The Wayland City Planning Commission welcomed new member Mark Lyons in its first meeting since the COVID-19 crisis hit Michigan in March.

The meeting Tuesday evening was a virtual session, just like all other city public meetings for the past four months. City Manager Josh Eggleston said he hopes in-person meetings can resume as early as perhaps next month, however, he noted, “We thought things were getting back to normal in early June and look what happened… It’s not the most enjoyable time right now, but we’re getting through it.

“We keep thinking we’re only two weeks away from our first in-person council meeting, but then things happen.”

Indeed, the number of Coronavirus cases in Michigan have spiked in the last several weeks, and through deaths are not increasing rapidly, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended the state of emergency until at least Aug. 11.

In other business Tuesday evening, the commission:

• Was told Eggleston that the State Boundary Commission has determined there is legal sufficiency for the city’s annexation of about a dozen properties on the west side of U.S.-131 in Hopkins Township. The city manager said there still needs to be public hearing on the property owners’ request and the city will continue its neutrality policy.

Eggleston stressed, however, “The costs have to make sense,” noting he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of having a 425 cost sharing arrangement.

The Hopkins Township Board is considering determining the properties, which stretch from 135^th Avenue south to the Bradley exit across from the casino, to be a downtown development authority that will be eligible for tax increment financing to fund improvements within the district.

Some area residents have objected to the DDA in a public hearing earlier this year.

• Welcomed back Zoning Administrator Lori Castello from Professional Code Inspections, who has worked with the commission until she suffered a heart attack late last year.

Castello said planners came very close to wrapping up work on amendments for the new sign ordinance.

“We came an awfully long way before we had to stop (because of the virus crisis),” she said.

Castello added that the commission needs to rework an ordinance regarding accessory structures to be used as dwellings. Because many families are constructing additions to their homes and garages to accommodate senior citizen relatives, they are becoming popular as ways to avoid the need to take them to assisted living or nursing homes.

• Was told by Eggleston that the City of Allegan has begun work on an ordinance to permit marijuana businesses. The city has delayed action on the issue.
• Learned from Castello that Michigan Senate Bill 415 has been introduced under heavy lobby from the aggregate industry to restrict local control over gravel mining operations.