The Leighton Township Board Thursday evening doubled down on denying a rezoning request for a massive residential development on Division Avenue near 12th Street.

The board, on a 4-0 vote, adopted a resolution to deny rezoning for GRI Moline at 5401 Division Ave, on 57 acres to accommodate as many as 320 apartments in eight buildings, besides setting up a commercial-industrial property adjacent.

The Leighton Planning Commission in March decided against recommending the project and the Township Board had a public hearing in April, where it already revealed its skepticism. So the denial this month was a formality.

Supervisor Steve Wolbrink acknowledged the same reasons for opposing the development as stated earlier, and it all boiled down to insisting the township is not equipped to handle such a massive influx of new residents.

The reasons essentially involve infrastructure, including roads, traffic, fire services, and sewer and water.

“We can’t stop progress, but we can redirect it,” Wolbrink said. “If these developments go in, they will need to be serviced.”

Leighton Township in recent years has been identified as one of the fastest growing in population in Michigan, and judging by the building inspector’s monthly report for April, it hasn’t slowed very much.In four months this year, 16 building permits for new housing have been issued with an average value of $386.209.

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

• Decided to insist a tree be planted at a new residence on Butternut Drive in Harvest Meadows over the wishes of the homeowner. Trustee John Hooker pointed out that the site plan for the development required planting a tree and Treasurer Jaci Bultsma encouraged her colleagues to follow the recommendation of Professional Code Inspections.
• Tabled a request from the Moline Softball Association to erect a four-foot-high fence around the ballfields at a cost of $4,700.
• Agreed to have Ben Potts perform landscaping services at the two fire stations at a cost of $2,900.
• Awarded the low bid of Scott Glupker to mow lawns around the third ballfields and old elementary school in the park the township used federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to buy.
• Learned from Wolbrink that 23 volunteers showed up last Saturday to do cleanup at the old Moline Elementary site and adjacent property.
• Gave tentative approval to K & M Transport’s request to use a building on Morin Street for its planned truck inspection business.
• Was told by Fire Chief Matt Weston that the department has handled 142 calls for service in the four months of 2023, but the number of firefighters has declined to 30 because of a retirement and plans for a new firefighter to live here fell through.