VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A subdivision in Van Buren Township has a number of unfinished lots and it's been an eyesore and hazard for the past 10 years.
The lots are a part of Cobblestone Ridge, and residents like Rachelle Gray are tired of looking at it. Gray has lived in the condominium complex for four years now.
"I'm about to cry because I'm frustrated. I shouldn't have to live like that," Gray said.
The lots have overgrown grass and, though the lots are gated, one of the gates is open so people can get inside. Gray said it's also embarrassing when people come to visit her house.
"From the front to the back, I see nothing but basements, and I don't want to live like that. I want to move if that's how the township is going to deal with this," Gray said.
The Van Buren Township supervisor, Kevin McNamara, said it's been a problem for years.
"In 2009, there were six unopened basements. In 2011 they [Trowbridge Companies] didn't live up to that agreement, and in 2015, we had a similar agreement they did not live up to," McNamara said.
McNamara said the township was lenient for years because of the economy and wanted to give developers a chance to right their wrongs.
"Part of it was it was a downturn, so we were forgiving to a lot of the developers," he said.
Now, McNamara said the builder's permit has expired, and Trowbridge Companies has until Friday to either agree to pay a $25,000 payment bond or start removing the basements. If the builder doesn't complete one of those two things, the township will begin the process to demolish the basements next week.
McNamara said it will cost the township $111,000 to demolish the basements, and they would have to wait on a demolition permit, but expects to begin demolishing the foundations within the next two to three weeks if Trowbridge Companies doesn't fulfill its tasks.
McNamara said there will be liens on the property and he's hoping the "next builder will take care of it." He said real estate in Van Buren Township is "hot right now," and believes another builder will want to build on the property.
The township also hired a contractor to put up fencing around the foundations, but officials do not believe the foundations can be built on.