By By NORMA LERNER / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – A portion of a platted street known as Spanish Terrace Road in Mason Township was abandoned by action of the Cass County Road Commission on Thursday.
In a unanimous vote, a petition submitted by land developer Paul DeLano was approved to be abandoned. Spanish Terrace Road is a platted street in the plat of Terrace Shores, Mason Township. The 8,270 square-foot piece of property lies east of Christiana Lake Road.
The platted portion was recorded in 1952 but never built as a road. Road commission attorney Eugene Smith explained the abandonment procedures and said all abutting property owners were notified. There were a few who had asked questions, but there were no objections from them, he said. There were no objections to the abandonment by the handful of citizens who attended the hearing and no objections from Mason Township officials.
The commissioners did reserve the right for public utilities to be installed on the land if needed.
The commissioners also heard from road superintendent Rick Janssen who reported on Sunday's snow clearing of roads. He said the snow trucks were out for six hours on Sunday and were out at 5 a.m. on Monday.
"I think we did a pretty good job. We were out again at 5 a.m. Wednesday and stayed until the busses came in," Janssen said. He added there are still some snow needing to be pushed back and some roads salted. There were no major problems and just a few minor things on some trucks.
"All and all it went good," he said. Chairman Robert Powers commended Janssen for doing a good job.
Financial director Lois Jacobson reported $45,000 was used on material and road clearing for the month of January, and time and a half was paid to workers on Sunday.
The commissioners approved a bid to lease approximately 82 acres in LaGrange Township to David Leach at $85 per acre for three years. Leach was high bidder of two.
Approximately 105 acres were also leased to Ed Reed in Penn Township at $205 per acre for three years. Reed was high bidder of four, and both him and Leach plan to farm the acreage.
Engineer-Manager Joseph Bellina III will check into a request from a citizen to purchase a small plot of property along old Indian Lake Road and Creek Road near Dodd Park in Pokagon Township. The prospective buyer desires to use the swampy piece of property for an aqua culture spot.
The commission went into closed session upon the request of Bellina regarding a union agreement.