COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Administrator Frank Walsh says Michigan State University Forestry Department has shown an interest in the county’s 168-acre property on Bater Road.
After the Branch County Board of Commissioners decided to form a committee in September to make a recommendation on the future of the property, Walsh hopes the matter can come back before the Commissioners sometime next month.
Walsh told commissioners Tuesday that the Michigan State University Forestry Department has not provided exact details about their plans. Commissioner Tim Stoll thinks it will be used for educational purposes.
Earlier this year, Walsh expressed a desire to convert the property into a park that he said would offer residents and visitors a chance to explore nature and wildlife.
But commissioners tabled action September 9 after suggestions on generating revenue were mentioned along with issues with surrounding properties.
The property, which the county has owned since 1975, has a tax bill of over $30,000. An agricultural lease on the property is set to end December 31.
The County has leased the property in the past for farming and hunting activities.
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