By Holly Heller Staff writer
    BREMEN — In an effort to spur industrial growth, the Bremen Town Council approved the annexation of 88 acres of land during last week’s council meeting.
    The land, owned by Freemon Borkholder, is located northeast of Bremen, on the north side of U.S. 6, between Elm and Douglas Road. The property was recently rezoned from agricultural to light industrial, much to the dismay of the adjacent residential property owners.
    Several of those neighbors attended the council meeting last Monday with questions about the industrial park development.

    Town Attorney Dave Holmes explained that the town will extend utilities to the property line as part of the annexation process, but the developer will be responsible for construction of roads and lighting within the industrial park. The town will supervise the development as it progresses.
    Mary Jones inquired about retention ponds on the property.
    “How many? Who decides if they are needed?” she asked.
    Holmes said the developer will be responsible for retaining water on the property, or would be expected to install storm drains.
    “He will have to submit a plan for the whole development to the Marshall County Drainage Board,” Holmes said. “You can’t interfere with existing drainage.”
    Jones also inquired about fencing around the property.
    “That will be addressed by the Plan Commission,” Holmes said.
    Looking ahead, Gail Hardy expressed concern about the rules governing the maintenance of the properties within the industrial park.
    “What happens when the buildings start decaying?” she asked.
    Holmes said her concerns would be addressed by the town’s “unsafe building” ordinance if needed.
    “If integrity of the building is a danger, we’re prepared to take action against it,” Holmes said. “But when people make a significant investment in a building, you expect them to maintain it, to keep it up.”
    Bremen Chamber of Commerce President Bill Davis applauded the council members for their decision to move forward with the industrial park.
    “We’re landlocked. Being landlocked doesn’t allow us any opportunity to attract new industry,” Davis said.
    Davis is a member of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation. Tom Turner, the newly- director, gave a brief explanation of the goals of the corporation.
    “We’re making a concerted effort to get business in Marshall County,” Turner said.
    He discussed the many assets of Marshall County, including the fact that it is centrally located between Chicago and Detroit, with access to airports. In addition, quality education systems and a strong work force round out the list of strengths for the county.
    “Most counties don’t have that many assets,” Turner said. “The thing you need is to get that in front of people, to make sure Marshall County is on the map.”
    The corporation is working to achieve that goal.
    Meanwhile, the town council’s plans to annex the Borkholder property will be advertised in local newspapers for 90 days. During that time, the public has a chance to remonstrate or protest the annexation. If no remonstrance is made, the annexation will be official and development is expected to begin soon thereafter.