sites Program” which conducts an assessment, install monitoring wells, and completes a remediation program with all cost being handled by the state.
Once completed the city will be able to move forward with the pocket park project.
