12/4/12 - A settlement is being sought in a lawsuit between the City of Howell and a development company. City Manager Shea Charles tells WHMI that the settlement process has already started between the city and the Highland-Howell Development Group LLC. He says the settlement process is ongoing and City Council has directed staff to pursue settlement paperwork. Court records indicate that the case has been settled per the attorney representing the developer. A final closing order must now be presented to the court or the parties will have to appear for a miscellaneous hearing on February 28th. The litigation began when Howell-Highland Development sued the city, claiming it had breached an agreement to build a loop road around the downtown that would have opened up the southern area for development, which was necessary for the project to move forward. The city counter-sued seeking to terminate the agreement and recoup the $1.6 million it paid toward the projectâs design and engineering cost. The city says it met its obligations and that the developers failed to address issues with the Michigan Department of Transportation over an environmental assessment. The city also says a final site plan was never submitted to the planning commission. (TD)
↧