Developer Jon Burke and engineer Matt Cole had reasonable hopes for winning rezoning Thursday night from the Dorr Township Board for a parcel at the corner of 142nd Avenue and Commerce Street.
But it was not to be.
A request to rezone the parcel from e-commercial to mixed use light industrial was deadlocked at 3-3 a month ago, but this time it went down by a 5-2 vote.
The Donjon project was denied conditional rezoning several moths ago by the Planning Commission, which suggested the developer come back with a proposal to rezone to mixed use to accommodate the commercial and industrial plans for the property, which sits in front of the Black Gold asphalt plant.
The key factor in the rezoning rejection was the presence of two piles of materials too close to 142nd Avenue, thereby making it too easy for motorists in a high traffic area to see. The piles, according to township officials, are it an eyesore.
Burke said the piles have been cleared from the site and moved to a place they can’t be seen by passing motorists, but perhaps it was too late.
Cole maintained, “That land’s been vacant for 30 years and it hasn’t been developed.” He later added, “He (the developer) needs the two piles in order to operate successfully.”
Trustee Chandler Stanton said the piled have amounted to nothing short of an eyesore and added, “I don’t think we need industrial on a main road.”
Indeed, the site is just off the U.S.-131 expressway heading west into Dorr.
Trustee John Tuinstra asked, “Is there something we can do to make this more attractive?”
Cole answered, “There was a violation, and it was cleaned up.”
However, Treasurer Laurie Perry, who was absent from the previous month’s meeting, voted no and Supervisor Jeff Miling switched his yes vote to no, making the tally 5-2 to deny.
Trustees Tuinstra and Dan Weber voted in favor of the rezoning.
To clarify on the petitioners comments it is NOT cleaned up there is still wrecked culverts and other items still laying on the property, If he Really Cared he would have either contracted it to be cleaned up and Mowed or done some sort of improvement like having a local farmer till the soil to give it a better appearance and I would “Guess” the vote might have been more in favor.
Jim, Please refrain from using logic, it might confuse a few folk. My opinion.