Sep 23, 2024 Planning Commission

[00:01:27]

[INAUDIBLE]. ALL RIGHT.

SO IT IS 6:30.

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT, SO IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO DURING THE PUBLIC REMARKS SECTIONS.

YOU'D HAVE TO FILL OUT THE FORM TO DO THAT.

SEEING ONLY ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HERE.

WOULD YOU. DO YOU NEED TO FILL OUT A FORM? OKAY. ALL RIGHT, SO I GUESS I'LL MOVE ON TO ROLL CALL, THEN.

ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE HERE.

. MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.

PUBLIC REMARKS.

I DON'T THINK THAT THERE ARE ANY.

OKAY, SO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

YEAH. LET ME I WOULD LIKE THIS TO COME FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU GUYS I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMETHING KIND OF COOL.

I'M GOING TO THE MICHIGAN PLANNING CONFERENCE THIS WEEK, AND I'VE GOT THREE DAYS OF CLASSES TO TAKE, AND I HAVE THE AGENDA PRINTED AND IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A MINUTE, LOOK THROUGH THAT AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO ATTEND AND HEAR ABOUT AND POTENTIALLY BRING BACK.

SO BEFORE MOVING TO OR MAKING A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, IF WE WOULD CONSIDER ADDING THAT TO OUR AGENDA. WE JUST HAVE TO DETERMINE WHERE I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE OFFERINGS ARE AND HAVE SOME INPUT.

ANYONE ELSE? I MOVED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH AN AMENDED ITEM NINE OTHER BUSINESS TO INCLUDE AN ITEM C ON THAT TOPIC.

SUPPORT. OKAY.

SO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE.

OH, I GUESS WE NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL.

VOTE ON THAT OR.

WHAT'S THAT? COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE].

SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER SCALES.

THIS IS JUST A SIMPLE AYE OR NO, CORRECT? OKAY, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA WITH THE AMENDED ITEM 9C SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. SO WE WILL SEE THAT IN 9C I'LL JUST PUT IT DOWN AS MICHIGAN PLANNING CONFERENCE COURSES OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

SO MOVED. SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES? YES. OKAY. COMMISSIONER SCALES.

[00:05:02]

PUBLIC HEARINGS.

WE DON'T HAVE A CLOSURE OF THE HEARING.

I SAW THAT, TOO.

I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT. YEAH.

OKAY. THE SECOND ONE SHOULD BE CLOSED.

WELL, WE NEED A TIME WITH TIME.

WAS THE MEETING? THE HEARING CLOSED ALSO? WELL, I WOULD ASSUME. WELL, THERE WAS NO PUBLIC COMMENT AT THAT, SO THE HEARING WAS OPENED.

I GUESS IF YOU WANT TO BE TECHNICAL ABOUT IT, COULD BE 7, 6:38.

THERE WAS NO COMMENT, THOUGH.

OKAY. SHE IMMEDIATELY CLOSED IT.

WE CAN DO THAT.

I DON'T KNOW. IN THE ONE I HAVE, IT HAS OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING TWICE.

THAT'S WHAT I SAID.

SO YOU'RE JUST CHANGING THAT TO CLOTHES.

YEP. EXACTLY.

SO CLOSED 6:30.

OKAY. YEAH. NO PROBLEM.

ANY OTHER FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS TO THE MINUTES? NO. OKAY, SO WE HAD A MOTION TO APPROVE, I THINK.

DID WE HAVE A SECOND ALSO? YES. OKAY, EXCELLENT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OKAY AND SO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES IS DONE.

AGENDA ITEM 6, COMMUNICATIONS.

SO, WE PREVIOUSLY HAD NONE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE GOT AN EMAIL.

YES. THIS AFTERNOON I GOT AN EMAIL FOR THE APPLICANT FOR OKEMOS LOCAL INVESTMENTS.

JUST GIVING YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE THEY AT? JUST A REMINDER, THEY HAD A PUBLIC HEARING THAT IN THE GENERAL FEELING WAS THAT IT WAS A FAVORABLE APPLICATION.

BUT THE TRAFFIC STUDY WAS SOMEWHAT OUT OF DATE AND YOU ASKED THEM TO GET AN UPDATE OF THE TRAFFIC STUDY AND THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT.

OKAY AND THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMUNICATIONS.

SO MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN PUBLIC HEARINGS.

THERE ARE NONE TONIGHT.

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

[8.A. SUP #24023 – Okemos Gateway]

NUMBER 24023 OKEMOS GATEWAY.

OKAY. JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT AND I WILL GET THERE.

AS NOTED, THIS IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

24023 OKEMOS GATEWAY.

CONSTRUCT AN ADULT USE MARIJUANA RETAILER AT 1614 WEST GRAND RIVER AVENUE.

I HAVE IT OPEN HERE ON OUR PARCEL VIEWER.

JUST SO PEOPLE CAN SEE WHERE IT IS.

IT'S THIS LOCATION HERE ON GRAND RIVER, ADJACENT TO THE WEST OF THE OKEMOS SPARROW MEDICAL BUILDING.

THE APPLICANT WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS.

I INCLUDED THEM THEIR EMAIL WHEN I SENT THIS PACKET OUT.

THAT THERE'S REALLY NOTHING MORE TO ADD EXCEPT THERE IS A RECOMMEND.

THERE IS A RESOLUTION OF APPROVAL IN HERE.

SO I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.

YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.

IF YOU HAD MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT, THOUGH, YOU DO NEED TO POSTPONE THIS AND ASK THEM TO ATTEND.

OKAY. SO AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING STRAW POLL VOTE INDICATED UNANIMOUS APPROVAL.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC? CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE PARCEL VIEW? YES AND IT WAS 1614 AND 1620.

THE ADDRESS IS 1614 AND THE IT'S THIS AREA HERE.

PREVIOUS THE PARCEL HAD GONE UP IN THIS AREA HERE THERE HAS BEEN A LAND DIVISION OR NOT A LAND DIVISION.

BUT THE LINES HAVE BEEN MOVED AROUND THESE.

YEAH. SO THESE PARCELS ARE ACCURATE.

OUT OF CURIOSITY, HOW DOES THE LINE GET MOVED AROUND THROUGH A BOUNDARY SURVEY AND AN APPLICATION? OKAY, HUNDRED DOLLAR FEE.

I JUST WANTED TO SEE THAT PICTURE AGAIN.

SURE. IT'S JUST VISUALLY, LIKE, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE, I DON'T KNOW, I GET IT.

IT'S JUST. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THAT CLOSE TO SPARROW, I GUESS.

IT'S JUST A BIG OPEN FIELD OVER THERE.

YEAH. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF SUP NUMBER 24023 TO CONSTRUCT AN ADULT USE MARIJUANA RETAILER AT 1614 WEST GRAND RIVER OKEMOS, MICHIGAN 4864.

THANK YOU. SECOND? SECOND. OKAY.

SO ROLL CALL VOTE, RIGHT? YES. DISCUSSION [INAUDIBLE].

COMMISSIONER SCALES.

YES. I THINK THE MOTION ON THE RESOLUTION INCLUDED MORE INFORMATION THAN WHAT YOU READ.

I THINK IT INCLUDES THE REASONS WHY THE RESOLUTION DOES INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION.

THE MOTION SIMPLY REFERS TO ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION.

[00:10:03]

BUT I READ IN THE MOTION HAD MORE INFORMATION IN THE MOTION.

NOT JUST THE [INAUDIBLE]. NOT JUST THE RESOLUTION.

I READ IT VERBATIM ON PAGE EIGHT.

I DON'T HAVE IT. CAN YOU SCROLL UP TO THE RESOLUTION TO THE MOTION RATHER RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE I READ, RIGHT.

IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN INCLUDE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS AND THAT WOULD THAT BE OKAY? OKAY. I DIDN'T PRINT IT OFF, SO I DID NOT HAVE THIS, BUT I THOUGHT I HAD WHAT I READ HAD MORE RATIONALE BEHIND IT.

THIS IS THE MEMO THAT I PREPARED.

THERE IS A RESOLUTION ATTACHED.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THAT.

NO I'M NOT SCROLL UP AGAIN.

OKAY. I SHOULD HAVE SAID SCROLL DOWN.

I'M SORRY. OKAY, SORRY.

SO THE RESOLUTION THEN HAS CONDITIONS, AND THEN THIS IS REQUIRED TO BE APPROVED BY SITE PLAN APPROVAL.

IT'S THE STANDARD SET OF CONDITIONS THAT GO WITH THE MARIJUANA.

NO, I GOT THAT.

I SHOULD HAVE PRINTED IT OFF BECAUSE IT'S OKAY.

THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGE NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE MONITOR THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.

I THINK THAT, YES AND THOSE REASONS ARE WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.

YES. THAT'S WHAT I HAD FOR THE THREE REASONS WITH THAT.

OKAY. SO OKAY AND I JUST DIDN'T HEAR THEM? DID YOU INCLUDE THOSE IN YOUR MOTION? I DID NOT. I TRUNCATED THE MOTION IN THE ORDER OF EXPEDIENCY.

BUT WE CAN ADD THEM IF YOU'D LIKE.

WOULD YOU LIKE THEM ADDED? I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE REASONS.

YES. OKAY. DO YOU MIND REREADING COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL? IF COMMISSIONER ROSZEL WOULD LIKE TO READ THE FOLLOWING REASONS, I'M HAPPY TO ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MY MOTION.

I CAN DO THAT. OKAY.

YOUR MOTION ENDED WITH THE ADDRESS.

IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

THEN I WOULD AMEND IT WITH FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.

ONE, THE PROPOSED PROJECT CONFORMS WITH THE TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN AND THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

TWO, THE PROPOSED PROJECT CONFORMS WITH THE ADULT USE MARIJUANA REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE TOWNSHIP.

AND THREE THE PROPOSED PROJECT THAT WOULD RESULT FITS THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY, SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SCALES.

I KIND OF LOST TRACK.

OR WAS IT SECONDED? SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE].

SO I GOT A LITTLE LOST IN THAT, I'LL ADMIT.

NOW THERE'S AN AMENDMENT ON THE FLOOR BY ME WAITING FOR A SECOND.

OKAY, I'M SECONDING THAT AMENDMENT.

OKAY. AMENDMENT [INAUDIBLE] ON THAT AMENDMENT.

YES AND THEN A ROLL CALL ON THE FINAL RESOLUTION.

OKAY, SO THAT IS NEXT, ROLL CALL ON THE FINAL AMENDED RESOLUTION.

OKAY. WHICH I STILL HAVE OFFERED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ROMBACK, AMENDED BY COMMISSIONER, WE GOT TO CONFIRM, WE GOT TO VOICE VOTE. THE MOTION ITSELF, THE MOTION TO AMEND.

RIGHT. YEAH.

THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ROMBACK.

YES. OKAY.

BUT THE AMENDMENT IS WHAT'S ON THE FLOOR TO BE VOTED ON.

I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON AN AMENDMENT.

I BELIEVE YOU CAN OFFER IT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL, VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT, AND THEN WE WILL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION.

OKAY.

AND SO IT'S APPROVED.

ALL RIGHT AND NOW, ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE OR EXCUSE ME, A ROLL CALL.

VOTE FOR ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 24023.

SO THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION OFFERED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL AND SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER ROMBACK.

OKAY. HAS THIS BEEN ADOPTED? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE GROUP EFFORT.

ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NINE B PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSION.

[00:15:06]

NO I'M SORRY.

EIGHT B IS PLANNING COMMISSION.

PLANNING COMMISSION BYLAW UPDATE.

[8.B. Planning Commission Bylaw Update]

BUT YOU DID WANT TO SEE THE LANGUAGE ONE MORE TIME.

MAKE SURE IT ACCURATELY PORTRAYS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

YOU WANTED TO TAKE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS OUT AND I BELIEVE THAT HAS BEEN MET.

IT'S THE WAIT FOR IT.

IT'S THE ONLY PAGE WITH RED.

YEAH. SO A QUORUM IS A MAJORITY OF MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS.

A MAJORITY OF THE PLANNING.

OKAY. YEAH.

YOU'RE RIGHT. THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

MAJORITY OF, LET'S JUST SAY A MAJORITY OF MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS SHALL CONSTITUTE A QUORUM FOR THE TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS.

ET CETERA. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE AND SEVEN FIVE, SEVEN PARAGRAPH A MASTER PLAN OR ANY PART THEREOF.

EXCUSE ME. EXTENSIONS AND OTHER AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF AT LEAST TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS.

WELL, I CAN PLAY WITH THE LANGUAGE, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU.

THAT'S WHERE YOU WERE GOING. YOU WANTED TO TAKE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS OUT.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT IF YOU EVER INCREASE TO NINE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN.

SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SEVENTH.

SO JUST SOME DISCUSSION TONIGHT.

THIS IS COMPLETE DISCUSSION.

YEAH. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK.

I WOULD SO I DON'T THINK WE WANT THE TERM MEMBERS AFTER THE TWO THIRDS, BECAUSE TO ME THAT YOU WANT TO SAY TWO THIRDS OF THE QUORUM PRESENT, I THINK BECAUSE TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS WOULD TO ME WOULD INDICATE AN ENTIRE THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.

SO FIVE, SEVEN A RIGHT.

OH, I WAS LOOKING THE WRONG ONE.

I'M SORRY, THAT ONE, BECAUSE TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS, TO ME WOULD MEAN THE ENTIRE PLANNING COMMISSION.

TWO THIRDS OF THE QUORUM PRESENT.

GETS YOU.

ALTHOUGH I STILL KNOW THE MATH.

BUT IN THIS CASE, YOU NEED TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS.

WELL, NOT TWO THIRDS OF THE QUORUM.

IN A MASTER PLAN UPDATE, YOU DO NEED TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE MEMBERS.

YES. YOU MIGHT CHANGE IT TO, SAY, THE ENTIRE OR THE ENTIRE BODY? NO. IN THAT CASE. NO, SORRY.

I HAD AN IDEA THAT IT WASN'T A MASTER PLAN.

I WAS UNDER THE NOT A MASTER PLANNING SESSION AND JUST A REGULAR SESSION, AND THEN TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS WOULDN'T BE RIGHT, BECAUSE IT'D BE TWO THIRDS OF THE QUORUM.

BECAUSE YOU CAN. WE CAN OPERATE WITHOUT A MASTER PLAN UPDATE.

SO IN A MEETING LIKE THIS. RIGHT.

YEAH. WE COULD HAVE THIS AS OUR QUORUM, RIGHT AND THEN TWO THIRDS IS BUT AND THEN TWO THIRDS OF THIS GOES HERE TODAY VERSUS THOSE IN THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.

SO THE DIFFERENCE SUP APPLICATION, YOU'RE VOTING ON IT AND YOU HAVE A QUORUM.

IT COULD PASS THREE TWO.

YES. BUT IF YOU WERE MAKING AN AMENDMENT TO PASS THREE TWO, NOT WITH.

YES IT COULD NOT WITH.

IT'S A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF THE QUORUM.

RIGHT. OH, OKAY. GOT IT.

IF YOU WERE MAKING A MASTER PLAN UPDATE, ALL FIVE OF YOU WOULD HAVE TO VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE BECAUSE IT'S TWO THIRDS OF THE THEM.

THE MEMBERS SAID, OKAY, I'LL BUY THAT.

YOU'RE GOOD.

YES, I THOUGHT THAT WAS FOR ME.

WE'RE GOOD, BUT YOU ARE GOOD.

CLEARLY I GOT THE MATH WRONG.

FOR ITEM 5.4, JUST DELETING THAT SECOND APPEARANCE OF MEMBERS IN THE FIRST LINE.

30 MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

YEAH, AND THEN STRIKE THE LAST ONE.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? CAN YOU HOLD IT RIGHT THERE FOR A SECOND? SO YEAH. LOOK AT THAT.

OKAY. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SO IF, DID WE ALSO ADJUST WHAT QUORUM WAS DEFINED AS? NO, A QUORUM IS A NUMBER.

OUR QUORUM NUMBER IS.

DIDN'T WE CHANGE THAT TO 5 OR 6? WE WANTED TO TAKE THE NUMBERS OUT AND SIMPLY SAY IT'S A MAJORITY.

RIGHT. DIDN'T WE GET TO THIS POINT THOUGH BECAUSE WE WERE ADJUSTING THE QUORUM? CORRECT. SO THEN WE ADJUST OUR QUORUM.

[00:20:02]

THAT'S THE MAJORITY.

OH, RIGHT. BUT RATHER THAN SAYING 4? A MAJORITY, BECAUSE IF YOU CHANGE IT TO SAY 4 AND THEN SOMEDAY IN THE FUTURE YOU INCREASE BACK TO 9 MEMBERS.

FOUR IS NO LONGER A QUORUM.

OKAY. SO IN ORDER TO CONDUCT BUSINESS, I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS OUT LOUD SO I.

SURE. THAT I UNDERSTAND.

SO IN ORDER FOR THIS BODY TO CONDUCT A BUSINESS, WE REQUIRE FOUR OF THE SEVEN MEMBERS TO BE PRESENT.

RIGHT AND THAT'S THE MAJORITY.

RIGHT. THAT MEANS THOUGH THAT SO IF WE WERE TO HAVE TO PASS SOMETHING DURING ONE OF THOSE SESSIONS, ACCORDING TO THESE NEW FIGURES, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO DO THAT? WE'D NEED AT LEAST THREE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR IT FOR ALMOST ALL VOTES.

THAT IS CORRECT.

YES. EXCEPT FOR YOU COULD PASS THE AGENDA WITH A31 VOTE, EXCEPT FOR THE MASTER PLAN ON THE ODD CASE THAT YOU HAVE A MASTER PLAN UPDATE 4 WOULD NOT A 4-0 VOTE WOULD NOT WORK.

OKAY. I THINK I'M I DON'T WANT TO SAY I'M JOINING YOUR SKEPTICISM.

BUT LIKE THAT MEANS THREE MEMBERS OF A SEVEN MEMBER BODY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S A QUORUM ISSUE.

THREE MEMBERS OF THE BODY CAN MOVE SOMETHING ALONG IN A 3-1 AND THEN THREE NOT SITTING VOTE LIKE, YES, THAT'S OUR SYSTEM.

LIKE THAT'S HOW IT WORKS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? YEAH I GUESS I DON'T.

THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.

IT'S THE SAME WAY WITH THE BOARD.

YEAH. THE BOARD IS SEVEN MEMBERS.

IF ONLY FOUR PEOPLE SHOW UP, THREE PEOPLE CAN PASS MOST ANYTHING.

YOU'RE NOT CHANGING THAT WITHOUT CHANGING MICHIGAN PLANNING LAW.

I'M SORRY. YEAH.

I'M NOT TRYING TO CHANGE THAT.

I WAS MORE THINKING ABOUT OUR WHY.

WE'RE LIKE, WE'RE SAYING FOUR PEOPLE PRESENT.

SO THEN YOU CAN END UP WITH A SPLIT VOTE.

YOU CAN RIGHT, YOU CAN END UP WITH A SPLIT VOTE.

RIGHT. WELL, NOT TONIGHT YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS.

BUT IF YOU HAD FOUR MEMBERS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHANGE THE BYLAWS OR NOT, YOU CAN.

IF YOU HAD SIX MEMBERS HERE, YOU HAD ONE ABSENCE, YOU'D STILL YOU COULD STILL POTENTIALLY END UP WITH A SPLIT VOTE AND A SPLIT VOTE IS A FAILED VOTE.

RIGHT? RIGHT AND I GUESS IF WE WENT TO FIVE MEMBERS, WE COULD STILL IN ORDER TO GET THE TWO THIRDS, IN ORDER TO HIT TWO THIRDS, WE WOULD NEED FOUR OUT OF FIVE.

NO, YOU NEED FIVE.

THE TWO THIRDS REFERS TO THE ENTIRE BODY OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BECAUSE THAT'S ONLY ON THE MASTER PLAN.

CORRECT. OH, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE NEED THE SIMPLE MAJORITY.

OKAY. RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

I SEE. OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR WORKING THIS OUT WITH ME.

NOT PUBLICLY.

SOMETIMES IT HELPS TO WALK THROUGH IT.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT, I CAN SEE I'M WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND THIS, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE, I THINK.

THANKS FOR EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE.

ABSOLUTELY, NO PROBLEM.

ANY OTHER FEEDBACK? GO AHEAD. I JUST THINK IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE GOT OVER THAT HURDLE AND TOOK THE NUMBERS OUT OF HERE, BECAUSE IT MAKES THE DOCUMENT MORE LIVABLE, BECAUSE IF YOU MAKE ANY OTHER CHANGES, WE WON'T HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AGAIN.

ANYTHING ELSE.

OKAY. SO PUBLIC HEARING.

NOTHING TO NO MOTION FOR THIS.

RIGHT. CORRECT. YOU WILL SEE THIS AT YOUR NEXT MEETING.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NINE A.

[9.A. Planning Commission Meeting Resolution]

I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

THE RESOLUTION LISTS PEOPLE ALREADY OFFERING IT.

SO JUST IT JUST NEEDS TO BE SORRY, THAT'S JUST A THAT'S MY TYPO.

YEAH, I FIGURED JUST IT'S THE FOURTH VERSION OF THE CALENDAR RESOLUTIONS THIS YEAR.

SO WE'LL JUST I'LL JUST FILL IN.

MAYBE YOU WON'T HAVE TO EDIT IT. MAYBE I'M HAPPY TO MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION IF COMMISSIONER SCALES IS WILLING TO SECOND IT.

THIS COULD BE DONE I SUPPORT.

OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THIS EDITED, UPDATED MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION.

SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SCALES.

SORRY, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? JUST A QUICK REMINDER.

THIS MEANS THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO AND KIND OF APPROVED BY CONSENSUS.

[00:25:03]

THAT MEANS YOUR NEXT MEETING IS IN TWO WEEKS ON OCTOBER 7TH AND IT MEANS THAT THE OCTOBER 28TH MEETING IS GOING TO BE IN THE MAIN FIRE STATION, THE FIRE, THE OKEMOS FIRE STATION, THE OKEMOS ROAD FIRE STATION.

NOT THE COMMUNITY ROOM.

IT'S THE.

IT'S. YEAH, THE COMMUNITY ROOM, NOT THE CONFERENCE ROOM.

THE COMMUNITY ROOM.

I WAS CORRECTED OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SO THIS HAS TO BE A ROLL CALL VOTE TOO CORRECT.

OKAY. SO ROLL CALL.

VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE EDITED PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE.

SO MOTION IS APPROVED.

THANK YOU. AGENDA ITEM NINE B PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSION OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DENSITY.

[9.B. Planning Commission Discussion i. Single-Family Residential Density]

I WAS ASKED TO SEE IF I COULD PRODUCE A DENSITY MAP SHOWING DENSITY OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE IN THE TOWNSHIP.

I FOUND I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT WITH SOME UPDATES OF MY PERSONAL SYSTEM, MY GIS DATA, AND THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH. YOU'VE GOT I WENT WITH A GRADIENT WITH FIVE GRADES AND I DISCUSSED THAT WITH YOU.

I USE THE SAME FIVE THAT WE DISCUSSED TWO WEEKS AGO.

THE MAJORITY OF THE LOTS, SINGLE FAMILY LOTS IN THE TOWNSHIP ARE UNDER HALF AN ACRE IN SIZE, BUT THE ACREAGE IN THE DIFFERENT SIZES DOESN'T CHANGE AS MUCH AS YOU GO DOWN.

SO, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN YOU GET TO THE TOP, YOU ONLY HAVE 104 RESIDENTIAL LOTS THAT ARE TEN ACRES OR MORE, BUT THAT REPRESENTS 1989 ACRES OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE A MAP LIKE THIS.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

SO THE LET ME ZOOM IN AND SEE IF I CAN GET THIS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.

GOOD. THE YELLOW REPRESENTS THOSE SMALLER THAN HALF ACRE LOTS.

ORANGE. GREEN.

THE PINK COLOR, WHICH DOESN'T SHOW UP ON AN ONLINE PDF QUITE AS WELL AS IT DOES ON MY SCREEN AND THEN THESE REDS ARE THE OVER TEN ACRE PIECES.

THIS IS COOL INFORMATION MAYBE TO USE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES DURING THE NEXT MASTER PLAN UPDATE.

ANY THOUGHTS? YOU KNOW, BUT YOU ASKED FOR THE INFORMATION AND I'VE PROVIDED IT.

DISCUSSION COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL FOR THE VIEWING.

SURE. YOU ALSO MENTIONED THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY.

OH, ABSOLUTELY.

THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY, AS AMENDED IN THE MASTER PLAN IS SHOWN IN THIS BLACK LINE.

SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO SEE, IS THAT MOST OF THE RED IS OUTSIDE OF THAT URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY, WHICH I THINK YOU EXPECTED.

OTHER DISCUSSION? SURE, SURE.

I IF YOU COULD ZOOM OUT SO WE CAN SEE THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP.

SURE. DOES THAT WORK? ONE MORE.

OH, I GOT IT.

MAYBE GO BACK.

NOPE. THAT, LIKE, ZOOM IN MORE? I WAS HOPING TO SEE THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP.

OH, OKAY. YEAH.

I'M SORRY. THAT'S. YEAH, BECAUSE IT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND WHERE THE OUR MAIN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS ARE, AND UNDERSTAND, FOR INSTANCE, I THINK HE WAS SAYING EARLIER THAT THE OLDER SUBDIVISIONS LIKE MINE, TACOMA HILLS, TEND TO BE THOSE SMALLER LOTS AND AS EXPANSION HAS INCURRED CONTINUED OUTWARDS, YOU START TO SEE MORE OF THOSE BROWN COLORS AS YOU HAVE THE BIGGER LOT SIZES AND THE GREEN ONES.

I HAVEN'T REALLY SPOTTED A PATTERN WITH IT WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY, BUT CERTAINLY THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD SMATTERING OF THOSE OUTSIDE AND WHAT I ONE THING THAT STRIKES ME IN THIS VIEW IS IS THAT CORNELL OR THE THE LOOP OF THE URBAN SERVICE, THE APPENDIX OF THE URBAN BOUNDARY.

OVER HERE? ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT.

OH. I KNOW ONE ROAD TO THE MAIN ROAD TO THE RIGHT? YOU MEAN HERE? ONE TO THE RIGHT.

OH, HERE.

THE WHOLE EAST SIDE OF THAT ROAD IS IN VERY REGULAR, LARGE LOTS.

[00:30:08]

[INAUDIBLE], BOTH NORTH TO NORTH AND TO THE SOUTH.

AND THAT SIMILAR PATTERN OCCURS WAY DOWN AT THE BOTTOM SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE TOWNSHIP, WHERE THERE'S THOSE KIND OF REGULAR LOTS AND I GUESS THE REASON THAT STRIKES ME IS.

I ASSUME THAT THEY WILL EVOLVE DIFFERENTLY THAN PROPERTIES THAT LOOK DIFFERENT.

THE GREAT BIG LOTS WILL EVOLVE ONE WAY, AND VERY REGULAR LOTS WILL EVOLVE ANOTHER. UNTIL I'M TRAINED IN CARTOGRAPHY AND A LOWER WRITER. ALSO A LARGE FARM HOUSES.

HISTORIC. YES.

YEAH. AT ANY RATE.

SO I THINK THAT ROAD IS I DON'T.

I THINK THAT ROAD THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IS CORNELL ROAD.

I CAN SHOW YOU HERE.

I BELIEVE I THINK CORNELL IS FURTHER WEST.

CORNELL IS FURTHER WEST.

IT'S RIGHT BY MY HOUSE.

DO I HAVE? YEAH.

ME TOO. HERE WE GO.

YEAH. SO HERE [INAUDIBLE] RIGHT THERE.

OH, IT'S NOT A ROAD AT ALL.

IT'S A POWER EASEMENT.

WEST OF.

OH, YEAH. TED.

NO, THAT'S NOT IT.

IS IT? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

YEAH THEN THERE'S THAT SUBDIVISION RIGHT THERE.

THAT ROAD.

YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

SO TO THE NORTH OF THAT SUBDIVISION, THOSE ARE THOSE SAME.

VERY PRETTY, GOOD SIZED LINEAR LOTS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SMALL FARMSTEADS OR MAYBE STILL ARE.

THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FARM IN THE PAST THAT SOMEBODY JUST DID A REGULAR SPLIT ON.

THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS WE'RE TALKING, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES LIMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE.

WE DON'T ALLOW DEVELOPMENT ON PRIVATE EASEMENT, ON EASEMENTS.

YOU HAVE TO BUILD A ROAD.

SO I GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT THE BACK PARTS OF THESE BIG LOTS.

WE HAVE A 200 FOOT LOT WIDTH IN THE RURAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.

SO IF YOU'VE GOT A 250 FOOT WIDE LOT HERE, RIGHT, YOU CAN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING WITH THAT BACK PORTION BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SPLIT IT AND RUN AN ACCESS EASEMENT BACK THERE. SO OUR ZONING REGULATIONS LIMIT THE WAY THOSE LONG DEEP LOTS CAN BE SUBDIVIDED AND YOU WON'T SEE THOSE LONG DEEP LOTS IN THE FUTURE ANYWAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A 3 TO 1 RATIO OF DEPTH TO WIDTH ON NEW LOTS IN OUR ORDINANCE. JUST BEHIND THE CURTAIN A LITTLE BIT.

YEAH. WELL, I GUESS THAT FOR ME IS PART OF THE QUESTION IS AS LARGER LOTS ARE SUBDIVIDED, WHAT HOW COULD THEY BE AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? AND WHAT CAN WE AND CAN'T WE ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

YEAH. IT'S INTERESTING. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? BRIAN, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE MR. SHORKEY? SORRY.

CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE THAT.

YEAH AND SO IF WE JUST LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU TO DO THIS.

[INAUDIBLE]. ON THE WESTERN SIDE.

GO SOUTH FROM HERE.

OKAY. SOUTH RIGHT THERE WHERE YOUR MOUSE IS.

GO LEFT A LITTLE BIT AND THERE'S A BIG RED BLOB RIGHT THERE.

SO LIKE THIS? NOPE. THE ONE BELOW IT.

OH, OKAY. THAT ONE.

OH, SO THAT ONE.

THAT'S SOMETHING. OKAY.

GO AHEAD. SORRY. SO YOUR DEFINITIONS I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE DEFINITION.

SO THE DEFINITIONS SAY TEN ACRES OR MORE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND SO THEN WHEN I LOOK AT THAT I'M LIKE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO INTERPRET THAT OKAY.

IT'S A REFINEMENT THAT I FOUND AFTER THE FACT.

OKAY. SO YOU'VE GOT A JUST A SIMPLE SUBDIVISION IS RELATIVELY EASY, RIGHT? YEAH. TEN LOTS.

THERE ARE TWO ACRES IN SIZE.

THERE YOU GO. BUT A LOT OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS ARE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS.

THEY HAVE PRESERVED OPEN SPACE IN THE PAST.

[00:35:04]

SO IN THE PAST, THAT WAS JUST A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BLOCK.

BUT NOW WHAT I'VE REALIZED IS THAT THOSE PRESERVED OPEN SPACES PROBABLY DESERVE THEIR OWN CATEGORY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT REALLY PUBLIC RECREATION SPACES, BUT THEY'RE NOT RESIDENTIAL.

SO THEY SHOULDN'T COUNT IN THIS AND THAT IS THROWING OFF SOME OF THESE NUMBERS.

SO IT'S A REFINEMENT TO REMEMBER WHEN WE DO OUR MASTER PLAN UPDATE OKAY.

SO FOR SO A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT THEN IN OUR DATA IS COUNTED AS ONE BLOCK OF LAND, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S LOTS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES EXISTING IN THAT.

RIGHT. SO EACH YOU I CAN'T GET ANY CLOSER AROUND THIS CUL DE SAC.

THERE ARE LITTLE DOTS.

YEAH. THOSE ARE IF I ZOOMED IN.

THEY'RE YELLOW. RIGHT? YEAH. BECAUSE THOSE ARE SMALL.

BUT ALL OF THIS HERE SHOULDN'T BE SHOWING UP AS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BECAUSE IT'S NOT.

WELL, IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S PRESERVED OPEN SPACE.

BY WHICH I MEAN THIS WILL NEVER BE SUBDIVIDED.

THIS WILL NEVER BE BUILT ON.

OH, THAT WHOLE AREA CAN'T BE SUBDIVIDED.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

WHY CAN IT NOT BE SUBDIVIDED? BECAUSE IT'S PRESERVED.

OPEN SPACE OF THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT.

OKAY. SO IS THIS LIKE A IS THIS CONSIDERED WHAT WOULD BE LIKE AN HOA THAT OWNS SOMETHING? SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SOMETHING LIKE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION OR CONDO ASSOCIATION OR SOMETHING? YEAH. OH. SO IF IT WAS A CONDO ASSOCIATION, THEN THE THE WHOLE PIECE OF PROPERTY IS MAINTAINED BY WHOEVER OWNS THE WHOLE PLOT OF LAND. BUT THEN YOU OWN THE CONDO.

YEAH OR THE ASSOCIATION OWNS A COUPLE A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN I.

RIGHT WHEN I STARTED HERE. AS A MATTER OF FACT.

SO ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO THE ORDINANCE WAS AMENDED.

WE HAD A LOT OF DECK REQUESTS FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN THOSE TYPES OF LOTS AND THOSE DECKS WOULD GO OVER THAT BUILDING ENVELOPE AND EVERY TIME IT DID, IT NECESSITATED A PUD AMENDMENT AND WE CHANGED THE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW THOSE DECKS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LEEWAY ENCROACHING INTO THAT OPEN SPACE.

BUT JUST THE DECKS, NOT SHEDS, GARAGES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE.

INTERESTING. SO OKAY.

I JUST THOUGHT OF THIS IN RELATION TO COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE YELLOW, DARK YELLOW GREEN TRANSITIONS. SO DO WE KNOW IF THE YELLOW HOUSES OR THE BROWN YELLOW HOUSES LIKELY CAME FIRST.

I DON'T HAVE A WAY TO DEPICT THIS CHRONOLOGY WELL CHRONOLOGICALLY.

CAN WE JUST LOOK? I'M JUST SPECULATING HERE LIKE SO IF WE THINK ABOUT HOW LOTS IN THE TOWNSHIP HAVE BEEN BUILT OUT.

SO IF THEY HAVE LOTS BEEN GETTING SMALLER OVER TIME WOULD BE MY GUESS.

I THINK IT'S THE OPPOSITE, REALLY.

LOTS OF [INAUDIBLE] THE OPPOSITE GET BIGGER OVER TIME.

IF YOU. WELL, THAT'S A GENERAL STATEMENT.

BUT YOU KNOW LOOK UP HERE FOR INSTANCE IN TOWER GARDENS AS OPPOSED TO SEE LIKE THIS DEVELOPMENT, YOU GET A LOT MORE OF THESE LARGER LOTS.

I THINK THAT'S THE I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S AN ABSOLUTE RULE.

ITHINK THAT'S THE GENERAL TREND.

YEAH. I THINK THAT MAY ALSO BE TRUE.

DOWN AT THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TOWNSHIP WHERE WE'RE SEEING SOME MORE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.

YEAH. COPPER.

WELL COPPER CREEK. LET'S LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.

THAT'S NOT IN THE SOUTHERN END I KNOW, BUT WELL COPPER CREEK HAS GOT BUT SEE, NOW THEY'VE GOT SMALLER LOTS, BUT YOU'RE BACK TO, YOU'VE GOT SOME OF THIS PRESERVED OPEN SPACE AND I ASSUME WHEN THIS DEVELOPS THAT WILL LOOK SIMILAR.

COPPER CREEK, DIRECTLY NORTH OF STRAWBERRY FARMS IS REAL SMALL.

YEAH. YEAH.

LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S A GENERAL TREND, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S AN ABSOLUTE RULE RIGHT DOWN ALONG THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TOWNSHIP.

THE NEWEST SUBDIVISIONS.

LIKE DOWN HERE.

YEAH AND EAST OF THAT? YEAH. PRETTY BIG LOTS.

YEAH, WELL, LOOK AT WHAT'S BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW ON POWELL ROAD.

WELL THAT ISN'T THOSE AREN'T INDIVIDUAL LOTS THOUGH.

[00:40:07]

BUT THOSE AREN'T BEING MARKETED.

THOSE AREN'T BEING SUBDIVIDED INTO SEPARATE LOTS.

IT'S ONE BIG DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL RENTAL UNITS ON POWELL ROAD.

THOSE ARE ALL WHAT? RENTAL UNITS.

BUT THAT POINT MIGHT HOLD I DON'T KNOW.

MR. POWELL, JUST SOUTH OF THAI HEART.

I ASSUME YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

THIS PIECE HERE BETWEEN CENTRAL PARK AND POWELL, RIGHT? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT ON POWELL PILE ROAD JUST SOUTH OF THAI HEART, TO THE EAST.

OH, I'M SORRY.

OKAY, MOST PEOPLE ARE ASKING WHEN THEY SAY POWELL ROAD.

THEY'RE ASKING ME ABOUT GRAND RESERVE.

I APOLOGIZE.

ROAD? THAT BEING THE CASE.

YEAH, YOU'VE GOT.

SEE, THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT SHOULD BE THAT'S PRESERVED OPEN SPACE AND THIS NEEDS TO BE UPDATED, I THINK, BECAUSE THIS GOES UP THIS WAY.

BUT ANYWAY.

I THINK WE'RE ONE ROAD OVER, AREN'T WE.

TO THE WEST.

POWELL. RIGHT THERE.

THIS. YES.

OH, OKAY.

THERE'S A NEW BUILD GOING IN THERE JUST SOUTH OF THAI HEART.

OKAY. THERE'S.

JUST WANTED TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT UP IN THIS AREA HERE.

THERE'S. OKAY.

TAI HART. RIGHT? THERE'S A MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT HERE, AND THEN THERE'S THIS.

YES. OKAY, GREAT.

IF I MIGHT MAKE A SUGGESTION FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF THIS MAP, BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.

IF WE COULD EXCLUDE THOSE KIND OF RESERVED AREAS OF PUD'S AND SUCH.

SO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON AREAS THAT OR AT LEAST THAT THE MAP REPRESENT DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESTRICTIONS ON SUBDIVISION, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT WITH FRONTAGE BECAUSE OF THE SHAPE OR WETLANDS OR PUDS OR NOT WETLANDS.

SORRY, THAT'S NOT FAIR.

BUT THOSE OTHER KINDS OF USE RESTRICTIONS.

YEAH. SO WE DON'T THINK OF THOSE AS SUBDIVIDABLE OR AS DEVELOPABLE BECAUSE WHICH TO COME FULL CIRCLE, THEN BACK TO THE MASTER PLAN.

ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES IN THE MASTER PLAN IS TO BECAUSE THE MASTER PLAN INCLUDED A BUILD OUT ANALYSIS AND ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES IS TO GET MORE SPECIFIC WITH THE BUILD OUT ANALYSIS AND DO THAT KIND OF PARCEL BY PARCEL ANALYSIS.

SO THIS IS A START IN THAT DIRECTION.

I KNOW BY NO MEANS A FINISHED PRODUCT.

YEAH. GREAT START.

I THINK WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT LIKE SEEING HOW WETLANDS FIT INTO THIS.

I'D BE SUPER CURIOUS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO ALL THE OVERLAYS THOUGH IN THIS CASE I COULD JUST CLICK A BUTTON AND SHOW YOU.

I CAN GIVE YOU.

WELL IT DOES OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT THAT MAP AND THIS IS NOT A SURVEY DATA, BUT THIS IS GENERALLY OUR ON A BROAD SCALE GENERALLY WHAT OUR WETLANDS LOOK LIKE.

YEAH. IT JUST GIVES US AN EVEN BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE.

WOULD THAT BE ONE ACRE WETLANDS OR.

THESE ARE WETLANDS.

THESE ARE DELINEATED WETLANDS.

SOME OF THEM ARE MUCH MORE THAN AN ACRE.

SOME OF THEM ARE UNDER AN ACRE.

THESE ARE JUST OFF A GIS LAYER.

THESE ARE LIKE I SAID, THESE ARE OFF A GIS LAYER.

THESE ARE NOT DELINEATED.

OKAY. SO THEY'RE NOT REGULATED SPECIFICALLY REGULATED WETLANDS.

THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE, BUT THEY PROBABLY ARE.

I GOT YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION?

[00:45:01]

SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT USING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, DID WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WOULD OUR GOAL BE? SO IF WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ASKING BRIAN FOR DOING THIS STUFF, AND I THINK I WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHO WANTED HIM TO KEEP DOING THESE THINGS.

SO I PUT MYSELF IN THIS GROUP.

BUT WHAT IS WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO UNDERSTAND MORE IN ORDER TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS? WELL, FOR MY PART WE'RE LOOKING AT FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD IN ANOTHER MASTER PLAN UPDATE.

SO IN ONE SENSE, IT'S SIMPLY LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE AND WHERE IT MIGHT GO.

4 OR 5 YEAR WINDOW.

SPECIFICALLY THE BUILD OUT ANALYSIS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE.

HOW MUCH MORE CAN THE TOWNSHIP GROW UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS? THIS IS KIND OF, FOR ME, THE MAP BEHIND THAT CALCULATION.

WHAT WOULD BUILT OUT LOOK LIKE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TOWNSHIP? WHAT MIGHT IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S THE MINIMUM? WHAT'S THE MAXIMUM? HOW MIGHT WE SHAPE THAT? I THINK FOR ME, IT WAS.

VALIDATING SOME ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD LAID OUT HERE FOR YEARS.

THIS WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND IT LETS US KNOW IF WE'RE ON TRACK WITH OUR MASTER PLAN AND AS COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL SAID, THE BUILDABLE LANDS.

I'VE ALWAYS HELD THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE MOST BUILDABLE LAND IS OUT HERE ON SAGINAW ROAD OVER HERE AND GO BACK TO THAT FOR YOU.

OKAY. THIS VALIDATED THAT FOR ME.

I'D ALSO OFFER THAT WE'RE ABOUT AT OUR LIMITS.

I'D THROW THAT OUT THERE.

YEAH, I THINK SORRY.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF.

GO AHEAD. YEAH, I THINK WE'RE AT I THINK WE'RE APPROACHING OUR LIMIT.

OR THAT WE PROBABLY WILL IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO THE MASTER PLAN, POTENTIALLY.

I'M ALMOST THINKING THAT THERE COULD BE ANOTHER WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THE DATA AND AND THE QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO ANSWER.

SO IF WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS, AND I'M THINKING OUT LOUD HERE OBVIOUSLY, IS THAT SO THIS SHOWS US HOW OUR LAND IS DISTRIBUTED BY BY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.

CORRECT. BUT IF ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE EXPAND DENSITY OR INCREASE DENSITY IN CERTAIN PLACES? DOES THIS TELL US WHAT OUR DENSITY IS? IT TELLS US WHAT OUR DENSITY IS BY GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

BUT IT DOESN'T TELL US LIKE WHAT OUR PEOPLE DENSITY IS AND IF YOU WANTED.

I DON'T KNOW, LIKE.

OH, OKAY. SO IF YOU WANTED A CALCULATION BASED ON PEOPLE, YOU COULD USE AN AVERAGE NUMBER.

YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OUR CENSUS NUMBER IS, APPLY THAT TO EACH ONE OF THESE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY GET THERE, BUT.

RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

THAT IT IS DENSITY.

IT DOES DISPLAY DENSITY WITHIN THE RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY, THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY.

I THINK IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT HOUSEHOLD SIZE IS RELATIVELY SIMILAR ACROSS THOSE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS.

SOME OF THE SMALLER ONES MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.

SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES MIGHT BE A BIT BIGGER.

BUT AS A MEASURE OF HOUSES PER ACRE, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

SO THAT'S DENSITY OF HOUSES, DENSITY OF INHABITANTS.

THAT WOULD BE TRICKY TO GET MUCH.

I THINK YOU HAVE TO REALLY I MEAN, YOU HAVE CENSUS TRACTS, SO YOU COULD OVERLAY CENSUS TRACT DATA ON THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THAT'S A LOT OF.

OH, YEAH. ALSO, I MEAN, THE DATA PROVIDED OR THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT MAP EXPLAINING LIKE THE NUMBER OF LOTS

[00:50:01]

I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I FEEL LIKE YOU COULD KIND OF MAKE A ROUGH ESTIMATE THAT WAY TOO.

WHICH IS REALLY FASCINATING WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVER TEN ACRES CATEGORY COMPARED TO THE LESS THAN A HALF ACRE, IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING DATA.

THE NUMBER OF ACRES IS PRETTY CLOSE.

BUT THE NUMBER OF LOTS IS JUST EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? I'M SORRY.

LET ME HAVE ONE MORE THOUGHT.

THANKS. SO THE.

I GUESS MY NEXT THOUGHT ON THIS IS IF WE HAVE SO, LIKE, LET'S SAY WE HAVE A FAMILY OF FOUR LIVING IN A HOUSE THAT HAS THREE ROOMS. THAT'S ONE TYPE OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

BUT IF WE HAVE A HOUSE OF FIVE ROOMS WITH ONLY 1 OR 2 PEOPLE LIVING THERE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT SETUP AND SO I'M THINKING, LIKE, DO WE HAVE DATA THAT COULD DISPLAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT? NO. DO WE HAVE, LIKE, NUMBER OF ROOMS PER HOUSE? NOT EASILY.

I MEAN. ALL RIGHT.

I WOULD HAVE TO I WOULD HAVE TO LITERALLY SEARCH PARCEL BY PARCEL ON BSA SOFTWARE AND THEN TRANSLATE THAT PARCEL BY PARCEL INTO A FIELD ON GIS. SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I TOLD COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL I'LL HAVE YOUR MAP IN THREE YEARS.

OKAY, WELL, WE ONLY I MEAN, IT'S FIVE YEARS BY THE TIME I'M DONE WITH IT, THAT CHANGES BECAUSE THE HOUSE IS [INAUDIBLE], RIGHT ON TIME.

THE QUESTION IS, WHAT BENEFIT WOULD IT BE? YEAH. WELL, WHAT WE DO HAVE IS, I MEAN, WE HAVE A CENSUS NUMBER AND AN AVERAGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER HOUSEHOLD, RIGHT? I MEAN, AND I CAN TAKE THAT NUMBER AND APPLY THAT, BUT IF IT'S THE SAME NUMBER APPLIED, I'M JUST GOING TO GET A SIMILAR LOOKING DENSITY MAP JUST BASED ON PEOPLE PER ACRE THAN INSTEAD OF HOUSE PER.

YEAH. HOW MANY CENSUS TRACKS? I DON'T KNOW.

I GOT TO LOOK INTO THAT.

YOU COULD PROBABLY JUST FOLLOW SOME OF THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL TRENDS TOO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBEROF THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING IN PLACE.

I THINK THAT TELLS YOU A LOT.

MY, THE CAN YOU JUST GO OVER A LITTLE BIT? SO YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THESE LARGER LOTS THAT ARE WHERE THERE'S NO THERE'S A LARGE LOT.

GENERALLY THESE THIN OLDER FARMHOUSE BUT AND THERE'S NO ACCESS ROAD IN THE BACK SO THAT PROPERTY CAN'T BE RIGHT.

SUBDIVIDED. RIGHT.

YEAH. I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT'S AN ISSUE TO TACKLE, BUT LIKE, IT COULD BE SOMETHING TO LOOK AT THOUGH.

IS IT? BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING THERE'S LIMITED SPACE TO GROW.

RIGHT. YOU KNOW, I'M ASSUMING THE WHITE THE WHITE AREAS OF THIS MAP ARE BUSINESSES OR OTHERWISE.

YEAH. DEVELOPABLE COMMERCIAL SPACE, THINGS LIKE THAT.

YEAH. THE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY PARKS AND BECAUSE, THERE'S STILL A HIGH DEMAND, RIGHT, FOR PROPERTIES IN AND AROUND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

RIGHT. WHERE DO YOU LIKE.

YOU CAN'T CREATE MORE SPACE.

RIGHT. UNLESS YOU SUBDIVIDE SOME OF THESE.

IF THE OWNER IS WILLING.

RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TAKE IT.

RIGHT. SO I MEAN THAT TO ME.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE GET IN A CRUNCH AND IT'S LIKE, THAT'S ALMOST WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO.

SO THEN I GUESS THAT WOULD MEAN LOOKING AT AMENDING ORDINANCES TO ALLOW FOR, LIKE, ACCESS DRIVES.

YEAH, THINGS LIKE THAT.

I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR OR AGAINST.

I WILL SAY I USED TO WORK IN A COMMUNITY THAT HAD THAT WOULD ALLOW ONE SPLIT BASED ON AN ACCESS DRIVE AND THAT COULD BE BUILT AS A DRIVEWAY, NOT AS A PRIVATE ROAD.

YOU END UP HAVING TO RECORD THAT AND THEN WHEN THEY START FIGHTING OVER THE ACCESS DRIVE, YOU TELL PEOPLE THAT IS A PRIVATE ISSUE AND WE'RE NOT INVOLVED. YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING PROS AND CONS.

RIGHT? RIGHT. BUT IT DOES.

BUT I DO GET THAT CALL A LOT.

HEY, I'M LOOKING AT BUYING THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY.

CAN I SPLIT THE PART OFF TO THE WEST OR TO THE NORTH OR WHATEVER? AND NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN, NO YOU CAN'T.

YEAH. I MEAN, NOT WITHOUT NOT.

WELL, YOU CAN, BUT YOU HAVE TO INVEST AND BUILD A PUBLIC ROAD.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO AND YOU HAVE TO BUILD IT BACK FAR ENOUGH TO GIVE 200FT OF FRONTAGE TO THE PROPOSED LOT, BECAUSE NORMALLY THERE'S A RURAL RESIDENTIAL LOT.

YEAH. THAT WAS JUST THE PART THAT STUCK OUT.

I MEAN, IT WAS I KNOW IT WAS PROBABLY A PASSING COMMENT YOU MADE, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH A HIGH DEMAND FOR HOUSING AND YOU HAVE THESE OVERT PROPERTIES, RIGHT, THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUBDIVIDE AND AT LEAST SOME DESIRE TO DO SO.

LIKE, CAN YOU INVITE IT AND THEN CAN YOU ALSO DO IT? CAN YOU ALSO BUILD A PUBLIC ROAD BACK THERE WITHOUT AGITATING THE RESIDENTS? BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE SAYING, NO, MAN.

[00:55:03]

I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE. YOU GOT TO GET A LOT OF MONEY FOR A LOT TO BUILD A PUBLIC ROAD BACK.

YEAH, I GET THAT.

THE ACCESS DRIVE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE FEASIBLE.

YEAH. ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT INVITE.

YEAH. YOU.

YEAH. ANY OTHER PUBLIC? YEAH. ANY OTHER PRIVATE ISSUE.

I MEAN, IT'S THE IDEA OF JUST CREATING OPTIONALITY, RIGHT? YEAH. YOU DON'T MANDATE IT.

YOU JUST SAY IF YOU WISH.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO GET IN THE WAY.

ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'LL MOVE ALONG THEN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE C? SO PLANNER SHORKEY'S MICHIGAN PLANNING CONFERENCE COURSES AND THE OPTIONS WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT.

YEAH. YOU HAD SAID THAT THERE.

DID YOU WANT TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE TO DO.

YES. SO I GET THAT THERE'S FIVE PAGES, BUT DON'T FREAK.

THE MICHIGAN PLANNING CONFERENCE IS THREE DAYS.

WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY THIS WEEK.

THIS ISN'T A HARD CORE.

I NEED YOU TO TELL ME WHAT I'M DOING.

BUT IF YOU'VE GOT THINGS THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE INTERESTING.

I HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.

HERE'S THE GROUND RULES.

NUMBER ONE, THE MOST IMPORTANT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FRONT PAGE, THE 1:00 BLOCK.

IGNORE THAT BECAUSE I HAVE TO GO TO THE ETHICS JEOPARDY! OKAY. I NEED MY ETHICS CREDIT NUMBER TWO.

OKAY. SORRY.

NO COMMENT.

YEAH, I HELD BACK.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED FOR ME TO MY CERTIFICATION.

SUP YES.

NUMBER TWO, AS YOU GO THROUGH HERE, YOU SEE LIKE ON PAGE ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO, THERE'S A COUPLE $25 WALKING TOURS AND STUFF.

I'M NOT DOING THOSE.

NOT PAYING EXTRA MONEY TO A CONFERENCE THAT'S ALREADY CHARGED THE TOWNSHIP HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.

SO WITHIN THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AND IF ANYTHING JUMPS OUT AT YOU, I'M GAME.

OKAY. IS THERE ANYONE ON HERE WHERE YOU ALREADY HAD IN YOUR HEAD? LIKE, I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO THIS ONE.

BECAUSE LIKE, I SEE INTERESTING TITLES SUCH AS THEY SAID WHAT? NAVIGATING BIZARRE APPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGING MEETINGS.

RIGHT? YEAH.

THE ONLY THING ABOUT.

OKAY, SO THE ONLY THING ABOUT I AGREE, THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING.

YEAH AND THAT'S KIND OF SESSIONS LIKE THAT ARE USUALLY A LOT OF INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS.

IT DOES GO UP AGAINST CITING RENEWABLE ENERGY.

WHAT PUBLIC ACT 233 MEANS.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF WINDMILLS GOING UP.

WE ALLOW SOLAR PANELS ANYWAY, SO THAT IS CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY.

I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING IS LIKE, ARE THERE ANY ONES YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED AND SAID, I'M GOING TO THAT ONE.

THERE'S ONE IN HERE.

THE TRENDS IN LAW KIND OF THING.

ALTHOUGH I DON'T NEED MY LAW CREDIT SPECIFICALLY.

IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO GO TO THAT AND HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENED IN MICHIGAN IN THE LAST YEAR IN THE LEGAL ARENA.

BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, NOT.

THURSDAY THE 26TH AT 10AM.

FACT FINDING CONDITIONS AND CONDITIONS.

I THINK LOOKING AT THE DESCRIPTION OF THAT WHICH I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF.

THERE WAS APPARENTLY AN SUP THAT WAS OVERTURNED SOMEWHERE IN MICHIGAN LAST YEAR BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO THE SUP DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL APPLICATION.

SO THAT MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING THING TO HEAR, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I GET ASKED THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, LIKE, CAN WE USE THIS AS A CONDITION? AND I'M LIKE, SURE, BUT MAYBE NOT NOW.

YEAH, IF THERE'S SOME SPECIFICITY, THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD ONE.

I MEAN, THE ONLY ONE THAT STOOD OUT, I WOULD TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK IS THIS ZONING REFORM FOR HOUSING, CONSIDERING WE WERE JUST, I GUESS, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THIS STUFF.

I KNOW COLDWATER, KALAMAZOO, TRAVERSE CITY AND WYOMING, AT LEAST THREE OF THOSE YOU COULD ARGUE ARE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT THAN MERIDIAN.

BUT YEAH, BUT A HOUSE IS A HOUSE.

YEAH. THAT'S OKAY.

I GOT THAT CIRCLED.

I CAN OFFER A COUPLE.

TAMING THE BEAST.

NEW APPROACH TO UPDATING OUR ZONING ORDINANCE THURSDAY AT TEN.

THE FACT FINDING CONDITIONS AND MUCH MORE.

[01:00:01]

A PRACTICAL PRESERVATION, CREATING DEFENSIBLE TREE PROTECTION.

I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT ONE ALSO.

WHERE? OH, THERE IT IS.

OKAY AND THEN AT 10AM THAT SAME DAY, 1 BILLION POUNDS.

PLANNING TO CUT FOOD WASTE IN HALF.

ALSO SUPER CURIOUS ABOUT THAT ONE.

OKAY, I ALTHOUGH I WOULD ADD TOO I WAS STRUGGLING BETWEEN THE TREE PROTECTION ONE ON FRIDAY AND THEN I THOUGHT THE ONE THAT SAYS IT'S AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH, WEST SIDE STORY IS FINDING HOUSING AND UNEXPECTED PLACES.

BUT IF I HAD TO CHOOSE, I'D PROBABLY PICK THE TREE PROTECTION.

I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.

TREE PROTECTION IS AN OBJECTIVE IN THE MASTER PLAN.

IF I REMEMBER HOW THAT WEST SIDE STORIES ONE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE LIKE OURS.

OKAY. ALSO WHAT DAY IS THIS ONE ON? THURSDAY. 3:45.

I DON'T I'M NOT SURE.

IT JUST KIND OF JUMPED OUT AT ME, BUT IS YOUR COMMUNITY CHILDCARE READY? I DON'T KNOW. I SECOND THAT ONE.

I'LL BET YOU DO.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S USEFUL.

I LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER ONES THERE THAT ON BEST PRACTICES LESSONS LEARNED FROM REAL WORLD PLANNING MISTAKES.

THOSE ARE INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS.

BUT I'VE LEARNED FROM MY OWN MISTAKES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL BE A PANELIST TO YOUR BENEFIT.

SOMEWHAT INTRIGUING ON.

I KNOW WE JUST GAVE YOU THE 1 BILLION POUNDS, BUT EVEN THE ONE CONCURRENT SESSION ON THAT ONE RELIGIOUS LAND USE AND INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS ACT.

KEY LAND USE PROVISIONS AND CASE EXAMPLES.

I MEAN, THAT JUST APPEALS TO ALL OF MY NERDY NATURE.

LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT WORDS IN THAT ONE IN THAT TITLE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE SEEN A THE ACRONYM IS RUPA.

OKAY. A RUPA SESSION EARLY IN MY CAREER, THIS WAS A BIG DEAL.

COMMUNITIES WERE LIKE LOSING BATTLES WHEN CHURCHES WERE OPEN, LIKE COFFEE SHOPS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

DID YOU MENTION THE ZONING PROVISIONS WHEN ZONING PROVISIONS ARE CHALLENGED? THE RECENT APPELLATE COURT DECISIONS.

DID YOU MENTION THAT? WHERE CAN YOU.

THAT'S THURSDAY AT 3:45 ALSO.

I DIDN'T MENTION IT.

I HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE THINK CHILDCARE.

I CAN LET THE SPEAKER, [INAUDIBLE].

I THINK HE USED TO BE A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSIONER.

YEAH. HE DID. OH, I SERVED WITH HIM.

SURE. HE'S A PROFESSOR AT MICHIGAN STATE.

YES, I SERVED WITH HIM ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION BACK IN 2011.

OKAY. A PRIOR MASTER PLAN UPDATE.

YES. WELL.

I WILL CIRCLE THEM BOTH AND I WILL SEE WHAT I DO KNOW, BECAUSE I AGREE THAT SOUNDS USEFUL.

HE HAS A TIE TO THE TOWNSHIP HERE.

YEAH. OR MAYBE YOU CAN JUST CATCH UP WITH THEM AT HAPPY HOUR.

ONE IS VERY CONNECTED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE.

I HAVE YES [INAUDIBLE] SO YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH? BUT SINCE YOU ASKED ME.

YEAH. YEAH. ASKED US FOR OUR OPINION.

SO ONE IS THE UPDATE FROM THE MICHIGAN OFFICE OF RURAL PROSPERITY.

I THINK THAT ONE IS INTERESTING BECAUSE.

WHAT DAY IS THAT? I DON'T KNOW.

I KNOW THE ONE.

IT'S THURSDAY.

YEAH. I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PICK WHATEVER YOU WANT TO GO TO.

SO MY REASONING IS IF WE TYPICALLY TALK A LOT ABOUT THINGS WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF LAND USE OUTSIDE OF THAT URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY.

SO I KNOW I KNOW THE SPEAKER AND I KNOW THE OFFICE SHE WORKS FOR AND I THE RURAL PROSPERITY THAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT IS MORE IT'S NOT OUR AREA.

OKAY. YEAH.

I'M NOT TELLING YOU YOU'RE WRONG.

BUT IT'S NOT OUR RULE.

YEAH. NO, THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.

THE SECOND ONE IS THE RIGHT UNDER IT, THE USING THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW TO CREATE IMPACTFUL PROJECTS.

THAT JUST GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS.

OKAY AND HOW WE HAVE SOME OLD INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS REPLACING.

[01:05:02]

SO IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THAT POTENTIAL FUNDING.

I HAVE NO IDEA, BUT JUST POTENTIAL.

OKAY AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS THE SAME DAY.

IT'S THE STATE OF HOUSING IN MICHIGAN IN 2024.

OH, YEAH.

THAT ONE JUST IN CASE.

I'M IN A GOOD MOOD.

YEAH AND I'M SURE THAT WILL HELP YOUR MOOD.

IT'LL. EVERYTHING'S GOOD.

HOUSES ARE GETTING BETTER.

THAT'S AN EDITORIAL COMMENT.

I SHOULD BE BETTER ABOUT THAT.

THEY'RE GETTING MORE AFFORDABLE.

ALL GOOD NEWS. EVERYTHING'S FINE.

INTEREST RATES JUST GOT CUT.

YEAH. SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE AT THAT BLOCKS, SO I THINK THAT WORKS.

BECAUSE I'M NOT DOING A BUS TOUR OF ADA.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

SORRY. IT IS INTERESTING THAT SOME OF THESE ARE ADDITIONAL FEES, WHICH IS INTERESTING.

PAYS FOR THE BUS. YEAH THAT'S A LOT.

[INAUDIBLE] WELL, UNLESS THERE'S ANOTHER THING.

I GOT A LOT.

YEAH. FOR SURE.

IT'S YOUR CONFERENCE.

I MISSED THAT ONE, THOUGH. THAT ONE THAT YOU.

I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING IT WITH US.

I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS DONE BEFORE, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ABSOLUTELY AND I HAVEN'T BEEN TO A CONFERENCE IN A WHILE EITHER.

SO I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND LIKE I SAID, I DON'T TAKE THIS AS CHISELED IN STONE, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE DIRECTION AND IT, YOU KNOW, IF I'M PICKING I'VE GOT A DEFAULT AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU. EXCELLENT.

ALL RIGHT. SO IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST TALK TO DOCTOR WAYNE THERE OKAY.

PLEASE SEEK HIM OUT.

I WILL I MADE A NOTE OF THAT.

I APPRECIATE THAT, THANK YOU AND I THINK ANYTHING YOU LEARNED, MR. SHORKEY, WOULD BE WELCOME FOR US TO HEAR WHATEVER YOU THINK IS OF VALUE.

ABSOLUTELY. I'LL GET ALL THREE DAYS WORTH OF THE POWERPOINTS AND BRING THEM INTO A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING FOR YOU.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH, PREFERABLY THE NIGHT.

I HAVE BABY DUTIES.

ALL RIGHT, SO MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM TEN.

REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TEN A TOWNSHIP BOARD UPDATE.

[10.A. Township Board update.]

THE 2025 BUDGET TOWNSHIP BUDGET WAS APPROVED.

THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK MATTERS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

IN THE PAST, THERE'S BEEN A TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONERS ON THE BOOKS TO ACTUALLY HOLD A MEETING, AND WE'VE HAD NO APPLICATIONS.

SO THE DISCUSSION WAS HAD ON THE 17TH ABOUT OFFICIALLY DISBANDING, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HAVING BEEN FORMED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE, THAT BEING GRAND RIVER IMPROVEMENTS, THAT PROJECT BEING COMPLETED.

I THINK THAT'S GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AT THE NEXT MEETING THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE VOTED ON.

OTHER THAN THAT, DID YOU COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL? YEAH. THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, ONE OF THEIR BIG WINS, ALONG WITH THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.

I BELIEVE THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WAS INITIALLY ESTABLISHED TO TACKLE THE QUESTION OF ARCATA CONTRACT AND SPECIFICALLY THE RIDE SERVICES THAT WERE EATING UP A LOT OF THE BOARD'S TIME AT THE TIME.

AND I BELIEVE THAT ISSUE IS NOW PRETTY WELL SETTLED AND FUNCTIONING WELL.

SO HAVING GRAND RIVER DONE AND KIND OF SATISFIED I THAT THAT'S TRUE.

AT SOME POINT CATA IS GOING TO LIKE WE.

I ASKED ABOUT THAT AND THE READY RIDE, LIKE THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM CATA WHO CAME AND DID THE READY RIDE PRESENTATION FOR ON A YEARLY BASIS, WILL BE ASKED TO COME AND SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND GIVE A BOARD PRESENTATION.

THE OTHER THING WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION DID ACCOMPLISH WAS THE HONORABLE MENTION STATUS OF OUR BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY.

HONORABLE MENTION AWARD FOR A BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY STATUS, WHICH IS IN OUR MASTER PLAN AND IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF UPDATING TO AT LEAST BRONZE.

I ACTUALLY FORMED THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE BACK IN 2016, AND IT WAS FORMED SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE READY RIDE ISSUE THAT WE HAD BACK THEN.

WE CHAIRED IT, I CHAIRED IT FROM THE BOARD, AND THEN WE FORMED IT INTO A COMMISSION.

OKAY. AFTER.

ANY MORE UPDATES? THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

[01:10:01]

[10.B. Liaison reports.]

THAT COMMITTEE MET AND SUBMITTED A DRAFT REPORT TODAY, WHICH AS SOON AS I GET THROUGH IT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO REPORT ON.

BUT A VERY THOROUGH WORK AND I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THAT COMMITTEE IS NOT LIMITED TO MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AS A STUDY GROUP. SO AS WE PROGRESS, I IF WE PROGRESS, WE MAY BE SEEKING ADDITIONAL MEMBERS FOR THAT.

OKAY. OTHERS.

THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MET.

WE HEARD TWO CASES.

ONE WAS THE PLAYMAKERS.

PLAYMAKERS? WAS LOOKING FOR A VARIANCE ON HOW MUCH SIGNAGE THEY COULD HAVE ON THE FRONT OF THEIR STORE, AND IT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE THE PART OF WHAT THEY WERE REQUESTING WAS THAT THEY HAVE A VARIANCE FOR HOW MUCH WINDOW COVERING THEY CAN HAVE, AND MR. SHORKEY. CORRECT ME IF I'M INCORRECT ON THIS STATEMENT, BUT SO THE WAY THAT THE CURRENT SIGNAGE ORDINANCE FOR WINDOWS IS SET UP IS THAT IT'S 40% OF A SINGLE WINDOW.

CORRECT AND THE WAY THAT PLAYMAKER'S WINDOWS ARE DESIGNED IS THAT THERE'S THESE SINGLE PANES THAT ARE VERTICAL, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO SEPARATED HORIZONTALLY. SO EVERY ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL PANES COULD ONLY HAVE 40% COVERAGE ON THOSE WINDOWS AND IT REALLY GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THAT SIGN ORDINANCE, WHICH I THINK WAS UPDATED RECENTLY.

YES IT WAS. BUT I WAS LIKE, THIS SEEMS LIKE A POTENTIAL ISSUE OR AT SOME POINT AND SO WE DID GRANT THAT VARIANCE AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS A.

LET'S SEE, THE SECOND ONE WAS A VARIANCE ON OUR WHAT'S THE TINY HOUSE? ADU. THANK YOU. SO REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE VOTED AND APPROVED THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT, AND ITS MAXIMUM SIZE WAS 600FT.

AND THERE'S OTHER REQUIREMENTS AROUND IT.

SQUARE FEET, BUT THE REQUESTER WANTED 1000 SOMETHING SQUARE FEET, AND WE DENIED THAT REQUEST.

BUT IT WAS AN INTERESTING ONE BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST VARIANCE REQUEST FOR THAT SPECIFIC ORDINANCE.

THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT CAME UP.

ANYONE ELSE? GO AHEAD. THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MET, AND WE AUTHORIZE THE REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR AMERICAN HOUSING AND MERIDIAN AS A REMINDER.

OH. EXCUSE ME. WE AUTHORIZED THE REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR AMERICAN HOUSE BASED ON THEIR SUBMITTAL OF NOTARIZED DOCUMENTATION.

SINCE THE MEETING HAS OCCURRED, THAT NOTIFICATION DOCUMENTATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

SO THAT HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED AND THAT'S PART TWO OF THEIR REIMBURSEMENTS.

THE OTHER ACTION IS WE WILL BE SEEKING TO REVOKE THE BROWNFIELD TIFF FOR THE DOWNTOWN VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROPERTIES BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO SELL THE PROPERTY SO THEY NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THE REIMBURSEMENTS.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. NEXT ITEM.

PROJECT UPDATES.

I DIDN'T INCLUDE A SPECIFIC PROJECT UPDATE IN YOUR PACKET BECAUSE THERE WERE NO CHANGES FROM THE LAST ONE.

[11. PROJECT UPDATES]

BUT I HAVEN'T GOT THOSE OFFICIALLY YET.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT, SO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 12 PUBLIC REMARKS.

ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO SPEAK? THIS WOULD BE YOUR OPPORTUNITY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO THEN MOVING ON TO ITEM 13.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS.

[13. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS]

[01:15:01]

YOU DID A GREAT JOB.

OH THANKS.

APPRECIATE THAT.

I HAD A COMMENT AND IT'S MORE OF A QUESTION SLASH COMMENT.

I WAS THINKING ABOUT THESE MAPS THAT YOU PUT SO MUCH TIME INTO PLANNING, AND I WAS WONDERING IF THIS IS IF YOU HAD CONSIDERED SHARING THESE WITH THE BOARD OR IF THEY'D BE INTERESTED IN THESE.

I WILL TALK TO.

SEEMS REALLY VALUABLE.

I MEAN, THEY ARE IN THE PACKETS AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL TALK TO DIRECTOR SCHMITT AGAIN.

I IMAGINE THESE WILL RESURRECT IN 4 OR 5 YEARS WHEN WE START.

3 OR 4 YEARS. WE START TALKING ABOUT MASTER PLAN UPDATES ANYWAY.

BUT IT'S JUST THE IDEA.

IT'S VERY ENLIGHTENING TO SEE VISUALLY.

LIKE WHAT? WHAT ARE THE LAND USES AND WHAT IS AVAILABLE.

YEAH, IT'S VERY ENLIGHTENING, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER COMMENTS.

I THINK EVENTUALLY THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

I THINK WE'VE STILL GOT A FAIR AMOUNT OF CHEWING TO STILL DO ON THIS IN TERMS OF THE WETLANDS AND THAT KIND OF THING, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF GET THOSE QUESTIONS OUT ON THE FLOOR HERE BEFORE WE TAKE THE BOARD'S TIME.

BUT YEAH, DEFINITELY IS A GOAL.

YEAH. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WITH THAT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.

I MOVED TO ADJOURN THE SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2024 MEETING OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION.

SECONDED BY.

I SECOND THE MOTION.

THANK YOU.

SO MOVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING BY COMMISSIONER SCALES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.