Jan 27, 2025 Planning Commission

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

[00:02:09]

I WILL CALL THE MEETING OF THE JANUARY 27TH, 2025 MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER AND WE CAN START WITH A ROLL CALL. LET'S SEE. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK HERE. COMMISSIONER BROOKS, PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL HERE. COMMISSIONER MCMCCURTIS HERE.

COMMISSIONER SNYDER HAS LET US KNOW SHE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY AND THE CHAIR IS HERE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND NOW WE'RE AT PUBLIC REMARKS.

[3. PUBLIC REMARKS]

IF YOU'RE HERE FOR PUBLIC REMARKS AND WE DO HAVE SOME SHEETS I WILL CALL YOU UP.

AND PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.

YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. AND KNOW THAT WE WON'T BE RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

WE'LL JUST BE LISTENING AND APPRECIATE EVERYBODY KEEPING IT POLITE, CORDIAL.

AND I THINK WHAT THAT WILL GET GOING. I HAVE SEVERAL HERE.

THE FIRST PERSON ON THE LIST IS JOEL MAJOR. AND THEN ON DECK WOULD BE PEGGY ANDERSON, UNLESS I HAVE STUCK TWO TOGETHER.

THANK YOU. THANKS. MY NAME IS JOEL MAJOR. I LIVE AT 4570 SENECA DRIVE IN OKEMOS SPEAKING TODAY ON THE CONTINUED OPPOSITION TO FEDEWA REZONING NUMBER 25001. NOW THE THIRD REZONING APPLICATION FOR THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.

IN OCTOBER OF 2024, SURROUNDING HOMEOWNERS, FEDEWA BUILDERS, STAFF AND ONE CONCERNED CITIZEN MET IN THIS ROOM.

AT THAT TIME, FEDEWA BUILDERS HAD NOTHING NEW TO OFFER, MAINTAINING RC ZONING AS THEIR STATEMENT TO THE HOMEOWNERS.

THAT MEETING WAS HELD AFTER THE PLANNING COMMISSION SUPPLIED THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WITH THEIR DENIAL AND BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WAS ABLE TO RULE ON THE REQUEST AND THE COMMISSION'S DENIAL. WHEN ASKED BY GREG FEDEWA IF HE WOULD RATHER HAVE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES TEN FEET FROM OUR PROPERTY LINE OR TOWNHOUSES 50FT AWAY, WE SAID WE WOULD PREFER SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES AT 10 FEET.

THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE NOW IN OUR CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT IS THE ZONING THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED.

THE CURRENT REQUEST, THE ORIGINAL ZONING REQUEST IN 2019, AND THEN THE SECOND REQUEST IN 2024, DO NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUES CITED AS REASONS NOT TO REZONE FROM RAA.

THE EXPANSION TO OVER FOUR ACRES ONLY SUPERFICIALLY ACCOMMODATES THE REQUIRED STAND OFF ON ALL FOUR SIDES OF THE PROPERTY THAT WAS NOT MET IN 2019.

THE CONTINUED REFERENCE TO THE PROPERTY BEING IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP AS THE PRIMARY REASON FOR NOT REZONING REMAINS INCORRECT.

THE DETAILS OF HOW THE 2.8 ACRES WERE APPLIED TO THE LAND USE MAP, I'M SURE CAN BE DETAILED IN A BRIEF SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.

NOTHING IN THE CURRENT REZONING REQUEST, OR THE ONE IN 2024, ADDRESSES THE FACT THAT THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE NEIGHBORS TO THE WEST IS 50FT BELOW

[00:05:04]

ADDITIONALLY, IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY WATER RETENTION AREAS.

ESSENTIALLY, THE PROPERTY HAS NOT NOT CHANGED AND CONTINUES TO REMAIN CHALLENGED IN INCREASING ITS CAPACITY TO ANY HIGHER DENSITY FROM SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

WE URGE THIS COMMISSION TO CONTINUE ITS INQUIRY INTO THE FACTS BEFORE THEM, REVIEW THE GOOD WORK DONE BY THE COMMISSION AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IN 2019, AND NOT SUPPORT REZONING TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL RAA.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE PEGGY ANDERSON, AND ON DECK WILL BE CHRIS CLARK.

PEGGY ANDERSON, 4504 SENECA DRIVE, OKEMOS. I AM A 32 YEAR RESIDENT HOMEOWNER AT THAT ADDRESS AND I AM OPPOSING REZONING REQUEST 25001. HOW MANY TIMES AND HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU EXPECT HOMEOWNERS TO HAVE TO OPPOSE A REZONING REQUEST? AS STATED, THIS PARCEL HAS BEEN HAD REZONING PROPOSALS INVOLVING THE SAME APPLICANT IN 2019, 2023, 2024 AND NOW 2025. I HAVE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT DUE DILIGENCE IN MY LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND FOR THE STRAW VOTE ON JANUARY 13TH, THERE WERE TWO POINTS WERE REPEATED COMPROMISE AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE 2023 FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

NOW DUE DILIGENCE WOULD SHOW THAT THE RD, AS A COMPROMISE FROM RC WAS PREVIOUSLY DENIED BY THE BOARD.

IN THE BOARD PACKET ON 5 DECEMBER 2019, IT STATES APPLICANT HAS RECONSIDERED THE PROPOSAL AND OFFERED TO LIMIT THE DENSITY TO A MAXIMUM OF 8 UNITS PER ACRE. AND THIS WAS DENIED IN 2020 AS A COMPROMISE.

DUE DILIGENCE FOR ALIGNMENT WITH THE 2023 FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

DID ANYONE CHECK THE 2020 DENIAL FOR BOTH RC AND RD? DID ANYONE CHECK THE MINUTES FOR THE 2020 BOARD'S DENIAL, WHERE THEY STATE THE APPLICANT SHOULD COME BACK WITH A NEW PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, SMALLER, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES? DID ANYONE NOTIFY THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS OR ONLY ACCEPT MATERIALS AND PRESENTATIONS FROM ONE SIDE ON THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP REZONING REQUEST BY FAITH LUTHERAN? DID ANYONE NOTICE IN THE 2024 REZONING REQUEST STATEMENT BY THE APPLICANT IN 2024 THAT SAYS, QUOTE, WE SPENT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WORKING TO CHANGE THE PARCEL ON THE MAP.

SO PROPS TO THE APPLICANT. THAT WAS CLEVER. IT WAS REALLY CLEVER.

THAT'S A CLEVER BUSINESS DECISION. IT'S A BACK DOOR AROUND HOW TO GET OVER THE FACT THAT THE RC AND RD HAD ALREADY BEEN DENIED.

DUE DILIGENCE AGAIN, FOR THE SUBJECT PARCEL SIZE, WHICH JUST GOT DISCUSSED, 2.9 ACRES OF UNDEVELOPED AND VEGETATED AREA WERE PROPOSED BY FAITH LUTHERAN. BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO CATEGORIZE THAT DRIVEWAY AND ALL THAT LAWN THAT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE RECTORY BUILDING AS UNDEVELOPED OR VEGETATED, SO THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR IT. SO NOW THAT PUTS YOU IN THE POSITION WHERE WE'RE BACK DOORED AGAIN.

EXTRA 1.4 ACRES, DOES THAT GET TO BE PART OF THE RD ZONING? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT IS KRIS CLARK, FOLLOWED BY DAVID CLARK. KRIS CLARK 4538 SENECA SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION OF REZONING 25001. I POINTED OUT AT THE LAST MEETING ALL THE INACCURACIES WITH MR. FEDEWA'S APPLICATION, SO I WON'T REPEAT THOSE TODAY, WITH ONE EXCEPTION; THE NEED FOR MORE RENTAL PROPERTIES.

THE HUD DATA SUBMITTED BY MR. FEDEWA SUPPORTS MY ASSERTION FROM THE LAST MEETING THAT THERE IS NO COMMUNITY NEED FOR ADDITIONAL RENTAL PROPERTIES, AS EVIDENCED BY THE STAGNANT POPULATION, A 13% DECREASE FROM 22 TO 23 IN TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS, ETC.. THE REPORT STATES. THE RENTAL MARKET IS CURRENTLY BALANCED, AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL 260 RENTALS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

THE VACANCY RATE FOR THE LAST PART OF 2024 FOR APARTMENT RENTALS WAS 5.9%, NOT 4.5% AS MISREPRESENTED BY MR. FEDEWA AT THE LAST MEETING. MR. FEDEWA WILL BE CHARGING AT LEAST TWO AND A HALF TO THREE AND A HALF TIMES THE AVERAGE RENT OF $1,165.

THIS DOES NOT SEEM CONSISTENT WITH THE MASTER PLAN GOAL OF INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THE TOWNSHIP HAS MADE THEMSELVES EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO LITIGATION, IN THIS CASE BASED ON MULTIPLE FACTORS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO; NUMBER ONE, THE WAY THIS PROPERTY WAS ADDED TO THE MASTER PLAN AND THE RATIONALE FOR ADDING IT.

[00:10:08]

NUMBER TWO, ONLY A PORTION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, 2.8 OF 4.28 ACRES, IS IN THE MASTER PLAN AND ON THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE EXTRA 1.4 ACRES IS IN IS DEVELOPED LAND, THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T INCLUDED.

NUMBER THREE, IT WILL NOT BE DIFFICULT TO PROVE UNDUE DAMAGE TO MY PROPERTY BECAUSE OF THIS REZONING.

MR. FEDEWA DOESN'T WANT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THIS AREA BECAUSE, IN HIS OWN WORDS FROM OUR MEETING AND I QUOTE, I CAN'T MAKE MONEY. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO MONEY.

IT IS DISINGENUOUS TO PRETEND TO CARE ABOUT THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED IN OUR COMMUNITY OR THE ENVIRONMENT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SUPPORTING THE DESTRUCTION OF WOODLAND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNNECESSARY RENTAL PROPERTIES THAT FAR EXCEED THE AVERAGE RENT. THE TOWNSHIP'S PRIORITY SHOULD BE PROTECTING THE INTERESTS OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF THIS COMMUNITY.

INSTEAD, IT APPEARS TO BE PROTECTING AND ADVANCING THE DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES OF WELL-CONNECTED AND WEALTHY REAL ESTATE OWNERS, TO THE DETRIMENT OF EXISTING RESIDENTS. OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER, AND I WILL FIGHT FOR BETTER BY USING ALL AVAILABLE LEGAL MEANS NECESSARY TO OPPOSE THIS REZONING IF IT IS APPROVED AS IT APPEARS BEFORE YOU.

THANK YOU. NEXT IS DAVID CLARK, FOLLOWED BY JOHN LEONE.

EXCUSE ME. HI, THERE. DAVE CLARK LIVE AT 4538 SENECA DRIVE.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS EVENING REGARDING THE REZONING REQUEST 25001.

THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAT I CAN ADD AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN WHAT I STATED IN OCTOBER 2019 AND AGAIN IN JUNE AND JULY OF 2024, AND ONCE AGAIN IN JANUARY 2025. FOR FUTURE APPEAL AND OR LITIGATION PURPOSES I WANT TO GO OVER GO ON THE RECORD TODAY WITH MY COMMENTS, WHICH IS THE DAY THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL LIKELY VOTE ON REZONING REQUEST 25001.

I OPPOSE THE REZONING REQUEST BY FEDEWA HOLDINGS TO REZONE AN APPROXIMATE 4.28 ACRE PARCEL LOCATED ON DOBIE ROAD.

I SUPPORT THE CURRENT ZONING OF THIS PROPERTY AS SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY, AND I SUPPORT UPDATING THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP TO MATCH THE CURRENT ZONING OF THE PROPERTY AS SINGLE FAMILY, LOW DENSITY, RAA. WE KNOW THAT REZONING REQUEST FOR THE SAME PROPERTY WERE DENIED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN 2019, AND AGAIN DENIED IN 2024. IN 2019, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD DENIED REZONING FOR VARIOUS REASONS, NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE THE SUBJECT PROPERTY WAS NOT IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONE THIRD OF THE 4.28 ACRE PARCEL IS NOT LABELED MULTIPLE FAMILY IN THE 23 FUTURE PLAN, OR IN THE 23 FUTURE LAND USE MAP. WE SHOULD NOT ASSUME INTENTIONS OF ANY PARTY AS MENTIONED AT THE PREVIOUS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, THE INTENTIONS OF ANY PARTY SHOULD NOT BE SOUND FOOTING TO REZONE OR RELABEL PROPERTY IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

I DON'T FEEL ATTENTION OR I SHOULD SAY APPROPRIATE ATTENTION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE DETENTION POND, WHERE OVER FOUR ACRES OF WATER WILL BE PURPOSELY DIRECTED TOWARD THE LOWEST ELEVATION ON SENECA DRIVE, AGAIN, THAT'S THE LOWEST ELEVATION ON SENECA.

THE WHOLE REZONING PROCESS, HOW THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP WAS UPDATED, AND DECISIONS BEING MADE WHILE RELYING ON INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP THAT WAS CREATED WITHOUT WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS FEELS DISINGENUOUS TO ME.

I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO FEEL THAT SOMETHING WAS DISHONEST ABOUT THE REZONING REQUEST, AND I REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S COMMISSIONER COMMENTS AT THE JUNE 24TH, 2024 MEETING AT THE 45 MINUTE AND 35 SECOND MARK.

THE TOWNSHIP BOARD NOTED IN THE 2019 REZONING DENIAL THAT THEY WANTED THE DEVELOPER TO COME UP WITH A NEW PROPOSAL THAT WILL PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, SMALLER, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THAT PROPERTY, THAT WILL IN THAT PROPERTY THAT WILL BETTER MATCH THE CHARACTER OF THE EXISTING ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS. AND THAT WAS A COMMENT FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

AND SO FAR AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT KIND OF PROPOSAL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT WE HAVE JOHN LEONE, AND IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY DAVID FEDEWA. OKAY. JOHN LEONE 4544 DOBIE ROAD, OKEMOS.

[00:15:05]

SO LET'S LOOK AT THAT. WHO ARE THE PARTIES OF INTEREST? ON ONE SIDE YOU HAVE YOU HAVE ONE LANDOWNER, THE CHURCH, WHO IN COORDINATION WITH A DEVELOPER THEY'RE FINANCIALLY MOTIVATED.

NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. BUT THAT'S OVERWHELMINGLY THEIR MOTIVATION. THEY MAY CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY I'M SURE THEY DO IN OTHER WAYS, BUT THAT'S FINE.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE ON THE OTHER SIDE? YOU HAVE EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS WORKED DECADES PAYING THEIR MORTGAGES, ENVISIONING THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

AND WHAT THEY'VE INVESTED IN IS THINKING IF THERE WAS MORE DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS THEIR LIVES.

THIS IS WHO THEIR CHILDREN WILL PLAY WITH. THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE WORKED FOR THEIR WHOLE LIVES.

IS THIS MOMENT RELYING ON THAT? SO LET'S GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.

I'LL TRY NOT TO, YOU'VE HEARD SOME OF THE STUFF I'M GOING TO BULLET POINT.

BUT WITH THAT IN MIND, HOW THIS WOULD BE LOOKED AT, AND I THINK, YOU SEE, YOU HAVE A DETERMINED GROUP HERE.

SO WHAT I'VE, WHAT I'VE OFFERED YOU IS MY INITIAL HACK DRAFT OF SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO FORWARD.

NOW IN 2019, AS YOU WELL KNOW, I BELIEVE BY THIS POINT EVEN RD UNDERSTAND IT RIGHT, WAS VOTED DOWN SEVEN NOTHING.

NOW, THE REASONS GIVEN IN AT LEAST BY THE BY THIS SAME FORUM BACK THEN, THERE'S NINE BULLET POINTED REASONS.

THE LAST ONE DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER IS THAT IT DIDN'T COMPLY WITH THE LAND USE MAP.

YET THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVED WAS THAT, IN FACT, IT WAS DONE.

AND I'M READING NOW FROM IT DOESN'T MATTER THE DATE YOU'LL FIND IT THAT I BELIEVE IT'S MR. SHORKEY'S REPORT TO YOU THAT THE LAND USE MAP NOT BEING CONSISTENT WAS THE PRIMARY REASON.

THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT TRUE. AND IT'S ALSO STATED HERE, QUOTE, THIS WAS DONE AT THE REQUEST OF FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH.

SO YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL PARTY COMING AND JUST ASKING FOR A CHANGE TO THE LAND USE MAP.

THIS DOES NOT SEEM, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS VERY IMBALANCED.

NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE THE OVERALL HISTORY, WHAT'S GOING ON AND YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS.

SO THAT'S OCTOBER 2019, IT'S TURNED DOWN. MARCH 2023, THEY HAVE THESE PRIVATE MEETINGS, THEY COME THIS THEY CHANGE THE MAP.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE TECHNICALITIES, BUT THERE WERE CERTAINLY NO CERTAINLY, IN MY ESTIMATION, NO GOOD FAITH, PRACTICAL INVOLVEMENT OF ANYONE ELSE. AND THAT SEEMS TO SEEMS TO BE REVEALED IN THE VERY NOTES ABOUT HOW THAT ALL HAPPENED.

EXCUSE ME. AND WE BELIEVE THERE'S I BELIEVE THERE'S MISINFORMATION ALSO IN THAT ABOUT THE EXISTING ZONING REGARDING THE ACREAGE OF THE PARCELS, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LOT ITSELF, CRITICALLY WRONG DESCRIPTION OF, OH, I SEE, IT'S A 30 SECOND, WELL, I GOT TO BLOW THROUGH THIS. SO THERE YOU CAN I'M GOING TO DO IS BE READING FROM THE REST OF WHAT I'VE HANDED OUT TO YOU.

THESE ARE ALL THINGS. SO MY REQUEST TO YOU WE HAVE WE WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SAY THIS BODY HAS NOT DONE ITS DUE DILIGENCE.

IN FACT, BASIC FAILURE DUTIES, TO NOT LOOK AT THE HUD, TO LOOK AT THESE STUDIES, WHICH I UNDERSTAND ARE SUPPLIED.

IT'S ROUTINE THAT NOTICES TO OUR GROUP ANYWAY COME LATE FRIDAY WHEN THERE'S A MONDAY MEETING AND THAT THIS HUD.

HUD STUDY IN PARTICULAR WAS NOT EVEN AVAILABLE TO US PRIOR TO THE LAST MEETING, AND IT'S NOW APPARENTLY AVAILABLE.

I'M TEN SECONDS OVER, SO THANK YOU. NEXT IS DAVID FEDEWA, FOLLOWED BY JERRY FEDEWA.

I'M AT 278 HASLETT ROAD, HASLETT MICHIGAN. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE HERE TO COME TOGETHER AND BRING ANOTHER, ANOTHER WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE IN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

THIS DEVELOPMENT IS THE DEFINITION OF A GREAT INFILL PROJECT.

THIS HELPS BALANCE GROWTH OF OUR TOWNSHIP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION.

ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF OUR TOWNSHIP IS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY GROW IN THE RIGHT WAY, AND TO HAVE DIVERSE HOUSING OPTIONS.

OUR TOWNSHIP IS ASKING FOR NOT JUST SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, BUT DUPLEXES, TOWNHOMES, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, THE MISSING MIDDLE. THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING TOWARDS IS EXACTLY THE MISSING MIDDLE THAT WE ARE ALL LOOKING FOR.

WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR AND HERE WE ARE TO DELIVER JUST THAT.

AFTER WORKING THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THIS PROJECT, WE HAVE LOWERED THE DENSITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CREATED CONDITIONS TO WHICH MAKE SURE THAT THIS PARCEL DOES NOT HAVE OVER 32 UNITS.

WE HAVE CREATED CONDITIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT BUILDING, WE'RE BUILDING OVER DOUBLE THE STANDARD REAR YARD SETBACK TO THE HOMES ON SENECA.

[00:20:03]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT IS JERRY FEDEWA.

GOOD EVENING, PLANNING MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JERRY FEDEWA AT 6099 EAST LAKE DRIVE.

HASLETT. WE'RE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, ON THE FEDEWA REZONING WHICH WE HAD BEEN WORKING ON.

AND I JUST WANTED TO, AND I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY ALL UNDERSTAND THE DRAINAGE ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP AGAIN.

AND WHAT I WANT TO REASSURE YOU, THE REASON THAT YOU DON'T SEE THE DETENTION PONDS IN THIS PLAN IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DESIGNED AS OF YET. AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS IN THE DESIGN OF DETENTION, WATER GOES INTO A STORM DRAIN IN THE DRIVEWAYS AND LEADS TO A DETENTION POND AND AN OUTLET PIPE IS THEN OUTLETED OUT TO THE STREET, OUT IN THE FRONT TO A CONNECTED STORM SEWER LINE.

I THINK IT'S IT'S DOWN THE STREET TOWARDS CHIEF OKEMOS CIRCLE.

BUT I JUST WANTED TO SURE MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND, AND I'M SURE YOU DO, THAT HOW THAT WOULD BE ENGINEERED, SO THERE WOULD BE NO WATER FROM THE SITE THAT WOULD BE GOING TO THE BACK OF THIS PROPERTY OR SITTING IN THE BACK OF THIS PROPERTY.

ALL 100% OF THE WATER IS HANDLED THROUGH STORM RETENTION AND OUTLETS TO THE STORM DRAINS ON DOBIE ROAD.

AND I GUESS I'M READY IF THAT IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, BE GLAD TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

THIS WOULDN'T BE THE TIME FOR THAT. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER GREEN SHEETS.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WHO HASN'T SPOKEN YET? OKAY, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC REMARKS. OH. I'M SORRY.

SORRY. I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE. I'M GOING TOO FAST.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSING IN AN AREA, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT WORSE, IT MAKES IT BETTER.

THE MORE PEOPLE THAT YOU BRING INTO A COMMUNITY THEY BRING IN DIFFERENT THINGS, DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND IT MAKES IT BETTER, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT WORSE. I KNOW THAT IF YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES, IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, APARTMENTS, DUPLEXES, ALL THAT, THAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE OF THE MASTER PLAN AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO TO FURTHER THAT GOAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY.

IF THERE IS NOT ANYONE ELSE NOW I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE MEETING AT 6:52 AND MOVE ON TO

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

SO MOVED. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK. SECOND.

SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BROOKS. YOU WANT TO ARM WRESTLE? ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, PLEASE SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. AGENDA IS APPROVED. NEXT, WE ARE APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 13TH,

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

SO MOVED. THAT WAS COMMISSIONER ROMBACK. YES.

THANK YOU. SECOND. SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MCMCCURTIS.

ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE ONE SMALL AMENDMENT. OKAY.

IF I CAN FIND IT AGAIN. I HAD ONE TOO, I WONDER IF IT'S THE SAME ONE.

UNDER ITEM NUMBER SEVEN FROM. OKAY. THE THIRD PARAGRAPH UNDER ITEM A SAYS COMMISSIONER BROOKS NOTED DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AUDIO SYSTEM.

YEAH, I DON'T THINK I SAID ANYTHING. I DID, COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL OKAY.

GUILTY. THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE AUDIO SYSTEM. YEAH.

OKAY. I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO GET PROPER I JUST WANT THE CREDIT TO GO TO WHO? OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN IN THAT SAME ITEM, SEVEN ALL THE WAY DOWN THE SECOND FROM THE LAST PARAGRAPH, IT'S AN INCOMPLETE, INCOMPLETE SENTENCE. AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I ASKED YOU.

I THINK IT WAS A PROCESS QUESTION, BUT. CAN I JUST STRIKE THAT? YEAH. YES. OKAY. [INAUDIBLE] MEMBERS WERE ELECTED TO HIGHER OFFICE UNANIMOUSLY, AND THE OTHER APPARENTLY NOT.

[00:25:07]

AND WITH THOSE MINOR CHANGES OR MAJOR CHANGES.

ANYTHING ELSE? ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AS REVISED? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. MINUTES ARE APPROVED WITH THOSE MINOR CHANGES.

THANK YOU. AND NOW WE ARE ON TO COMMUNICATIONS 6A 2025 JOINT BOARD AND COMMISSION INVITATION.

[6. COMMUNICATIONS]

YOU DID INDICATE YOU CAN'T BE THERE. YEAH. I THINK IF I AM, I'M GOING TO BE LATE FOR SURE.

PROBABLY NOT ABLE TO BE THERE. SO YEAH. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT UNDER COMMISSIONER COMMENTS? YEAH. LATER. YEAH LATER. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU.

YEAH I DON'T THINK IT TAKES A VOTE OR ANYTHING. YOU JUST. OKAY. WHO WANTS TO DO IT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE HAVE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS TODAY, SO WE ARE ON TO ITEM 8 A, WHICH IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS REZONING NUMBER 25001 FEDEWA R EZONING.

[8.A. REZ #25001 – Fedewa Rezoning]

OKAY. YOU KNOW THE REQUEST, THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED THE REZONING OF A PROPERTY OF APPROXIMATELY 2.4.28 ACRES IN SIZE, ADJACENT TO THE NORTH OF FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH ON DOBIE ROAD.

YOU DID HOLD A PLANNING OR PUBLIC HEARING TWO WEEKS AGO ON THE 13TH.

YOU DID INDICATE YOU SUPPORT THE REZONING. YOU DIRECTED STAFF TO WRITE A RESOLUTION OF APPROVAL, WHICH IS IN YOUR PACKET. AT THE PLAN AT THAT MEETING, YOU ALSO REQUESTED SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT THE APPLICANT HAS PROVIDED THAT IS ALSO IN YOUR PACKET. AT THIS TIME, I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.

THE APPLICANT IS HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT I HAVE NOTHING NEW TO ADD.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MCMCCURTIS. YES, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF AND I THINK I ASKED THIS LAST WEEK TOO, BUT I JUST WANT TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING, SO EVERYONE HAS A GOOD UNDERSTANDING I GUESS.

A COUPLE OF THE RESIDENTS DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING BROUGHT UP A WATER ISSUE AND, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, WATER, THERE'S NOWHERE FOR IT TO GO.

MY QUESTION IS, AND I KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER ON THIS MATTER, SO AND MR. FEDEWA ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE DRAINAGE ISSUE, NOT HAVING THE DETENTION PONDS IN THE PLAN BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DEVELOPED YET.

SO WHEN WILL THAT TAKE PLACE? WHEN WILL THE DRAIN COMMISSION GET INVOLVED TO MAKE SURE THAT ISSUE IS YOU KNOW, SATISFIED? MULTIPLE LAYERS TO THAT ANSWER, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU.

NUMBER ONE, WHEN AN APPLICANT FIRST WALKS IN THE DOOR, THE FIRST THING WE TELL THEM IS GO TALK TO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.

SO IF THE APPLICANT IS SMART, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN TO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, AND THEY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S COMING. NEXT LEVEL, THE FOLLOWING STEP AFTER THIS, IF THIS REZONING IS APPROVED, IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS.

THAT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS BODY.

AT THAT POINT, MICHIGAN PLANNING LAW SAYS YOU HAVE TO COME WITH A SITE PLAN, SOME OF THE ENGINEERING IS GOING TO BE GOING TO BE DONE THEN.

OKAY. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A REAL YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A MUCH BETTER IDEA THAN ON THE ENGINEERING.

I WOULDN'T EXPECT ENGINEERING TO BE DONE FOR REZONING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, REZONING A PROPERTY IS ROLLING DICE.

AND IF YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DUMP THE THOUSANDS INTO THE INTO THE ENGINEERING, IF YOU'RE NOT SURE YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE REZONING. BUT ONCE YOU GET THE REZONING, YOU KNOW, THE SUP IS ALSO NOT A SURE THING, BUT IT'S NOT IT'S NOT THE SAME AS A REZONING REQUEST.

ONCE YOU GET THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS, THEY THEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH SITE PLAN REVIEW.

THAT IS WHERE ALL THE AGENCIES ARE GOING TO REALLY NAIL DOWN ALL OF THEIR DETAILS.

AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I DON'T WRITE AN APPROVAL LETTER ON A SITE PLAN AND CLEAR THEM TO PROCEED TO BUILDING PERMITS WITHOUT APPROVALS FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, AND THE ROAD DEPARTMENT.

[00:30:03]

THANK YOU. SURE. I THINK ONE OF YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS WAS IF I MAY BE PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE MENTIONED ISSUES WITH DRAINAGE ALREADY UNRELATED TO THIS, BUT FEARING THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT, IF IT OCCURS, COULD EXACERBATE THOSE ISSUES.

IF THEY HAVE CONCERNS CURRENTLY WITH THE DRAINAGE OF THEIR PROPERTIES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER NOW AND SEPARATELY.

CORRECT. THE COUNTY ENGINEER WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING. OKAY.

THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.

NO, NOT AT ALL. BUT JUST BUT JUST TO FOLLOW UP, I MEAN, IS THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU WOULD KNOW BRIAN.

IS THAT AN ISSUE? I MEAN, IN TERMS OF WATER RIGHT NOW.

AT THE PUBLIC HEARING IN YOUR PACKET YOU HAD SOME PICTURES OF A NEARBY PROPERTY THAT WAS SUPPLIED BY A HOMEOWNER.

ANECDOTALLY, I'VE HEARD, I DON'T LIVE ON DOBIE ROAD.

I DON'T USUALLY GO DOWN DOBIE ROAD TO CHECK IT OUT DURING THUNDERSTORMS. BUT ANECDOTALLY, I'VE HEARD OF ISSUES, SIDEWALKS GETTING COVERED WITH WATER AND WHATNOT.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT RESIDENT HAS BEEN TOLD BY COUNTY COUNTY ENGINEERING OR EXCUSE ME, TOWNSHIP ENGINEERING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DRAIN COMMISSION, TALK TO DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.

THAT'S A STORMWATER, THAT'S A STORMWATER ISSUE.

I ONLY BRING IT UP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP, WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH WATER, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO REDO THE THE PARK OVER HERE AND BUILD THE BIG TRAIL ON TOP OF THE SIDEWALK.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN ISSUE ON PARK LAKE ROAD IF I GET THE NAME RIGHT ANYWAY A POTENTIAL ISSUE THERE, SO LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS. [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.

SURE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

YEAH. I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE STAFF, INCLUDING IN THE PACKET, THE CRITERIA FOR STORMWATER DESIGN FROM THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.

I'M ENOUGH OF A GEEK THAT I STARTED READING IT.

AND SOME OF THE STUFF IN THERE SAYS THINGS LIKE WHATEVER LEAVES THE SITE CANNOT BE MORE THAN THE SYSTEM IT'S GOING TO CAN HOLD.

AND IF YOU CAN'T BUILD IT THAT WAY TO START WITH AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIX IT.

AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE WITH DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE TO DATE. THEY CAUSED PEOPLE TO BUILD TO THOSE TO THOSE STANDARDS.

I WONDER IF I COULD PUT PRINCIPAL PLANNER SHORKEY ON THE HOT SPOT HERE ABOUT THE SIZES OF THE PARCEL, PARCELS LOTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT.

I THINK I UNDERSTAND ROUGHLY THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AS I SAW THEM IN TERMS OF HAVING A 10 ACRE CHURCH PROPERTY, AND A CHUNK OF IT WAS SPLIT OFF FOR DEVELOPMENT.

AND THAT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT WASN'T CONSISTENT WITH THE LAND USE PLAN AT THAT TIME.

AND SO THE LAND USE PLAN WAS UPDATED WITH THAT PARCEL IN REFERENCE, AND THEN THE APPLICANT CHOSE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER PIECE OF THE CHURCH PROPERTY FOR REASONS I'M NOT 100% CERTAIN OF BUT.

THEN THOSE TWO LOTS WERE COMBINED, AND THAT COMBINED LOT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE APPLICATION.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN WITH THE WHEN YOU SAY HERE I'M GOING TO BRING I GOT THE PLATFORM HERE.

CAN WE LOOK AT THIS? I'M FOLLOWING YOU. WE HAD A LAND DIVISION APPLICATION THAT CAME IN AFTER THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE.

LAND DIVISION LAW IS PRETTY CLEAR. IT MEETS THE ZONING.

IT DOESN'T LOOK AT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. IT DOESN'T LOOK AT WHAT THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO DO WITH IT.

IT LOOKS AT HERE'S THE HERE'S THE THING, HERE'S THE HERE'S THE LAND, HERE'S THE SURVEY.

AND THAT SURVEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RAA ZONE.

WE HAD TO PROCESS THAT LAND DIVISION IN ITS FORM.

AND IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE TASK.

WE CAN'T PROMISE IT'S GOING TO MEET OTHER ZONING STUFF.

SO FOR IN THIS CASE IT DOESN'T IT, IT IT DOESN'T IT, THERE'S LANGUAGE IN THERE TO TO

[00:35:07]

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE, YOU'RE THERE'S NO OTHER THERE'S NO OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER. AND THE ONE OF THOSE THINGS TO CONSIDER IN THIS CASE IS THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. OKAY.

ON THE DRAWING YOU'VE GOT UP HERE FROM OUR JANUARY 13TH PACKET, NORTH IS TO THE RIGHT.

SO THE 50 FOOT EASEMENT RUNNING ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.

CORRECT. WHICH IS LABELED AS AN INGRESS AND EGRESS EASEMENT.

CORRECT. WHICH SUGGESTS TO ME THAT THE INTENTION IS, WAS WHEN THAT ADDITIONAL PARCEL WAS PURCHASED, WAS TO PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT DRIVE TO THE CHURCH OR SOME SET BACK.

THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT STIPULATES, AS EXPLAINED TO ME BY A CHURCH REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE APPLICANTS AS A CONDITION OF THE PURCHASE HAVE AGREED TO BUILD THE CHURCH A NEW NORTHERN DRIVEWAY.

THIS WOULD BE THEIR NORTHERN DRIVEWAY, THIS DRIVEWAY, THEN THE SITE PLAN IF THE SITE PLAN COMES TO PASS, WHAT IT WILL SHOW IS THE ABANDONMENT OF THIS AND THE CREATION OF A NEW DRIVEWAY.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT THAT INGRESS EGRESS IS SUPPOSED TO BE.

NOW IT SAYS EASEMENT, AND THAT IMPLIES TO ME A LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENT RECORDED SOMEWHERE.

THOSE ARE RECORDED AT THE COUNTY, AND IF THIS IF THE SITE PLAN COMES IN, SAY, AN EASEMENT, I'M GOING TO ASK FOR PROOF THAT THAT EASEMENT HAS BEEN RECORDED.

THANK YOU. THAT THAT HELPS A LOT. AND FINALLY IN THEORY, ONE COULD REZONE THAT PORTION OF THE PARCEL THAT CORRESPONDS WITH THE SHAPE ON THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD THROUGH MY TIME AS A PLANNING COMMISSION THAT SPLIT ZONING IS A BAD THING.

WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. YOU CAN RECOMMEND WHATEVER YOU WANT TO RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD.

STAFF WILL NEVER RECOMMEND SPLIT ZONING OF PROPERTY.

IF THAT WAS TO HAPPEN ANYWAY, THE DETERMINATION ON THE ZONING OF THE PROPERTY FALLS TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ANYWAY.

AND IF WE WERE TO TRY TO ENFORCE THAT BY TRYING TO IMPOSE A CONDITION ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL.

YOU CANNOT IMPOSE CONDITIONS ON A REZONING. THE APPLICANT IS FREE TO PROPOSE CONDITIONS, THE PLANNING COMMISSION CANNOT DICTATE CONDITIONS.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. WELL, MY OTHER ISSUE IS THE TIME CLOCK.

ARE WE UP AGAINST A DEADLINE WITH FOR MAKING A DECISION ON THIS? NO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. OKAY. ARE THERE EVER OR BRIAN, SORRY. MR. SHORKEY, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS AT THE MOMENT, BUT ARE THERE EVER LEGAL ISSUES FROM ZONING CHANGES THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF? YES. CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC? WELL, NO, I JUST IF THERE WAS A IF WE APPROVED SOME ZONING CHANGE LIKE THIS, ARE WE AWARE OF? NOW THE FINAL DECISION HERE IS MADE BY THE BOARD, RIGHT? YES. YOU ARE. YES. JUST SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR, ASSUMING THEY MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT, THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT DECISION, WHATEVER RESOLUTION COMES OUT OF THAT, ALL THE MATERIALS FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING AND FROM TODAY ALL GET FORWARDED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

AND IN THIS CASE, IT WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IN MARCH.

OKAY. SO MY QUESTION IS LIKE BASED ON A ZONING CHANGE LIKE WE WOULD BE PROPOSING, ARE YOU AWARE OF LEGAL CHALLENGES TO THINGS LIKE THAT? AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT IN THIS CONTEXT.

AGAIN I WILL I CAN GENERALLY ANSWER I HAVE SEEN LEGAL CHALLENGES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.

AND MICHIGAN PLANNING LAW ACTUALLY HAS A PRETTY DECENT SECTION ABOUT HOW A PETITION CAN BE FILED OKAY TO PROTEST A REZONING. BUT CERTAINLY APPLICANTS THAT GET DENIED I HAVE HEARD OF THEM HEARD OF THAT SEVERAL TIMES OF THEM SAYING I DON'T LIKE YOUR JUSTIFICATION, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT IN COURT.

[00:40:02]

THAT'S WHY I WAS I WAS JUST ASKING LIKE, GENERALLY WHAT YOU'RE WHAT YOU'VE SEEN.

SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. THE JUST ONE QUICK THE ONE TIME IN MY CAREER WHERE I HAD, WHERE I ALMOST GOT ROPED INTO THAT WAS THE SECOND CASE THE APPLICANT HAD BEEN DENIED.

AND I HAD A LAWYER CALL ME, BUT NOTHING CAME OF IT.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD THIS EVENING, THERE'S BEEN THIS CONVERSATION AROUND THE 2019 ISSUE AND WE'RE NOT ISSUE, BUT JUST THE THE DENIAL. SO HAVE STAFF REVIEWED THAT 2019.

YEAH. AND WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY ABOUT THAT IS THIS AND I SAID THIS LAST YEAR.

THERE WAS A DENIAL LETTER SENT TO THE APPLICANT AFTER THE DECISION ON THE REZONING WAS MADE.

THAT DENIAL LETTER HAS TWO BULLET POINTS ON IT.

THE FIRST ONE IS DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

THE SECOND WAS DOESN'T FIT THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA.

THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION THAT'S NEVER BEEN DEBATED.

YEAH, THAT DENIAL LETTER HAS TWO BULLET POINTS ON IT.

OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT. OKAY. IF I COULD DO THAT.

YES, YES. IF SOMEBODY FROM THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP.

THANK YOU. MR. FEDEWA I APPRECIATE THAT.

GO AHEAD. DO THEY NEED TO STATE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS? THEY ALREADY HAVE. YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR NAME.

THANK YOU. HI, THANKS FOR COMING UP. THANK YOU.

SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE MARKET AT A GLANCE MSA REPORT THAT WE GOT.

AND I'M GOING TO OFFER SOME CONTEXT FOR MY QUESTION BEFORE I GO INTO IT.

SO MANY TIMES WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DATA AND THE PRESENT WORLD IS THAT WE HAVE ALL THIS DATA AND THAT IT IS EASILY APPLICABLE TO WHATEVER CONTEXT WE MIGHT BE IN, BUT THAT IS ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY.

AND I THINK IN THIS CONTEXT THERE IS YOU HAVE THIS DATA, BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKY THINKING ABOUT THIS DATA IN OUR SPECIFIC SITUATION. SO MY QUESTION IS SO I SEE AT THE TOP OF THE MARKET AT A GLANCE REPORT, IT SAYS THE LANSING AND EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN MSA.

SO MY QUESTION IS LIKE, DID YOU PURPOSELY GET THE GREATER LANSING AREA WHEN YOU WERE PUTTING OR TRYING TO GET THIS DATA FOR US, AND SPECIFICALLY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP? GREG FEDEWA, I CAN ANSWER THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

NO, WE DON'T SPECIFICALLY GIVE THEM THE GUIDELINES OF WHERE TO TAKE THE DATA FROM, WE JUST TELL THEM THE PROJECT ADDRESS, AND THEY DETERMINE WHAT THEIR STUDY ENTAILS. INTERESTING.

SO WE DON'T WE DON'T REALLY HAVE CONTROL OVER HOW THEY CONDUCT THE STUDY OR WHAT IT INCLUDES.

OKAY. SO DO YOU, DO YOU IF YOU GET DATA LIKE THIS, WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU ABOUT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VERSUS THE GREATER LANSING AREA? SO THE REASON WHY WE WOULD GET THIS DATA IS BECAUSE WE REACHED OUT TO THEM FOR FINANCING, AND THEY GATHERED THIS DATA TO SEE IF A PROJECT IS VIABLE IN THAT AREA.

SO THIS IS THE DATA THAT THEY USE TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL INVEST THEIR MONEY INTO THE AREA.

OKAY. SO YOU DON'T USE THAT IN YOUR THIS IS KIND OF LEADING QUESTION.

SO YOU DON'T USE THAT IN YOUR DETERMINATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT YOU'RE DEVELOPING ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO FIT WITHIN THIS SPACE OR LIKE, NOT FIT GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT BE RENTABLE AND IN DEMAND IN THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

SO WE FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE RENTABLE AND IN DEMAND. BUT THIS IS JUST HELPFUL INFORMATION TO HAVE.

OKAY. IT JUST ADDS MORE MORE EVIDENCE ONTO OUR CONCLUSION.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. CAN I ADD TO THAT? SURE. LET ME JUST ADD TO THAT. BASICALLY IT IS THIS IS IT, THESE GUYS HAVE DONE THAT STUDY BECAUSE PEOPLE WANTED MORE INFORMATION. AND THEN THEY LOOKED AT THE FINANCING PART.

[00:45:02]

AND WE HAVE EVERY SINGLE UNIT THAT WE HAVE IN THE OKEMOS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS RENTED, AND WE NEVER, EVER HAVE A PROBLEM RENTING IT. AND IT'S FULL RIGHT NOW, AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE AVAILABILITY IN OUR HASLETT MARKET. ONE UNIT MAY BE AVAILABLE.

THERE'S A HIGH DEMAND. THERE'S A VERY HIGH DEMAND FOR THIS KIND OF HOUSING.

AND SO WE WOULDN'T BE MAKING THIS INVESTMENT IF WE DIDN'T SEE THE NEED FOR IT.

AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE FINDING STATISTICS TO BACK IT UP.

BUT I'M OUT THERE EVERY DAY DEALING WITH THIS, AND IT'S ZERO VACANCY BASICALLY.

JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THIS. SO THE ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FULL AND THEN YOU CAN GO LOOK ON SOMEPLACE LIKE ZILLOW TO GET MORE DATA, RIGHT. AND YOU CAN FIND MORE VACANCIES OF PLACES, AND THIS IS ALWAYS AT OUR FINGERTIPS.

SO WHEN YOU SAY FULL, DOES THAT MEAN IT'S ACTUALLY FULL OR IT'S JUST LIKE IT'S LIKE AT LEAST 95% FULL IN A WAY THAT YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE SOME VACANCIES AS YOU ROLL OVER MONTH TO MONTH.

I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION IN OKEMOS IN OUR OKEMOS THREE BEDROOM AND TWO BEDROOM TOWNHOMES, THERE IS CURRENTLY ZERO VACANCY. THERE IS NOT ONE UNIT AVAILABLE AND WE GET INQUIRIES A LOT, A LOT OF INQUIRIES. IN OUR HASLETT MARKET WE HAVE ONE VACANCY OUT OF AND THERE'S MORE UNITS ACTUALLY IN THAT MARKET, IN THE HASLETT MARKET THAN THERE IS IN THE OKEMOS MARKET.

BUT THERE ACTUALLY IS ONE VACANCY CURRENTLY AND IT'S JANUARY.

OKAY. IT'S JANUARY, WHICH IS TYPICALLY THE SLOWEST MONTH OF THE YEAR FOR WHO WANTS TO MOVE IN JANUARY.

RIGHT. SO IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY BUSY. OKAY. THANK YOU I APPRECIATE.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IF NOT AND SOMEONE'S READY.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SEE IF THE APPLICANT WANTED TO SEE WHETHER MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE LOT SPLIT THING WAS WAS ACCURATE.

DID I GET IT KIND OF RIGHT? SAY IT AGAIN. MY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE LOT DIVISIONS HAPPENED WAS I PRETTY CLOSE TO.

I THINK SO, YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THAT IS THE FACT THAT THAT SETBACK ON THE CHURCH SIDE HELPS US TO NOT HAVE A BUILDING FURTHER TO THE WEST.

OKAY. IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN REDESIGNED SO THAT IT'S BEEN WE HAVE THE ROOM ON THE WEST SIDE, WE HAVE THE ROOM ON THE EAST SIDE, AND WE'VE TAKEN THE FIFTH BUILDING OUT OF THE BACK OF THE BACK OF THE PROJECT.

SO IT ACTUALLY MAKES IT MORE, MORE FRIENDLY FOR OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE WEST.

AND ALSO THE 50 FOOT EASEMENT IS SET UP SO THAT WE CAN ADD THAT DRIVEWAY, AND IT'S THE LEGAL RECORDED EASEMENT, AND IT'S IN OUR CONTRACT WITH THE CHURCH THAT WHEN WE BUILD THIS, WE REBUILD OUR DRIVEWAY.

YEAH. SO WE DO HAVE A DRAFT RESOLUTION HERE AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY IS ON THE AGENDA FOR OUR RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE TONIGHT.

I HAVE ONE SMALL DETAIL I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE RESOLUTION AFTER WE GET AN EMAIL CONCERN ABOUT WHAT IS THE REAR.

ON CONDITION NUMBER FOUR, I'LL BRING IT UP AND SHOW EVERYBODY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

WHERE IT SAYS REAR BUILDING SETBACK, THAT IS THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY, NOT THE REAR OF THE BUILDING.

SO I'M GOING TO SUGGEST PARENTHESES WEST SIDE AFTER REAR.

SO WE KNOW SO IT'S CLEAR THAT IT'S THE WEST SIDE OF THE PARCEL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, NOT THE REAR OF THE BUILDING. OKAY.

BECAUSE THE PARCEL HAS A REAR IT'S THE OPPOSITE OF THE DOBIE ROAD SIDE.

THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? WOULD ANY PLANNING COMMISSIONERS LIKE TO MOVE THE RESOLUTION? OR DO YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE STAFF OR THE APPLICANT TO ANSWER BEFORE YOU'LL BE PREPARED TO DO THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR REZONING NUMBER 25001 TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 4.28 ACRES LOCATED ON DOBIE ROAD

[00:50:02]

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? I SECOND. THANK YOU. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MCMCCURTIS.

OKAY. SO WE HAVE RESOLUTION ON THE TABLE. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR THOUGHTS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON THIS? MAY I OFFER SOME COMMENTS. PLEASE, YES. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK DURING THIS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.

I'VE TRIED TO LISTEN TO ALL OF IT AND FROM BOTH SIDES.

SO FROM THE DEVELOPERS AND THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE.

THIS IS DIFFICULT. I SEE BOTH SIDES, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS LEGITIMATELY A COMPROMISE.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE ISSUES FACING THE TOWNSHIP IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LAND LEFT, AND WE DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP ALL OF IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAINTAIN GREEN SPACES, WHICH WE HAVE, I THINK, DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB. AND ALSO, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE DATA THAT HELPS TO SORT OF US UNDERSTAND THIS STORY.

I THINK THAT THE PAST FEW YEARS WITH COVID CLOUD THAT PICTURE A DECENT AMOUNT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE THE MARKET AT A GLANCE REPORT WHERE THE LANSING AND EAST LANSING MSA THERE WAS A RAPID DECLINE IN POPULATION IN 2022, AND THEN THERE WAS AN INCREASE. AND WE'RE BASICALLY AT THE SAME LEVEL WE WERE FROM BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF DATA THAT WE COULD LOOK AT, WHICH IS THE CENSUS.

AND FOR FEAR OF MISQUOTING, I'M GOING TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DATA THAT'S HAPPENED FROM 2010 TO 2020.

SO FROM 2010 TO 2020, LANSING HAD A DECLINE OF BETWEEN 1 AND 2% OF THEIR POPULATION AND EAST LANSING HAD A SIMILAR DECLINE.

BUT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAD CLOSE TO AN 11% INCREASE.

NOW I HAVEN'T DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO CHECK ALL THESE STATISTICS INSTANTLY, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT JIVES WITH WHAT MY SENSE IS AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE.

AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN, WHEN WE WHEN WE ALTERED THAT IN 2023 THERE WERE LOTS OF GOALS THAT WE HAD TO CONSIDER.

ONE IS IS BALANCING BETWEEN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL OWNERSHIP HOUSING, OWNED HOUSING AND CREATING MORE MULTIFAMILY DENSITY HOUSING BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE.

AND PEOPLE STAY HERE FOR A LONG TIME. ANOTHER STATISTICS THAT I SAW THAT I FOUND ON THE CENSUS WEBSITE, WAS THAT THE TURNOVER RATE, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WAS LESS THAN 20% IN HOUSING. SO PEOPLE STAY WHERE THEY ARE BASICALLY THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MOVEMENT FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

WHICH I THINK IS MY EXPERIENCE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S A SELLER'S MARKET HERE.

PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE. AND SO WE NEED THIS MIDDLE.

WE NEED ALL FORMS OF HOUSING I THINK, AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT I THINK CAN MEET SOME OF THOSE NEEDS.

AND SO I'M GOING TO SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK.

JUST A STAFF QUESTION. SO WHEN THIS ISSUE GOES TO THE BOARD, WHAT IS THEIR WHAT IS THEIR STANDARD OF REVIEW.

ARE THEY GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE EVERYTHING AGAIN.

LIKE TO WHAT WHAT WEIGHTING DOES THE BOARD GIVE OUR RECOMMENDATION? COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL LAUGHS THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL GOOD [LAUGHTER]. NO, THAT'S UNKNOWABLE IS MY ANSWER.

OKAY. I'M SORRY. I'VE ALWAYS KIND OF TAKEN THIS POSITION, RIGHT, AS A STAFF PERSON, I HAVE A VERY NARROW LIKE I HERE'S WHAT I'M WRITING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOUR PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER SPHERE OF WHAT YOU.

BUT THE BOARD ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS. THEY DON'T JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PLANNING PIECE.

THERE ARE OTHER PIECES THEY CAN YOU KNOW, YOU'RE KIND OF THE, YOU ARE THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

WHAT YOU LOOK AT IS THE PLANNING ISSUES. THEY'RE ELECTED OFFICIALS, I CAN'T BEGIN TO PREDICT.

[00:55:06]

THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS GOING FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO THE ELECTED BOARD, IN WHATEVER TERMINOLOGY, WHEREVER I'VE BEEN. YEAH.

IT'S IT'S NOT ALWAYS A PREDICTABLE. THAT'S FAIR.

YEAH. OUTCOME. OKAY.

EARLIER, WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SUP AND THE SITE REVIEW AND ALL THAT.

AT WHAT POINT IS, DOES ALL OF THAT HAVE TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE IT GOES TO THE BOARD? NO, THIS IS THE REZONING, THE REZONING REQUEST.

REZONING GOES TO THE BOARD. SO I THINK IT'S BETTER TO SAY NONE OF THAT WILL START BEFORE THE REZONING IS APPROVED.

RIGHT? IF THE REZONING IS APPROVED. BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU DO TONIGHT, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION.

THE BOARD CAN GO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. RIGHT.

SO I GUESS I GOT YOU. SO SO IT'S LIKE TENNIS.

I MEAN, WE SEND THIS TO, TO THE BOARD. LET'S SAY IF THEY APPROVE IT.

THEN WE GO THROUGH THE OTHER STUFF HERE. THEN WE HAVE TO SEND THAT TO.

NO. OKAY. SPECIAL USE PERMIT WHEN IT COMES IN, IN THIS CASE THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR DECISION.

YOU'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. YOU'LL COME BACK.

YOU'LL MAKE A DECISION AT A FUTURE MEETING. THAT IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION AT THAT POINT.

THAT IS A DECISION. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET CLEAR ON.

RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THAT DECISION CAN BE APPEALED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

THERE'S AN APPEAL PROCESS. THAT IS CORRECT. GOT IT.

BUT BY AND LARGE. THAT HELPS. THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER ROMBACK'S POINT, SORRY FOR THE , IT'S NOT HUMOR, BUT THE CURRENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES INCLUDES SOME PAST, VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS WHO WILL EXERCISE GREAT DILIGENCE IN LOOKING AT THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT IT MEETS THEIR STANDARDS.

MY QUESTION WAS MORE AROUND DO THEY SET THE STANDARD OF.

I THINK FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE A DE NOVO REVIEW OR ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, IS IT AS YOU MOVE UP THE APPEAL LEVELS THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH. YEAH, WE ARE AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND COME HERE WITH EXPERTISE ON PLANNING.

BUT THEY, AS MR. SHORKEY SAID, HAVE A LOT OF BROADER PERSPECTIVES THAT THEY ALSO LOOK AT IN ADDITION TO PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS.

AND THEY MAY JUST TAKE A DIFFERENT TAKE ON IT THAN WE DO. I MEAN, THAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THEIR ELECTED OFFICIAL, RIGHT. SO ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR AM I GOOD TO CALL A VOTE ON THIS? MAYBE ONE LAST SHOT. PLEASE, YES. SO ONE OF THE RESERVATIONS I HAVE BEEN HARBORING IS THIS ISSUE OF THE REZONING REQUEST NOT FITTING THE MAP BECAUSE I'M A GEOGRAPHER BY TRAINING AND IT BUGS ME WHEN SQUARES DON'T FIT RECTANGLES, BUT I GET GREAT REASSURANCE FROM THE FACT THAT DURING SITE PLAN REVIEW, THE VALIDITY OF THAT EASEMENT WILL BE VERIFIED BY TOWNSHIP STAFF.

AND IN THAT SENSE, THEN THOSE TWO ARE NOW ONE PARCELS.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME SHAPE AS THE MASTER PLAN, BUT THEY HAVE THE SAME EFFECT OF WHAT THE MASTER PLAN WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO. AND I KIND OF WISH THAT THOSE TWO HAD NOT BEEN COMBINED SO WE COULD DO THIS MORE CLEANLY, AND THAT MAY PROVE A STUMBLING BLOCK LATER ON, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT MEETS THE WHAT WE WERE INTENDING TO DO WITH THE MASTER PLAN.

SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING IT. THANK YOU. AND I WOULD CONCUR.

I THINK I SPOKE LAST WEEK, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS OUR INTENT WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING MASTER PLAN, I SHOULD HAVE SAID IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF THE UPDATE OF THE MASTER PLAN IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR A FOR A REZONING THAT WASN'T IN CONFLICT WITH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

THAT THIS PARCEL NOT LOOKING AT. SO THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.

AND THAT WAS WHEN I SAID YES TO THE MASTER PLAN.

I LIKED THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP AND THE MASTER PLAN.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS INTENDING. AND SO THIS IS IN, AS YOU SAID, I THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE ARTICULATELY IN KEEPING WITH THAT.

SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS TONIGHT TOO. ARE WE READY FOR A VOTE? OKAY. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK. YES. COMMISSIONER BROOKS.

YES. COMMISSIONER MCCURTIS. YES. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL. YES. AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES. THANK YOU.

THIS AMENDMENT, THIS MOTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL IS APPROVED AND REFERRED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

THANK YOU. ONCE AGAIN, THIS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

THEIR PROBABLY THEIR FIRST MEETING IN MARCH, IT WILL NOT GO IN FEBRUARY.

THANK YOU. NOW WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS [INAUDIBLE] OTHER

[9.A. Discussion – Sec. 86-755 – Schedule of Requirements for Parking Space]

[01:00:10]

YES. 86-755. YEAH. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR QUITE A WHILE.

WE'VE TALKED TO YOU A COUPLE TIMES ABOUT THIS.

YOU'VE ASKED US SOME QUESTIONS. WE'VE COME BACK WITH SOME FEEDBACK.

WE'VE INTRODUCING THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN PARKING REQUIREMENTS AT THIS TIME.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT OTHER STUFF. WE'LL HAVE THIS BACK FOR ANOTHER DISCUSSION ITEM IN TWO WEEKS.

MISS [INAUDIBLE] WILL BE HERE THEN, SHE'S DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THIS.

ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS BREAK 86-755 OUT AS A SEPARATE TEXT AMENDMENT.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PARKING ORDINANCE. THAT'S WHERE EVERYBODY SEEMS TO GRAVITATE TOWARD IS HOW MANY PARKING SPACES WE'RE REQUIRING.

THERE ARE OTHER SECTIONS WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS IN THE FUTURE OF THE OVERALL PARKING ORDINANCE, BUT THIS IS THE OBVIOUS PLACE TO START. I'VE GIVEN YOU EXAMPLE OF A COUPLE DEVELOPMENTS AND WHAT THEY'D LOOK LIKE UNDER CURRENT AND PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES.

WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET IS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN A CLEAN VERSION, AND THEN WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITH ALL THE STRIKEOUTS AND EVERYTHING. SO I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSION.

IF THERE'S STUFF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC TO THE NUMBERS, IF YOU'RE STUFF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, VIS A VIS THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. SHORKEY AT THIS TIME ABOUT WHAT'S THE MATERIAL THAT'S IN THE PACKET? I HAVE ONE. PLEASE GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER ROMBACK. SO I FANCY MYSELF A GOLFER, SO I ZEROED IN ON THE GOLF ONES.

GOLF DRIVING RANGE, ONE SPACE PER TEE. THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PARKING FOR A DRIVING RANGE. AND THEN LOOKING AT, LIKE, A GOLF COURSE, GOLF COURSES, MINIATURE PAR THREE AND THEN DRIVING.

WHAT IF IT IS A GOLF COURSE WITH A DRIVING RANGE? WHICH ONE APPLIES? YOU WOULD YOU WOULD DO BOTH.

IT'S BOTH USES WOULD APPLY IN THAT CASE. OKAY.

NOW WE HAVE A SECTION IN THE ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS FOR SHARED PARKING IN SOME CASES.

SO MAYBE THERE WOULD BE SOME ALLOTMENT. BUT BASICALLY A AN 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE WOULD HAVE THIS REQUIREMENT.

THEY HAVE A DRIVING RANGE. HERE'S THIS REQUIREMENT. YOU NEED THIS TOTAL AMOUNT OF PARKING SPACE.

IF YOU'VE GOT A SUGGESTION OTHER THAN ONE SPACE PER TEE.

WE HAVE ONE DRIVING RANGE IN THE TOWNSHIP. YEAH.

YOU KNOW, IT IS WHAT IT IS. YEAH. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT I'M WE ARE HAPPY TO SUGGESTION ON THAT.

FOR SOME REASON I WOULD JUST GO IT JUST BECAUSE IF I THINK ABOUT THAT ONE DRIVING RANGE, THEY PROBABLY HAVE I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YOU'D EVEN DEFINE THEY HAVE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY SET ON THE PART WHERE YOU HIT OFF THE GRASS.

SO HONESTLY, I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW I WOULD SUGGEST REGULATING IT OTHER THAN MAYBE LIKE GO TO LIKE A HALF SPACE PER TEE, BUT ONE PER TEE JUST SEEMS LIKE IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU CAN'T COMPLY.

YOU, YOU KNOW, TO DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, IF I'M MEETING MY DAD, WE'RE DRIVING SEPARATE.

YES. YEAH. AND NOT THE SAME TEAM. NO, NOT IF HE'S BUYING IT.

YEAH. SO IF YOU IF YOU THOUGHT THOUGH, IF YOU THOUGHT LIKE ONE FOR EVERY TWO TEES WAS MORE REALISTIC, WE CAN. YEAH, YEAH I THINK I WOULD GO ONE FOR EVERY TWO THEN.

OKAY, THAT MATH SOUNDS BETTER THAN A HALF BUT YEAH, ONE FOR EVERY TWO.

IS THERE A STANDARD FOR THINGS LIKE THIS THAT.

YEAH. THAT'S. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THAT. THAT'S A MUCH BETTER QUESTION.

IT'S NOT SO MUCH A STANDARD. IT'S LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.

OKAY. THIS WAS AN EFFORT TO BREAK IT OUT. WE CURRENTLY JUST KIND OF LUMP IT ALL TOGETHER.

WE WANTED TO SEPARATE THE USES A LITTLE BIT. YEAH.

IT'S BECAUSE IT'S LIKE IN THAT PARTICULAR DRIVING RANGE, I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHAT YOU COULD QUALIFY AS A SPOT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT OKAY.

IT'S A GRAVEL DIRT AND GRAVEL I THINK. SO IT'S LIKE, HOW DO YOU EVEN DEFINE.

YEAH. AND IF THEY EVER DO ANY PARKING IMPROVEMENTS THEY'LL PUT PAVEMENT.

YEAH. YEAH. SITE PLAN REVIEW. YES. YEAH. I MEAN MAYBE THEY WILL BECAUSE NOW THEY'VE EXPANDED.

THEY HAVE THE VIRTUAL. BUT BUT OKAY, OKAY. YEAH.

WE CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE. THAT'S EASY. AND THAT'S JUST FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION.

[01:05:03]

IT WOULD BE IF THERE'S NEW DEVELOPMENT OR CHANGES THAT REQUIRE INTERACTION WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

CORRECT. ON EXISTING BUSINESS. CORRECT. DOES IT APPLY TO LIKE THE PLACE THAT'S THE VIRTUAL GOLF COURSE, OR IS THAT CONSIDERED A DIFFERENT KIND OF BUSINESS BECAUSE THERE IS A BUSINESS OVER BY TARGET.

YEAH.

OH WHERE WOULD THEY. YEAH.

KNOW. SO FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T IT'S NOT WITHIN OUR CONTROL.

TAKE HAWK HOLLOW. RIGHT. YEAH. YOU HAVE A GOLF COURSE, YOU HAVE A DRIVING RANGE.

WELL, I GUESS YOU WOULDN'T. WELL, ONE OF THEM, YOU HAVE A GOLF COURSE AND DRIVING RANGE AT EAGLE EYE. AND AT HAWK HOLLOW YOU HAVE A GOLF COURSE AND A MINI COURSE. YOU HAVE THE NATURAL GRASS PUTT PUTT COURSE.

THEN IT BECOMES LIKE WHICH STANDARD APPLIES WHEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE.

AND IN A MULTIPLE USE YOU HAVE MULTIPLE STANDARDS THAT ALL ADD UP.

YEAH. BUT THAT WOULD SEEM TO BE ONEROUS EVENTUALLY WOULDN'T IT.

WELL YEAH. BUT OKAY. HOW ABOUT TWO ONEROUS I GUESS WOULD BE MY POINT.

I'M NOT SURE I HAVE A SOLUTION HERE. I'M JUST I NOTICED I KIND OF ZEROED IN ON THIS GOLF THING BECAUSE. YEAH, I CAN TELL. YEAH, I GREW UP WORKING ON GOLF COURSES, TOO, AND I WAS JUST PONDER ONE OF THEM IF I WOULD HAVE EVER EVEN HIT THAT.

SO TO GO BACK A VIRTUAL COURSE WE DON'T HAVE A STANDARD.

RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH, SO WE JUST CALL IT A GENERAL RETAIL BUSINESS AND WE HAVE A CATEGORY RETAIL BUSINESS IS NOT SPECIFIED AND JUST KIND OF A GENERAL 5 SPACES PER 01,000FT². AND IF THEY NEEDED MORE, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE IS A MAXIMUM 5 TO 5 AND A HALF.

AS FAR AS OTHER THINGS, IT'S NOT ATYPICAL AT ALL.

IT'S PRETTY NORMAL PRACTICE. YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE USES, LIKE IT'S NOT GOLF, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD EXAMPLE.

QUALITY DAIRY ON MARSH ROAD, THERE'S A LAUNDROMAT IN THERE, AND THEY WANTED TO MOVE THEIR DUMPSTER LOCATION.

I HAD TO CALCULATE IF THEY HAD ENOUGH PARKING SPACES TO BE ABLE TO SACRIFICE A COUPLE SPOTS.

GOT IT. THEY HAD ONE USE AND TWO USES I JUST ADDED THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER AND CAME UP WITH YEAH THEY'RE GOOD OKAY.

GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL. I'M SORRY. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE WEEDS ON THE ORDINANCE AND THE REDLINING.

CAN YOU REMIND ME DO WE TAKE ACCOUNT OF SHARED PARKING? HOW DO WE CURRENTLY TAKE ACCOUNT OF SHARED PARKING AT A STRIP MALL OR? I'D HAVE TO PULL UP THE ORDINANCE. THIS DOESN'T TALK ABOUT IT.

THIS DOESN'T AFFECT THAT. WE DO HAVE AN ORDINANCE.

WE DO HAVE AN ORDINANCE WHERE IT DOES ALLOW FOR SHARED PARKING.

WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT TONIGHT. OKAY. IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT. I HAD PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT WE WERE.

IT WAS PRETTY OPEN, AND I CAME ACROSS A CASE WHERE ONE SORT OF COMMERCIAL AREA WAS RESTRICTING SHARED PARKING FROM OTHER BUSINESSES ALONG THAT SAME SERVICE DRIVE. AND THAT SEEMS UNUSUAL TO ME.

SO IN SOME FUTURE TIME IF WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE WE'VE EXPRESSED AS A GOAL FOR WALKABLE COMMUNITIES TO HAVE SHARED PARKING SO WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF UNUSED PARKING. WE CAN COME BACK AND BE MORE SPECIFIC.

I THINK THERE'S LANGUAGE ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT THEY'RE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THEIR MAIN HOURS ARE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, IF THE DONUT SHOPS PEAK IS THE SAME AS THE COFFEE SHOPS PEAK, SHARED PARKING ISN'T GOING TO WORK. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THE DONUT SHOP HAS A DIFFERENT PEAK THAN THE PRINT SHOP THEN AND YEAH, THAT'S A LIVE EXAMPLE IN MY HEAD. COOL. THANKS.

I HAVE A QUESTION AND A COMMENT, MR. SHORKEY.

ON THE SO I SEE LIBRARIES ON HERE, AND IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT LIBRARIES, AND ONE SPACE FOR EVERY 200 IS GOING UP TO ONE SPACE FOR EVERY 250FT².

SO LIBRARIES HAVE CHANGED A LOT PROBABLY SINCE THIS THING WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN.

THE. HAVE WE OR HAVE YOU ASKED LIKE A LIBRARY.

[01:10:04]

NO, IT'S A GREAT IDEA. BECAUSE I JUST FEEL LIKE AS I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, I WE ARE IT'S IT'S NOT JUST IT'S NOT JUST GOING FROM 1 TO 200 TO 1 TO 250. THERE'S ALSO ONE ONE PER TWO EMPLOYEES IN THERE.

SO YEAH, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S YOU KNOW. OH YEAH.

MY POINT I WAS JUST SAYING LIKE THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO FROM 200 TO 250 PER SQUARE FEET.

AND THEN THERE'S THIS OTHER ADDENDUM. BUT I CAN I CAN, I CAN EMAIL THEIR, THEIR THEIR MANAGER AND YEAH GET A SENSE OF THAT IF THAT IF YOU NEED TO. YEAH. AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT AND GOING THROUGH THIS, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR GOALS IS ALSO AND ONE OF THE 2025 TOWNSHIP GOALS IS ACTUALLY TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

OKAY. AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES IN HERE WHERE I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED IN HEARING, LIKE WHAT IS AN ACTUAL WHAT WOULD THEY PREFER IN TERMS OF A NUMBER LIKE THAT? I'VE HEARD ANECDOTALLY THAT LIKE THE HASLETT LIBRARY THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL GETS SWAMPED WITH STUDENTS AFTER SCHOOL CLOSES, AND THEY MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT ANSWER THAN, LIKE THE OKEMOS LIBRARY DOES.

JUST A THOUGHT. AND THEN THE OTHER THOUGHT THAT I'M HAVING AS I'M GOING THROUGH THIS AND I FEEL LIKE I'M ON THE TOPIC OF DATA THIS EVENING, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE I JUST LISTENED TO A PODCAT. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING? DATA SCIENCE.

I JUST LISTENED TO A PODCAST ON HOW TELLING STORIES WITH DATA IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR INTERPRETING IT.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY HARD, FOR ME AT LEAST, IS I LOOK AT THIS IS I DON'T HAVE CONTEXT.

LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO THINK ABOUT 200FT² IN A LIBRARY AND A PARKING SPACE VERSUS A GOLF DRIVING RANGE AND A PARKING SPACE. AND I WONDERED IF IT'S LIKE, IF THERE'S A WAY TO GROUP SOME OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF, LIKE, SPECIFIC CODE THAT WE HAVE SO THAT IT'S LIKE, I'M JUST SPITBALLING HERE, BUT LIKE IF IT'S A COMMUNITY CENTER TYPE OF THING, THEN WE HAVE THIS PARKING RANGE.

IF IT'S A RESTAURANT OR PLACE OF LIKE EATING OR ENTERTAINMENT, THEN IT HAS THIS SORT OF RANGE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO YOU'RE ARGUING SOMETHING MORE GENERAL.

YEAH. SO YOU'RE GOING FROM TAKING THE TAKING THE EXISTING NUMBERS, MODERNIZING THEM IN SOME CASES, SIMPLIFYING THEM TO LET'S RESTRUCTURE THE WHOLE THING AND MIGHT BE I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY.

YEAH. YEAH.

WELL WE WERE WORKING ON IT AND I JUST AM THINKING ABOUT LIKE WHAT LIKE WHAT ARE THE STRUGGLES WITH THE PARKING ORDINANCE? AND I KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS QUESTION OF WHY ARE WE UPDATING? IS IT JUST TO REDUCE PARKING OR IS IT JUST IS IT TO ALSO MAKE THE CODE LESS ONEROUS? OR. I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU THE ONLY THE ONLY THINGS IN HERE THAT WOULD REALLY THAT ARE REALLY REDUCE PARKING IS YOUR RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS. IF YOU LOOK AT SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING UNIT, WE TOOK THE WE TOOK THE TERM RUMOR OUT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE. SO STRIKING THAT LANGUAGE ABOUT ONE ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR EACH RUMOR THAT THAT'S GONE.

OKAY, THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE GONE. BUT THEN IN THE MULTIFAMILY DISTRICTS, LOWERING THAT FROM TWO FOR EACH UNIT TO ONE AND A HALF FOR EACH EFFICIENCY IN ONE BEDROOM, AND THEN GETTING RID OF THE 25% EXPANSION FACILITY, THAT IS A TRUE PARKING REDUCTION.

AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO I MEAN, I TRIED TO I TRIED TO SHOW IT WITH HASLETT VILLAGE AND ALL I SHOWED IS THAT BOY, THEY JUST NEEDED A LOT LESS OF A WAIVER THAN THEY CURRENTLY HAVE.

BUT IN THE MAGNITUDE OF HUNDREDS OF SPACES A LOT OF THE REST OF THIS IS CLARIFICATION.

A LOT OF THE OTHER OF THIS IS JUST EASE OF USE, MODERNIZATION OF LANGUAGE.

THERE IS SOME SIMPLIFYING OF STUFF IN HERE. BUT IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE THIS IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. I'M JUST. THESE ARE JUST SOME THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT AS I'VE BEEN REVIEWING THIS, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT. I'M, I GUESS I AM FOR SIMPLIFICATION OF ORDINANCE

[01:15:09]

BUT I'M JUST ONE COMMISSIONER, AND MAYBE I LIKE GOING INTO THE WEEDS MORE THAN OTHER PEOPLE.

THIS INVITES GOING INTO THE WEEDS IN SOME REGARDS BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH HERE.

YOU KNOW, LIKE SOME OF MY QUESTIONS ARE MORE CURIOSITY THAN IS THIS REALLY GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE LARGE SCHEME OF THINGS? BUT, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THINGS LIKE BLANK SPACES FOR EACH EMPLOYEE.

YOU KNOW, THE SQUARE FEET ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE OF A FACILITY, TYPICALLY WITHOUT SOME BUILDING.

BUT LET'S SAY THEY GET REALLY BUSY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY STAFF UP AND ADD A SHIFT, BUT THEY'VE BEEN APPROVED WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PARKING SPACES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY DON'T MEET THAT ANYMORE. WE DON'T GO BACK AND DO IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SORT OF MOVABLE CRITERIA, HOW? HOW MUCH DOES THAT MATTER? YOU KNOW, THE THE PROBLEM WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IS THAT WE DON'T OVER DEVELOP PARKING SPACES, BUT THAT WE DON'T DEVELOP LOCATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THAT HAPPY MEDIUM. AND IT'S JUST IT IS WITHOUT BEING AN EXPERT OR KIND OF HAVING ANY FRAME OF REFERENCE, LIKE COMMISSIONER BROOKS SAID, IT SORT OF SOUNDS RIGHT, BUT IT'S UNLESS YOU HAVE A FAMILIARITY WITH A GOLF COURSE AND YOU KNOW THAT, YEAH, IT'S LIKELY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED FOUR SPACES PER HOLE.

BUT IT'S HARD FOR ME TO MAKE AN INTELLIGENT DECISION ON THIS.

SO I SORT OF TRUST BOTTOM LINE, I TRUST THE STAFF TO HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH AND ADVISE US ACCORDINGLY.

IN MOST CASES AND WHERE WE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE MARGINS, I THINK WE'LL ASK THEM.

AND SOME OF IT'S JUST GOING TO BE OUT OF CURIOSITY.

BUT IT FEELS TO ME LIKE SOME OF THIS IS SORT OF WHAT'S BEEN THERE AND IT HASN'T BEEN A PROBLEM.

I GUESS I'D BE CURIOUS IF YOU'RE COMING BACK TO US WITH MORE STUFF, HAVE THERE BEEN PLACES OR INCIDENTS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES WHERE YOU'RE CONSTANTLY SEEING OVER PARKING OR OVER DEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN TYPES OF INDUSTRIES OR IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO.

MORE WE DON'T WANT TO REPEAT SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

I MEAN, I'M, YOU KNOW, THE POSTER CHILD FOR TALKING ABOUT OVER PARKED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IS ONE CERTAIN ORANGE BASED STORE.

YOU KNOW, BUT CERTAINLY A LOT OF THE LARGER COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS, YOU KNOW.

I DON'T FEEL LIKE THIS MESSES WITH THAT AS MUCH, THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.

IT SIMPLIFIES THE LANGUAGE IF YOU LOOK, IF YOU LOOK AT THE END UNDER THE COMMERCIAL END UNDER THE COMMERCIAL SECTION.

OH. EXCUSE ME. KIND OF TOWARD THE BEGINNING. BUSINESSES GROSS FLOOR AREA LESS THAN 25,000FT² AND THEN GREATER BUSINESSES GREATER THAN 25,000FT².

THAT'S A SIMPLIFICATION THAT COMMISSIONER BROOKS WAS TALKING ABOUT.

RIGHT NOW, WE BREAK THAT DOWN INTO FOUR DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL CENTER DESIGNATIONS.

AND WHEN YOU GET TO THAT POINT, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DISTINCTION.

BUT WHEN YOU GET YOU KNOW, THAT'S SO THAT'S A SIMPLIFICATION.

THE 5 TO 5 AND A HALF FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN 25,000 AND THEN THE 4 TO 4 AND A HALF PER THOUSAND FOR THE OVER 25,000.

I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE YOU LAND WHEN YOU START COMBINING THOSE DISTRICTS, THOSE CATEGORIES TOGETHER.

OKAY. I DID THINK I DID READ THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE 25,000 FOOT COMMERCIAL FACILITY.

WHAT'S A 25,000 FOOT COMMERCIAL FACILITY IN THE TOWNSHIP? WHAT IS ONE? YEAH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. THE MALL'S OBVIOUS, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

THAT SEEMS BIGGER THAN 25,000, THOUGH. LIKE, HOW BIG IS LIKE, THE MEIJER OR WALMART OR A BIG BOX RETAILER LIKE THAT? DO WE KNOW? I'M TRYING TO THINK, WHAT'S THE LAST.

ANYTHING 25,000FT² OR OVER IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT THAT GOES TO THE BOARD.

SO WHAT'S THE LAST ONE OF THOSE THAT WENT THROUGH HERE?

[01:20:01]

THAT WAS OVER 25,000FT². THAT WAS TWO STORIES.

HOW WELL, HOW BIG? THAT GOT DENIED. BUT BUT IT'S CLOSE TO THE 20.

BUT IT WAS BUT THAT'S THAT'S YEAH I THINK THAT WAS LIKE 33,000 OR SOMETHING.

SO THE BUT HOW BIG IS DO WE KNOW HOW BIG ONE OF THE MEIJER OR I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD? NO. OKAY. I MEAN THAT THAT THAT MIGHT GET THERE, BUT I'D HAVE TO VERIFY THAT.

I'M GOING TO STAY IN THE WEEDS FOR ONE MORE SECOND ON GOLF.

DO IT. I'M ALL ABOUT IT TONIGHT. I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT FOR, LIKE, A GOLF, DRIVING A GOLF COURSE WITH A DRIVING RANGE JUST DEFAULT TO THE GOLF COURSE STANDARD, DON'T COMBO IT. SO YOU HAVE LIKE, SO YOU HAVE A GOLF COURSE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, RIGHT. AND THEN LET'S SAY I HAVE A DRIVING RANGE TOO WHAT I HEARD IS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO COMPLY WITH BOTH OF THOSE STANDARDS.

JUST JUST DEFAULT TO THE GOLF COURSE STANDARD.

OKAY. I MEAN, MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, I'M SURE WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY GOLF COURSES AROUND HERE ANYTIME SOON. YOU NEED A LOT OF SPACE FOR THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST IN CASE. OKAY.

THAT WOULD JUST BE [INAUDIBLE]. EIGHT YEARS OF GOLF COURSE EXPERIENCE BEFORE WHEN I WAS A KID.

OKAY, THERE WE GO. LET'S DO THAT. STAND ALONE.

YEAH. SO A STAND ALONE DRIVING DRIVE, GOLF DRIVING RANGE HAS ITS OWN THING, BUT A GOLF COURSE IS ASSUMED TO HAVE THAT IN THEIR CALCULATION.

YEAH. OKAY. YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? COMMENTS TONIGHT? OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY DIRECTION OR FURTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE NEXT TIME WE TALK ABOUT THIS.

I DO HAVE ONE. OKAY. SO THIS IS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SQUARE, THE SQUARE FEET VERSUS PARKING REDUCTION.

BUT DURING THE LAST MEETING WE HAD A, WE REVIEWED A CASE FROM PLAYMAKERS, AND ONE OF THE PARKING THEY HAD A VARIANCE REQUEST ON HOW THE PARKING SETBACKS WERE FUNCTIONING.

YES, I WAS INTERESTED IN THAT. I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY THE DETAILS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, AND THAT IT SEEMED LIKE THAT MIGHT BE AN AREA FOR SOME REFINEMENT IN THE...

WE'LL COME BACK WITH THAT. OKAY. YES. THANKS.

THANK YOU. SECTION 86-755 IS ONE SECTION OUT OF THE PARK STREET PARKING ORDINANCE, AND THERE ARE MANY SECTIONS THAT WILL COME.

WE JUST REALIZED WHAT A LARGE TASK IS GOING TO BE TO TRY TO BRING IT ALL AT ONCE.

YEAH, I FIGURED THAT. I JUST REALIZED I REALIZED THAT AT THE LAST MEETING, I WAS LIKE, OH, THIS IS AN EVIDENCE OF POTENTIALLY A NEED FOR A CHANGE, SO.

WHAT I'LL WHAT I'LL DO WITH THIS I'LL MAKE THE CHANGES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SUGGESTED.

I'LL REACH OUT TO THE LIBRARY. IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

I'LL BRING YOU UP TO DATE VERSIONS AT YOUR AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, AND AT THAT TIME, IF YOU'RE OKAY, STAFF WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS.

THANK YOU. BUT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN TWO WEEKS.

QUESTIONS? TRY TO GET THEM TO HIM NOW SO THAT HE CAN BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THEM AT OUR NEXT MEETING, IF YOU DON'T MIND. OKAY, COOL. THANK YOU. OKAY.

ON TO OTHER BUSINESS 9B BROWNFIELD 2025 BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY APPOINTMENT.

[9.B. 2025 Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Appointment]

YOU GUYS NEED. I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU GUYS HAVE A HAVE A VOTING SEAT ON THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

COMMISSIONER BLUMER HELD THAT SEAT PREVIOUSLY SO YOU DO NEED TO APPOINT SOMEBODY TO THAT.

IS THERE ANYBODY ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN REPRESENTING US THERE? THEY DO MEET AS NEEDED ON A MONTHLY BASIS. THEIR MEETING IS IN THIS ROOM AND THEIR MEETING TENDS TO BE AT 9 IN THE MORNING.

I CAN'T SAY I HAVE STANDING MEETINGS EVERY MORNING, SO.

I MEAN, BUT FOR THURSDAY I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IT.

THURSDAY I'M ALWAYS IN FLINT. BUT IT'S NOT THE GREATEST ANSWER, BUT.

HERE, GIVE ME A SECOND. I'LL TELL YOU WHEN THE LAST ONE DO THEY TEND TO BE LONG MEETINGS? I'VE ATTENDED 2 OR 3 OF THEM, AND A COUPLE OF THEM GOT PRETTY LONG WHEN THERE WERE MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DEAL WITH. AND THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF STATE PAPERWORK

[01:25:01]

BY THE TIME THEY'RE COMING FOR BROWNFIELD I BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE AT THE TOWNSHIP, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF FEDERAL STATE PAPERWORK.

YEAH, I'M LOOKING AT PAST AGENDAS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THURSDAY HAS BEEN THE DAY THEY'VE BEEN MEETING ON.

I HAVE TO BE IN FLINT EVERY DAY, EVERY THURSDAY.

OKAY. AND I HAVE A STANDING 8:30 A.M. MEETINGS THAT SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT AND THERE'S NO WAY I CAN.

SO I WILL HAVE TO SEE IF. AND I DON'T BELIEVE COMMISSIONER SNYDER JUST GIVEN SHE HAS A FULL TIME JOB AS WELL.

SO MAYBE WE AS WE LOOK TO FILL OUR ADDITIONAL VACANCY, WE LOOK FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN BROWNFIELD.

OR MAYBE I BELIEVE THE RATIONALE IS SO THAT APPLICANTS TO FACILITATE APPLICANTS ATTENDING, BUT THE APPLICANTS COME TO EVENING MEETINGS ALL THE TIME.

MAYBE THE VRA IS INTERESTED IN THINKING ABOUT A NEW MEETING TIME.

BECAUSE I KNOW THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS MEETING LIKE THEY CANCELED A LOT OF MEETINGS, AS I RECALL, BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET PEOPLE THERE, SO. DDA DID.

OKAY. OKAY. I WAS THINKING OF [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH.

OKAY. WHO'S THE CHAIR? THE CHAIR. OH, JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE TO SHOW OFF YOUR SKILLS, MAN.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RECONCILE THIS AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO FORCE ANYBODY TO GO.

OKAY. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IT, BUT I, I CANNOT I CAN'T DO THAT.

AND I'M ALSO ON THE ZBA AS THE PLANNING COMMISSIONER REPRESENTATIVE, SO.

OKAY AND I'LL BRING IT BACK. SO MAYBE YOU AND I CAN TALK BETWEEN NOW AND THE AND THE NEXT MEETING AND SEE WHAT OPTIONS WE HAVE.

OKAY. OR WE CAN JUST APPOINT COMMISSIONER SNYDER IN HER ABSENCE.

I WILL NOT DO THAT, SIR. WE COULD, BUT THEN WE'D HAVE TO COME BACK AND CHANGE IT NEXT TIME SHE'S HERE SO NO.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW WHEN THEIR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE? RIGHT DOWN BELOW. WE ARE REALLY TESTING YOU TODAY.

I'M SORRY. AGENDAS. I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE.

SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN 2025. I SAW THAT IN 2024 THERE WAS A JANUARY 9TH.

SO THAT'S ALREADY COME AND GONE. SO USUALLY LIKE.

SO LIKE I SAID IT'S AS NEEDED. OKAY. SO I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IF IT BECOMES A CRITICAL ISSUE YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FEBRUARY MEETING SCHEDULED, AND YOU NEED SOMEBODY FOR THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.

NOW, WOULD WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT THEN, IN ONE OF OUR MEETINGS TO MAKE THAT OFFICIAL? OR COULD WE HAVE SOMEBODY I GUESS IF THEY NEEDED TO VOTE, THEY WOULD NEED TO.

YEAH. LET'S YOU AND I TALK AND WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE AND THEN COME TO THE NEXT MEETING READY.

BUT IF YOU RUN INTO AN ISSUE, I'LL TALK TO DIRECTOR CLARK TOMORROW AND BOUNCE IT OFF HER AND SEE WHAT SHE SAYS.

AND I'LL TALK TO DIRECTOR SCHMITT AND LET HIM KNOW ABOUT THE IMPASSE, BUT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN SO I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT ONE.

OTHER BUSINESS 9C 2024 ANNUAL REPORT. I DID NOTICE THAT YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER BLUMER LISTED AS THE CHAIR FOR 2024,

[9.C. 2024 Annual Report]

HE WAS IN JANUARY UNTIL WE HAD OUR ELECTION ON THAT.

THAT'S RIGHT I CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE. THANK YOU.

SORRY ABOUT THAT. THAT'S OKAY. ANYTHING TO UPDATE US? OR DID PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE REPORT ITSELF? NO. I'M JUST HONESTLY HAPPY TO GET THIS TO YOU IN JANUARY INSTEAD OF FEBRUARY.

IF YOU GUYS ARE GOOD WITH IT, I JUST NEED A SIMPLE VOTE TO CONFIRM IT.

AND I'LL GET THIS IN I'LL GET THIS SENT TO THE BOARD TOMORROW FOR THEIR NEXT PACKET.

IN FACT, IT'S ON THE DRAFT AGENDA WE GOT TODAY.

IT'S ALREADY LISTED AS BEING A CONSENT ITEM AGENDA.

OKAY. YEAH. CONSENT AGENDA ITEM.

I FEEL LIKE I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT. WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING I DID HAVE ONE.

[01:30:09]

IT'S NOT ALWAYS 100% CLEAR WHO DID WHAT WHEN.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MATTERS SINCE THIS IS A SYNOPSIS OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES.

BUT THAT WAS MY QUESTION IS SORT OF. YEAH. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I KNOW I USED THIS AS THE BASIS FOR MY REPORT AT LAST YEAR'S JOINT BOARD MEETING, AND SO IT WAS HELPFUL TO HAVE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN THE PAST, BEEN DELINEATED AS LIKE BOARD ACTIONS VERSUS TOWNSHIP BOARD ACTIONS OR COMMISSION ACTIONS. A CATEGORY AT THE TOP OF PAGE FOUR CALLED COMMISSION REVIEW.

AND THE FIRST TIME I SAW THAT, I SAW SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

THOSE WERE REVIEWED BY SOME COMMISSION. YEAH, BUT NOT NECESSARILY US.

TYPICALLY NOT ACTUALLY, IT'S THE TERM AND THE ZONING ORDINANCE BUT LIKE A LAND DIVISION IS, A COMMISSION IS LOGGED AS A COMMISSION REVIEW.

THE ONLY ONE OF THESE THAT CAME IN FRONT OF YOU WAS THE STARBUCKS DRIVE THRU SIGNS.

I WAS GOING TO SAY I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE OTHER ONES. OKAY, THAT'S THAT'S VERY STRANGE LANGUAGE.

FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS, YOU GET USED TO IT.

YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, COMMENTS OR WITH THE ONE CHANGE, ARE WE GOOD FOR THAT TO GO? MMHM. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WE NEED TO VOTE.

DO YOU NEED A MOTION? CAN WE DO IN THE FUTURE.

WOULD YOU LIKE THAT BROKEN OUT; STAFF ACTIONS VERSUS COMMISSION ACTIONS? I THINK SO, YEAH. OKAY. YEAH I CAN, I CAN DO THAT.

YEAH. JUST SORT OF LIKE A RECORD OF WHAT WE DID THROUGH THE YEAR VERSUS WHAT WAS DONE SORT OF THROUGH BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THAT A LOT.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE INFORMATIVE TO PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE TOO, TO UNDERSTAND.

OKAY. GOING FORWARD, WHO DOES WHAT I'LL MAKE THAT CHANGE.

AND EVEN LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW LIKE BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S COMMISSION ACTIONS, TOWNSHIP BOARD ACTIONS BASED ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND STAFF ACTIONS. SO TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE COMPLICATED, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT, BUT THAT MAY BE ASKING TOO MUCH TOO SOON.

FLOW CHART. THEN VISIO. SO I GUESS A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS TO GO TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

SO MOVED. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL SECOND.

THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE ARE DOWN TO REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[10.A. Township Board update]

THAT MIGHT THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT. GO AHEAD. YOU DON'T MIND? SO WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS, THERE'S A COMMUNICATION FROM THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING. I'M SORRY.

YES. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO YOU COMMISSION MEMBERS TO ATTEND A SPECIAL MEETING BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND THE TOWNSHIP'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. LIKE I SAID TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, TOWN HALL, ROOM 6 P.M..

LAST YEAR, CHAIR SHREWSBURY WENT ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

WE WERE ALL HERE, ACTUALLY. I THINK EVERYBODY I THINK EVERYONE WAS PRESENT.

I ENDED UP SPEAKING ON OUR BEHALF. SO I'LL WELCOME I THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW.

OR YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT YOU NEED TO RSVP IF YOU DO PLAN TO ATTEND, BUT I KNOW THAT I HAVE A WORK RELATED MEETING THAT'S LIKELY TO GO AT LEAST TILL 6 THAT DAY, SO I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT I'LL BE HERE AND I'D LIKE SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND I THINK I MAY HAVE GIVEN CHRISTINA A HEADS UP SHE IS YOUR VICE CHAIR. YES. SO UNLESS SHE DOESN'T WANT TO AND SOMEONE WANTS TO VOLUNTEER ON HER BEHALF, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY WILL BE HERE AND WOULD BE WILLING TO REPRESENT IF WE HAVE TO, SO. I'LL BE THERE ON BEHALF OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

SO I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TWO SPEAKING SPOTS. OKAY.

WELL, WE'LL MAKE SURE SHE'S OKAY AND IF NOT, IF SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD BE WILLING TO REPRESENT.

IT'S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE EVERY COMMISSION AND BOARD TALKS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

IT'S A GREAT WAY TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE TOWNSHIP.

AND I LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS FROM OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT REALLY I THINK ARE HELPFUL.

AND YOU SEE SOME OF THE SYNERGY BETWEEN WHAT WE DO AND WHAT THEY DO, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS HAVE TO ADDRESS.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ATTEND IF YOU CAN OR IF YOU CAN'T WATCH IT ON TV.

THANK YOU. OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN SO TOWNSHIP BOARD UPDATE.

[01:35:01]

THE NEW TOWNSHIP MANAGER STARTED TODAY. GOT BROUGHT AROUND THIS AFTERNOON.

THE OTHER THING, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IS EITHER ABOUT TO OR HAS JUST APPROVED, GIVE FINAL APPROVAL TO THE TEXT AMENDMENT THAT YOU GUYS DID FOR THE VILLAGE OF MOKA ZONING DISTRICT.

THANK YOU. COOL. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. AND LIAISON REPORTS.

[10.B. Liaison reports]

IT'S WHERE THE TRAIN TRACKS GO ACROSS HASLETT ROAD AND THE VILLAGE OF HASLETT.

IT'S THE U TURN RIGHT, RIGHT AFTER GOING EAST ON THAT AND IT'S RIGHT THERE AND THEY HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING A SEMI DOWN THERE, WHICH THEY'RE NOW USING THEY NEED TO GET THEIR SHIPMENTS.

AND SO THE WAY THAT THE PARKING LOT HAD TO BE STRUCTURED WAS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR THEIR NEEDS.

AND IT WAS GOING TO CREATE SAFETY ISSUES. SO WE VOTED IN SUPPORT OF THAT.

AND THEN THE SECOND ISSUE WAS TO WHICH, THIS IS A REPEAT.

BUT DTN HAD ANOTHER SET OF VARIANCE REQUESTS ON SOME DECKS THAT THEY HAVE GOING OFF UNITS.

AND WE POSTPONED THE POSTPONED THE DECISION ON THAT AGAIN WHILE THEY'RE REVISITING THEIR SITE PLAN AND OTHER DESIGNS.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER UPDATES? PROJECT UPDATES, WE HAVE A LIST IN THE PACKET.

[11. PROJECT UPDATES]

SEEING NONE WE'LL MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER COMMENTS.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? OKAY. THEN WE ARE DOWN TO ITEM 14.

I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED.

SECOND. SO MOVED. OKAY. AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS FEBRUARY 10TH.

AND ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING, SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 8:06. THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.