By Brendan Smoker
Michigan State University owns a lot of property. Besides the main part of campus, there also is the turf grass research area and horse training ranch further south of East Lansing.
Michigan State also owns a random bit of land right in the middle of Bath Township. Dunmaglas in Bath is a wooded area of several acres that has been untouched by the town’s development. The university also owns Herbison, a second random stretch of land nearby.
Dunmaglas, Bath. Photo Courtesy by Brendan Smoker
With Bath Township’s recent and prospected growth, it becomes a question of what is going to become of these random areas of land that Michigan State University owns.
Near the Dunmaglas property are several lots for sale by different real estate agencies. For example, Clinton County Economic Alliance’s website has property details on a 3.09 acre lot for sale. The entire property is for sale around $49,000, or one could purchase a single-acre unit of land for a little under $17,000. Although there are houses for sale near the Michigan State-owned Dunmaglas property, the land itself is not for sale. The undeveloped Herbison land spans 87.048 acres and has a land value estimate of $261,564; it too, is not for sale.
Both Herbison and Dunmaglas properties are considered green space, or undeveloped community land. Although there is a small residential population in the Dunmaglas area, the university’s private property may hinder growth in this area. Bath’s high potential for growth in the next decade may stir up conversation about the unused Dunmaglas land.
When asked if the land would get in the way of projected development, Bath Township’s assessor, Beth Botke, said that it is “not an issue.” She went on to explain that the undeveloped land is still an asset; plus, people around the area have access to it.
Although the land will be untouched in the foreseeable future, the property will not be a burden to Bath Township, but instead will add to the natural beauty of the town.