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HANCOCK -- Hancock City Council met Wednesday in regular session, where it discussed the Navy Street development, upcoming city projects and voted to approve the bid for the Market Street project.
Mayor Kurt Rickard reported to the council the Navy Street Committee is looking to continue to explore avenues for putting in a road connecting West Navy Street, by Small Craft and Portage Lake Condominiums, to the east end of the road and adjacent property owners.
"We haven't been successful at doing that [development]. We don't have access all the way through," Rickard said. "We have one property owner down there on the waterfront who needs to get access, because he wants to do some development of condos, which could be very beneficial to the city."
Rickard confirmed the landlocked property he referred to is owned by Taylor Auguston. He added the city should assist Auguston in order to increase its housing stock, increase population and benefit businesses downtown through increased traffic.
Earlier this year, Matthew Eliason gave the city a legal notice on behalf of Portage Lake Condos, stringing together the legal framework against the city developing Navy Street behind the condo garages. The notice laid out environmental and easement concerns. Now Rickard and the Navy Street Committee are looking to other city documents, including a property split signed by Contractor Michael Mattila and former City Assessor Matthew Arko.
The document was created in Aug. 2011 and was sent to former City Manager Glenn Anderson. The split was obtained by The Gazette through Rickard and laid out the property lines and splits for four parcels along Navy Street.
According to the map (exhibit one) found in the split, three of the parcels are to the east of the condos. One is adjacent to the north garages and runs behind them. The parcels are each under half an acre. The split specifies the public purpose for acquiring these parcels is "Navy Street Extended."
Rickard said the city has an obligation to build a road through the parcels and connect east and west Navy Street. One dissenter, condo resident Bill Buck, disagrees. "I would not characterize it [easement] as an obligation to build a road," he said.
In other business, council voted to approve $185,707 funding to Payne and Dolan, Inc., to pave the western section of Market Street, along with Grove and Cliff Street. City Manager Mary Babcock said the road work will make it safer for both drivers and pedestrians.
"It definitely should increase safety, especially for walking," she said. "The road right now is very uneven and this will create a smooth surface."
The Market Street section is off of N Lincoln Drive and leads into Quincy Street Plaza, where Pat's Foods is. The road work is expected to kick off in the next coming weeks.
Babcock updated the council on the water and sewer project on Prospect Street, saying the city has reached out to homeowners informing them of the imminent road work.
According to Babcock, there is invasive Knapweed at Porvoo Park. She said purple budding plants are poisonous to other plant life and will be dealt with safely by the Department of Public Works.
The last item in the council's new business was the approval of a $15,210 payment to Clean Management Environmental Group to vacate any toxic or hazardous materials in the old Wargerlin building on Finlandia's campus.
Babcock said the chemicals and waste materials were left behind when Finlandia dissolved in 2023 and have been sitting in the building for more than three years.