A work crew from Escape Ministries in Holland began clearing brush away from the Huyser House this week.
The work was approved by the Laketown Township Building Authority in May as part of a seven-step outline to handle the 1939 house at Huyser Farm Park, 4158 64th St.
The mission of Escape Ministries is to intervene in the lives of those who fall between the cracks of society and help them successfully navigate to a positive life experience through meaningful, Gospel-rooted relationships, according to the group’s website.
The house was donated to the township in 2001 along with 102 acres by Manuel and Lilah Huyser, both of whom passed away. The house has been unoccupied for more than 20 years and the township Parks and Recreation Commission has been unable to come up with a use for it.
The Building Authority does not yet have a use for the house.
The township building inspector reported in March that the foundation and frame of the home are in excellent condition, but any repairs need to be started in the next 12 months.
On March 15, the parks commission transferred responsibility of the house to the three-member Building Authority with a six-month deadline to find a use for the structure or tear it down.
