Farmington steps back on city building

By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
FARMINGTON – Farmington is headed back to square one in its quest to find a new city building.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, the council gave tacit approval to Mayor Kent Kowal to exit a building contract with D. Joseph Construction.
Joseph was hired as construction manager at a Feb. 21 meeting, during which the council voted unanimously to move forward – the apparent culmination of discussions about a city building that date back to January of 2018.
At that February meeting, the council also voted to acquire three vacant lots on East Fort St. and heard about plans for a two-story building that would fit in with other historic downtown buildings and that was expected to cost between $1.6 to $2 million.
But sentiment on the council has changed, according to Kowal, who informally chatted with each alderman following a building committee meeting held just before Monday’s general meeting.
Kowal said the council “is not looking on the project with favor, as they were a few months ago.’
Part of that change in sentiment stems from soil tests conducted on the vacant lots, owned by Sam Lillie. Three buildings on those lots were destroyed in a 2015 fire, and materials used to fill the lots after buildings were torn down was recently found unsuitable for a new building. Alderman Joey Boggs estimated the cost to bring in new fill and to compact the site could be $100,000 plus the cost to purchase the lots.
While there was discussion of adding a basement to the project and reducing the square feet of the top two floors, council members expressed reservations about a project whose price tag is increasing.
“I think we bit off more than we can chew with $2.5 million for a downtown building,” Alderman Kenn Stufflebeam said. “The people in our ward are not for this.”
Stufflebeam said he has received more calls on this subject than on any other issue since he has been on the council, including a stint as mayor.
Added Alderman Leslye Smith, “I wish I could take back my vote.” Smith said her vote was contingent on soil samples proving suitable.
Public sentiment, at least that expressed again Monday by several downtown business owners, has also been running against the new project during meetings since the February vote.
As a result, Kowal asked council members if they would object to him exiting the contract with D. Joseph. Because that was listed on Monday’s agenda for discussion only, no formal vote can take place until the next council meeting.
The deal to purchase the vacant lots is also on hold, with aldermen split on purchasing the property even if they don’t build there.
“I would like to see the city own it, but I don’t think we need to own it today,” Boggs said.
Previously, the council had said it would consider building on city property on West Fort St. across from the Post Office. Whether that remains a viable option is a topic for future meetings, as the discussion of a city building is sure to resume soon.
In other business, the council:
• Approved ordinances to use TIF funds for commercial facade work and for residential improvements in and out of the TIF district. The residential total was increased from $50,000 to $75,000 in light of strong response from the community.
• Approved an inter-governmental agreement with Farmington Township for maintenance of Farmington Township Park.
• Approved buying a new pump for the city’s lagoon reservoir.
• Discussed the type of garbage containers to be placed downtown. It was decided a committee should research the issue and report back to the council.
• Heard Kowal extend the declaration of a local state of emergency.
• Spent more than an hour in closed session.