Wednesday, July 8th, 2020
Officials transfer control of 2 industrial park lots
Lots Of Property
By William Kincaid
Photo by Ryan Snyder/The Daily Standard
County officials have started the process of selling lots at the Franklin Industrial Park. In the background is the intersection of U.S. 127 and State Route 219. On the far right is the west end of Lakefield Airport's runway. Outlined in blue at center-top is lot 3 and in the lower left is lot 5.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP - Mercer County officials on Tuesday authorized the transfer of two lots in the Franklin Industrial Park located next to Lakefield Airport near the U.S. 127 and State Route 219 intersection.
Voting members of the Mercer County Community Improvement Corp. unanimously approved resolutions authorizing secretary and county commissioner Jerry Laffin to sign off on documents to convey lots No. 3 and 5 in the county-owned industrial lot from the county's control to the CIC's.
"Positive growth," county community development director Jared Ebbing said. "That pretty much wipes us out as far as lots in the Franklin Industrial Park."
Their actions will permit Timothy Homan Sr. to purchase the 2.54-acre lot No. 3 for $38,085, which equates to $15,000 per acre, and Brandon Jenkins to purchase the 1.63-acre lot No. 5 for $21,203, which equates to $13,000 an acre.
The lots on the airport side have always been listed at $15,000 per acre, Ebbing said when asked about the difference in lot prices.
Homan plans to build a storage building on his lot, Ebbing said. He also wanted to secure the lot for any potential expansion of his son's nearby business. The CIC last year authorized the transfer of the 2.35-acre lot No. 4 in the park to Timothy Homan Jr., owner of Zuma Machine, for $35,250.
"Tim Jr. has been doing a great job out there with his business," Ebbing said.
Jenkins plans to construct a new facility for his business Innovative Machining Solutions LLC, Ebbing explained.
"Brandon is building his new machine shop. He's currently in the (former) New Idea building over in Coldwater and just ran out of space," he said. "So he's looking to build a new building, move his equipment over and continue to grow and expand."
Ebbing stressed that CIC's action on Tuesday authorizes the conveyance of lots. The actual sale of the properties will happen later.
Under Ohio law, the lots in the industrial park near Lakefield Airport can be sold by the county only through sealed bids or auction or by the CIC, an agent for the county, Laffin pointed out on Tuesday.
The county acquired the property in the early to mid-1990s.
