The subject was fireworks yet again.
Though the Leighton Township Board stopped short Thursday night of adopting a local ordinance to match new state regulations, it did approve fireworks displays July 3 at Green Lake and July 13 at a wedding barn at 876 145th Avenue.
The cities of Wayland and Allegan recently decided to adopt a local ordinance that mirrors new more restrictive guidelines, limiting fireworks to 12 or 13 days a year rather than the old standard of the day before, day of and day after a federally recognized holiday. Without the local ordinance, local municipalities cannot prohibit them on day before, day of and day after.
Fire Chief Matt Weston noted the department will have a presence for the Green Lake Association doings July 3 and the wedding barn festivities 10 days later at a cost of $295 an hour.
Kat Scheltema, a neighbor of the wedding barn site, asked the township to try to ensure the fireworks won’t be disruptive by spooking horses and dogs. But Trustee John Hooker replied that government officials cannot tell a business how to provide its service.
Though she said she doesn’t object to the wedding barn plans, “These fireworks that keep getting approved — they’re just going to move around to other locations in the township,” Scheltema commented. “I see this happening more and more… Shouldn’t this be limited to the property where they are located?”
In other business at Thursday evening’s meeting, the board:
- Set a public hearing on an industrial facilities tax exemption district request for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11, a half hour before the regular meeting. The IFT request is being made on behalf of Classic Distribution at 4729 Division near 147th Avenue.
- Approved a recommendation from the Planning Commission to rezone agricultural property near the corner of 146th Avenue and 10th Street to C-2 commercial. Township officials noted the site is no longer used for farming, and Hooker reported, “There are no plans at this point (for the site), but there probably will be.”
- Approved a rezoning request from Robert Velting to rezone his property from residential to lake residential district to accommodate an accessory building.
- Noted that citizens still can take a master plan survey on the township’s web site or with forms that will be included in tax notices.
- Agreed to renew the 10-year weed special assessment districts for Green lake and Round Lake at $75 per parcel for 10 years.
