The future of the Lumberyard Events Center may hang in the balance at the next Wayland City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20.
City Manager Joshua Eggleston told council members that an item proposing “revocation of a special use permit” for the proposed new facility will be placed on the meeting’s agenda. He explained that owners Mark and Marty Shepard and city officials have not come to final agreement on a site plan at the corner of Railroad and Maple streets. They were given a deadline of Aug. 1 to submit the plan.
Eggleston representatives from the city and the business did come up with a plan to have 100 parking spaces available, the number the city has required.
The former Smith Lumber & Coal building, which had been in business over three generations and more than 100 years, is supposed to become an event center to be host for reunions, weddings and large parties, but whether or not that will happen now is up in the air.
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the council:
• Was told by Eggleston that the council should decide yea or nay once and for all on the question of permitting residents to keep chickens on the property. The issue was tabled a year ago and nothing since has been done.
“We do have a responsibility to our citizens to give them an answer (on the issue),” the city manager said. “Several individuals would like to have a discussion.”
• Learned from the city manager that samples of Wayland city water have been sent to the state for free testing in the wake of reports of Pfas in the water at Parchment and Cooper Township. The testing was done between April 30 and May 16, but results have not yet been made available.
• Heard a presentation from Allegan County Prosecutor candidate Mike Villar, an attorney from Allegan who is challenging Myrene Koch, who was appointed to the post earlier this year, succeeding Roberts Kengis, who was elevated to Circuit Judge.
• Received its annual “state of the courts” presentation from District Judge William Baillargeon.
