The air strip issue in Leighton T
ownship continues to be in a holding pattern, but developer Clark Galloway is promising a new and revised idea to the Planning Commission at its Wednesday, Dec. 14, meeting.
Galloway is partner with Township Supervisor Steve Deer in an Excel Development LCC project to develop an air park near the corner of 144th and Kalamazoo Avenues. Deer has recused himself from any public deliberations on the issue in order to avoid any conflict of interest.
Galloway is proposing to take an old private air strip once used by the Bill Martin family and make it into an air park for use by residents along the strip, including hangars for small planes. The developer already had submitted a revised plan earlier this year, making it smaller, but he is now submitting a third proposal.
There have been disagreements about whether the strip, which hasn’t been used in several years, was a non-conforming use in the past. Zoning administrator Bob Jones determined the “old airstrip is a lawful nonconforming use and that its status has not been abandoned or forfeited.”
Since then neighboring residents sought a restraining order in Allegan County Circuit Court, Judge Kevin Cronin. An evidentiary hearing was held Oct. 17 on a restraining order to prohibit planes from flying at the old Martin air strip, but no resolution was reached and further testimony will be accepted in January.
Cronin last month granted a temporary stay requested by Kate and James Scheltema, Mark and Melissa Ouwinga, David and Jane Zylstra, Doug and Michelle Wiltjer and Kenneth and Cheryl Kooistra, neighbors of the proposed air strip.
These neighbors of the project are working to stop it because of potential problems with noise and not fitting into the rural residential character of the area.
Scheltema indicated she asked Jones to issue a temporary stay on flights at the strip while his decision was being appealed, but he had refused.
Though the issue appears to be a holding pattern until Dec. 14, Ouwinga once again videotaped the Township Board’s Nov. 10 meeting.
MAP: The location of the proposed air strip in Leighton Township.