June/July Board & PC Updates
Sadly, I had to miss my first Board Meeting, but not by choice. My son had an emergency and we had to rush to the ER. He was helping lay sod and fell, resulting in 15 stitches. Thankfully, he's fine now. This is just one of the many things Jake and I are going to experience raising three boys. Please send good vibes and prayers our way!
It’s great that we record the Board Meetings because I was able to watch it later. I had serious FOMO (fear of missing out!). As you know, I love being a trustee and I had an item on the agenda.
You too can watch the recording of the June 24 Board Meeting here. The most notable thing from this meeting was the decision to allocate $100K of taxpayer dollars to help fund the KDL expansion project. Did you know that Cannon Township Residents make up 21% of the attendees at Krause Memorial Library? I found that pretty interesting.
We had our first SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION Meeting of the year on June 25. We discussed the ordinance regarding drive-throughs at Town Square (Ric’s Parking Lot location) and the possibility of Chris Kaman having a Biggby located there. Surprisingly, we didn’t hear from many people during the public hearing. Remember, you are always welcome to join the meetings. If you can’t make it, you can always send a letter or email to Ed Lockhart and he’ll forward it to the Planning Commission.
The PC is made up of a diverse group in Cannon Township and I'm always amazed by the new perspectives on various topics. I always learn something and the intelligence and articulation of our community members are just next level. I wonder what our average community IQ is? It has to be high. :)
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
I am a graduate of MSU Citizens Planner, which focuses on Planning Commission operations and why the group operates the way it does. It is tough being a planning commissioner because you have to put your opinions aside and really focus on following the rules of the ordinances. As well as the PC sets the ordinances as well. If you’re looking to learn something new, I highly suggest taking a class on the topic from MSU Extension.
The July 8 Board Meeting was the shortest meeting I’ve attended. I think we finished in 17 minutes. IMO, there wasn’t anything newsworthy.
At the July 9 Planning Commission Meeting, we had a Public Hearing for a Rezoning Request at 4835 Belding Road by Rockford Holdings, LLC (Scott Nurski). It was a really great dialogue. The PC advised denying the zoning change due to a myriad of reasons. Now it will move on to the Board to decide what to do. update 7/16: They pulled their request and this will not move onto the Board.
We also decided as a board to create a subcommittee to review the ordinances overall to see if it makes sense to change them a bit to slow down growth in the area. We want to make sure we keep that historic rural charm. What are your thoughts on the topic? This is a complex issue as there are so many angles to consider, including the perspectives of residents, business owners, developers, and neighbors surrounding developments.
July 22 Board Meeting there are the two PC items I’ve already shared about Public Hearing for the Orchard View Phase 2 and Town Square Ordinance Amendment. If you have opinions come share them tonight! The Planning Commission is in support of both items.
