St Joseph County plans purchase of Burr Oak Township property

An attractive financial offer from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources prompted members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to allocate more than $200,000 for property acquisition.
The county’s commitment of nearly $227,000 represents 31 percent of the almost-$732,000 needed to purchase a 126-acre property in Burr Oak Township. The land is to be managed and overseen by the county’s parks and recreation department.
Jaymes MacDonald, parks and recreation director, said the acquisition possibly would not be taking place without the generous offer from the DNR, which has agreed to provide the additional $505,000 – 69 percent of the total cost.
The property, located on the north side of Lafayette Road, includes Stewart Lake, a private body of water that MacDonald said he hopes someday will be a central part of whatever park development takes place on the parcel.