Not everybody is enthusiastic about prospects for sustainable business park at a Dorr Township site formerly targeted for a new landfill.

Dorr Township Supervisor Jeff Miling Thursday evening told Township Board members the Kent County Board of Commissioners appear to be evenly split about a proposal to use a 250-acre site for recycling up to 90 percent of waste. Dorr Township is on board and has contributed $200,000 of its America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the project.

Because the Kent County landfill is nearing capacity, a site in northeast Allegan County is where the next landfill is supposed to be established.

Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc – Solid Waste Management has submitted a master plan for the 250 acres to convert waste materials into marketable products. Joining GBB for this key assignment as planning partners are Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc., a local Grand Rapids-based Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Architecture, and Construction Management firm; Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, a local stakeholders engagement communications firm; and PFM, the nation’s largest independent financial advisor to public entities.

The Kent County Department of Public Works and other supporters of the plan have presented to Dorr Township officials a bold goal to divert 90% of county-generated trash that goes to landfills by 2030.

Just about everybody, including the Dorr Township Board, has expressed support.

Miling commented Thursday night, “We’d really like to have a (sustainable business) park, not a dump.”

If the Kent County Board rejects the plan, the township’s contribution of $200,000 will be withdrawn.

This has prompted Dorr Township Parks Commission representative to ask for $100,000 to help fund a proposed 1,000-linear foot walking trail around North Park. The facility already has won $200,000 in ARPA money for a new parking lot.

Winters said the trail would “guarantee emergency access that right now is lacking.

“We want to provide our community with a safe place to walk and run,” Winters told the board.

No action was taken on the parks proposal because of the uncertainty about the sustainable business park.

In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, the Township Board:

• Was given a presentation from Clerk Debbie Sewers about the nine-day stipulation for open polls for next year’s elections. She said the township has decided to “go it alone” in keeping polls open for voting in the nine days, maintaining she would be uncomfortable with having Dorr ballots being kept elsewhere. She said the added costs to the township of Proposal 2 from the 2022 election could be up to $25,000.
• Was told by Library Director Jeff Babbit that there is one vacancy on the Library Board. The seat could be filled more permanently in the 2024, but a temporary appointment now would be helpful. Meanwhile, public interest and services at the Dorr Township Library are at an all-time high.

 • Learned from Fire Chief Gary Fordham that used masks and equipment at the fire department may be shipped up north to departments who need such equipment.

• Approved the rezoning requests for rezoning property on 14th Street owned by the late Russell and Viola Shoemaker from agricultural to rural estates, and the Baker property located next to Copart along 142nd Avenue, also from ag to rural estates. Both requests had won the blessing of the Planning Commission earlier this month.