Schools

Farmington School Officials Aim to Resolve Fairview Encroachment with License

The agreement would allow property owners to continue using the property until they leave the home.

Farmington School Board members on Tuesday reviewed an agreement that would license a small portion of the former Fairview Early Childhood Center property on Oakcrest Drive in Farmington Hills. 

In April, officials tabled a proposed agreement to sell the 9566-square-foot strip to neighboring property owners Hannan and Lisa Lis, whose basketball court encroaches on the district's property. Attorney Kingsley Cotton told officials Tuesday that the license agreement, to which the Lis' have agreed, only gives them permission to use the property until they vacate or sell their home. 

That wasn't enough assurance for board member Murray Kahn, who said the agreement doesn't go far enough to address his concerns about any future owner laying claim to the property. He wanted to see language added so that the Lis' would be required to take down the court as soon as the home is put up for sale. 

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Other board members said they were satisfied the agreement addressed their concerns. 

"The fact is, the district is at the most risk night now, without the agreement," board member George Gurrola said, adding he didn't want to "tinker with it". 

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District resident Irving Ginsberg, who is tied to a company that made a competing bid on the property, asked whether the school district was paying Cotton to draw up the documents, and said the district is still rewarding the property owner for encroaching. 

Officials will consider approval of the license agreement at their Jan. 15, 2013 meeting. 


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