HOUGHTON — Land behind Walmart could turn into a residential development.

The Houghton City Council approved giving city manager Eric Waara permission to negotiate an option for purchase for about 130 acres of city-owned land behind Walmart.

The option would allow the potential buyer, JM Longyear, to conduct due diligence activities such as surveying, geotechnical surveys and preliminary engineering.

“It’s awesome to have some interest in that property,” said Councilor Mike Needham. “It’s been there a long time.”

Waara said JM Longyear had indicated it was investigating if the property would be suitable for a residential development. The property is zoned R-1 (single-family residential). Houghton’s master plan lists the property as vacant and an option for development.

As a possible analog, Councilors Needham and Jan Cole pointed to JM Longyear’s proposed Forestville development near the Noquemanon Trail Network Trails in Marquette.

The purchase would exempt the acreage immediately around the Huron Dam, where the city has ongoing permit responsibilities for maintaining the wetlands area. Waara said his intent would be to use the area as a park adjoining the development.

Long-term, Waara said, the city is hoping to develop the road past the Aspirus clinic to connect with Superior Road, providing another connection to Superior Road and Paradise Road.

“This might be a good confluence of development potential to realize that, because that’s been talked about for decades,” Waara said.

The additional connection might relieve some of the traffic along M-26, said Police Chief John Donnelly.

Houghton would not sell the property to anyone else during the option period. If JM Longyear buys the property, the option would be deducted from the purchase price. If JM Longyear declines to buy, it would forfeit the option price to the city.

The council would have final approval of the agreement.

In other action, the council:

• Approved spending $107,850 of Public Act 87 funds to order a culvert that will be installed to replace twin culverts at the Kestner Waterfront Park. Waara said the larger culvert will avoid the blockage that occurred during the Father’s Day Flood, when floodwater washed out the smaller beach at the park.

• Heard from Waara the city’s fall clean-up will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31. City residents, and only city residents, will be able to drop off selected categories of items at dumpsters at the Public Works garage on the corner of Technical Avenue and Gundlach Road.

• Approved putting the city’s free electric vehicle charger on the parking deck up for sale. The charger was installed in 2012 as a student project in partnership with Michigan Technological University, General Motors, Upper Peninsula Power Co., Fifth & Elm, and the City of Houghton. It is being replaced with faster-charging, for-pay chargers being installed downtown.

• Approved hiring North of 45 for $1,100 as a facilitator for open house events for the city’s master plan. Those are scheduled for Oct. 11 and Nov. 1.

• Designated Waara as the official representative to cast the vote for the City of Houghton at the Michigan Municipal League annual convention. Councilor Craig Waddell was designated as alternate.

• Approved proceeding with the vacation and abandonment of a sidewalk easement between Swift’s Hardware and 326 Shelden Ave. A hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 12.