Post updated at 2:47 p.m. Tuesday, May 28:
The Baker University Board of Trustees has voted to retain land north of the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center.
A private investment company had approached Baker about buying the parcel of land for the development of affordable housing.
In a brief news release Tuesday, the university simply said that “Following extensive data gathering and deliberation,” the board voted to retain ownership of the land parcel.
Baker students, the Haskell National Board of Regents and other community members had voiced opposition to the potential sale.
Brittany Hall, president of the Haskell regents, said Tuesday that the board never received a response to a letter they sent Baker earlier this month asking the university not to proceed with the land sale.
Further, the regents had asked Baker to return the wetlands that previously belonged to Haskell Indian Nations University.
Hall said Tuesday that the Haskell regents “will continue this endeavor asking for the historical wetlands back,” and it would have been nice for Baker to respond to the letter.
Brandon Milburn, a spokesperson for Baker, said in response to an email asking for comment on the Haskell regents’ request that the university “does not have further information to provide at this time.” The university never responded to a May 16 inquiry seeking comment on the letter.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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