The Dorr Township Planning Commission Tuesday night recommended Township Board approval of a rezoning request for a 55-acre parcel across the street from the Copart car business.
The request was made by Rick Hapner of Vision Real Estate of Grand Rapids, but he was a no-show at the public hearing, prompting Commission Chairman Dan Beute and Vice Chairman Robert Wagner to suggest tabling the matter.
However Jason Derry of Professional Code Inspections, zoning administrator, said the request to rezone from agricultural and commercial to industrial followed the master plan. So after a motion to table it failed, the commission voted 6-1 to send it to the Township Board.
Wagner said he didn’t think it was a good idea to approve because, “We need some kind of an idea about what’s going to happen with that property.”
Derry, however, said. “It (the request) is not out of line. This could very easily be rezoned.”
A couple of neighbors of the property expressed their reservations.
Doug Frank said the notion that wetlands at the site were not an issue was false and that a different developer halted plans for that reason about a year ago.
Frank owns a 40-acre parcel next door with a house on site.
Scott Spoelstra, who has property just to the south, wanted to know if the property gets industrial zoning approved whether his property will suffer a huge increase in taxes as a result.
Hapner, in his communication, said the request was to change from agricultural designation, but leave alone the commercial zoning that already exists.
It was noted that if industrial zoning is approved, a private road at the site could be installed.
The Township Board will receive the request at its Dec. 19 meetings.
In other business at Tuesday night’s meeting, the Planning Commission:
- Tabled a request from Jess annd Tori Rodriguez to rezone their residential locational 4219 18th St. to establish a coffee shop and add a parking area for their plans for a home-based business. The couple will come back with a more detailed set of plans.
- Agreed to have all meeting at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.
- Was told by Derry that Microsoft, which has purchased two Dorr Township parcels and one in Gaines Township, also has bought another in Gun Plains Township.
- Had a public hearing on a number pod zoning text amendments and approved all of them. The amendments involved definitions reorganization, home occupations, greenbelts, solar energy units, front yard setbacks and Zoning Board of Appeals members’ families owning property next to sites under ZBA consideration.
