Pine Haven council commend staff, consider green space

While Public Works Director Sunny Schell was unable to attend Tuesday night’s meeting of the Pine Haven Council due to illness, Mayor Karla Brandenburg made a point to commend Schell on her diligence in maintaining streets during the recent snowfall, saying, “She’s done a really good job and I’ve had a couple people comment on that so I think she should be recognized for that.”

Brandenburg also informed residents of newly instated TJ Gideon to the office of Fire Chief. She thanked deputy chief Dave Hull for “stepping up” to fill the post until a permanent replacement for former chief Preston Bryant, who had resigned a number of months ago, could be elected to the position.

“That was your second time in that spot…and it was during a busy year,” she said.

Subdivision offered deal

Greg Cottrell, part owner of the C Bar Subdivision within Pine Haven’s township, attended last Tuesday’s meeting of the governing body to seek a deal with the town mitigating the obligation to him and partner Robert Chamberlin to provide five percent or approximately two acres of the overall property for green space in accordance with municipal law.

Planning and zoning committee chair Charlie Brandenburg shared the owners’ offer of an “offset” in the long held easement of Pine Haven Road of 1.65 acres in addition to the easement of the acreage on which the water well was drilled, all conveyed to the town years before the current owners took possession.

The mayor spoke to this question: “That was all given before you bought the piece of property so in my opinion, I don’t see that as being part of giving up from your subdivision because when you bought it, you bought it without those two pieces of property.”

Instead of approving any of the landowner’s ideas for “offsetting” the C Bar’s obligation, Brandenburg recommended that Cottrell discuss with Chamberlin, “We have some park property that’s across from the community center and we’ve talked about putting some swing sets, some play equipment up there so that would alleviate some of the use on this one [Waters Park] because this does get pretty busy in the summer time and with 30 more homes, it’s going to get even busier. My suggestion would be, instead of donating any land, buy a piece of playground equipment.”

She explained that the cost of such equipment would probably run in the neighborhood of $30,000. Cottrell said that he would take this option back for discussion with his partner.