Quay Street parking lot proposal on the ballot

On the Aug. 7 ballot, the city of Port Huron is seeking voters’ permission to sell, lease or option the West Quay Street parking lot. “Over the years, there have been a number of opportunities to sell it for development,” City Manager Bruce Brown said. The ballot question was originally slated for the May primary, but the city decided to delay the vote until August to save on fees associated with posting a ballot proposal, according to Port Huron City Clerk Sue Child. Brown said that if the proposal is approved by the voters, the permission would be good “forever” and the land could be sold to any developer which the City Council considers to be qualified. According to Brown, the City has not had the West Quay Street parking lot appraised as yet. He added that the city is planning to conduct a parking study to evaluate whether or not it needs the lot for parking. “It’s a premier lot right on the water and certainly would lend itself to development,” Brown said. “It would be great to put it back on the tax roll, but only if it’s not absolutely required for parking. It would be nice to have the flexibility to sell.”