Tonight's Planning Commission meeting was almost a non-starter. Sam Iaquinto was busy with the Pond Hockey Tournament. Neither Mark Stanalajczo nor Township Trustee Janet Chick showed up. Had she appeared, Chick's job would have been to convey the board's stated interest in studying the downgrading of Ag Zone density to a 2 1/2 or 2 acre minimum lot size.
Because so few commissioners were present, Planning Commission chair Chockley began the meeting by deferring the agenda item, under New Business, calling for discussion of this year's priorities and projects, which will include the various schemes to undermine Ag Zoning.
Ex Supervisor Mike Cicchella, Ed & Robin Wojtys, Chrystina Kozak, Craig Warburton and Dale Brewer comprised the entire audience to this meeting.
You may watch the meeting here on livestream. The meeting started late, awaiting arrival of the no-shows, about 7 min 50 seconds from the start of recording.
A brief synopsis:
Meeting begins
Chockley announced the first call to the public: Your five Northfield Neighbors spoke eloquently.
Commissioner Dignin expressed surprise that several residents had asked him about the 2 acre ag zoning question since it was not yet on any agenda. He admitted that he had not watched the board meeting. Fortunately both Chairperson Chockley and Planning Consultant Doug Lewan had attended the January 27th Board meeting. Both confirmed that such a scheme had been raised and discussed at length.
Doug Lewan addressed nine questions raised by David Gordon in a January letter.
(1) 'How does sewer expansion affect our Master Plan?'
"The first question had to do with sewer expansion and how that might affect this master plan amendment that we're talking about, and we are still reviewing the Master Plan. This is something that's not off the table. The question was, what's going on with the sewer study and is the Master Plan amendment still going forward?"
"The Master Plan amendment, as far as I'm concerned," said Lewan, "is still going forward. The sewer study is ongoing. So we don't have any information, no new information on the sewer study. As we proceed with this Master Plan amendment, based on comments that we receive from the township board, there certainly could be other parts of the township that are considered for changes to the Master Plan, if that's what the planning commission would like to do. There were a number of other areas outside the Biltmore property that were discussed as potential changes in the Master Plan. And so, I think we may have to look at more than just that one spot of the township for potential changes to the plan. So, are we still moving in this direction? As far as I'm concerned, we still are moving in this direction."
(2) 'The second question is about public participation in the Master Plan amendment process' (@27:54 livestream)
(3) 'Are we going to do professional surveys?' (@28:35 livestream)
(4) 'What's the status of the various studies?' (@29:15 livestream)
(5) 'A discussion of, a kind of cost of services question' (@32:00 livestream)
(6) 'Question about the 2012 Master Plan and areas already planned for higher densities, areas already changed from the previous Master Plan (@33:13 livestream)
(7) 'What protections can be put in place that will safeguard the township should the developer walk away?' (@34:05 livestream)
(8) 'Is there a need for housing?' (@35:11 livestream)
(9) 'The last question is about the sewer study again.' (@36:35 livestream)
(@41:25 livestream).
Amendments to the Manufactured Housing district zoning regs were discussed. The P.C. approved sending these up to the Township board to vote into our Township ordinances.
The meeting ended before 8:00 P.M..
Click here to download the Meeting Agenda
Click here to download the Meeting Packet
Click here to download the Meeting Minutes (draft)
