The Dorr Township Planning Commission Tuesday night voted 6-0 to recommend the Sustainable Business Park request for a planned unit development (PUD) be submitted to the Township Board next month.
Proponents of the park which relies heavily on recycling practices, say it’s in Dorr’s best interests to have their plan rather than simply allow the Kent County landfill move in by the year 2030.
The Sustainable Business Park won the blessings of the Planning Commission and the Township Board in 2021, but the project stalled because of the Covid pandemic and the anchor tenant filed for bankruptcy.
Darwin Baas, who is overseeing the project on behalf of Kent County, said this park will be scaled back this time and the new anchor tenant will be Kent County, which will maintain ownership.
The business park will move into the northeast portion of Dorr Township on 146th Avenue and plans call for improvements for that avenue and 14th Street, 100th Street and Clyde Park.
Baas said, “The idea behind this project is (simply) to not build a landfill (at the Dorr location, which takes in 250 acres.
Though the Planning Commission’s hearing focused on the business park, many citizens in attendance spoke a lot about a data center that Microsoft plans to install in Dorr. The commission adamantly insisted that the two projects have nothing to do with each other.
Linda Dumond asked what advantages the business park would be for Dorr Township.
Planning Commission Chairman Dan Beute replied, “I’d rather not have a mountain of more trash move into Dorr Township.”
Some residents suggested the project is getting a rubber stamp from Planning Commission and Township Board members. Beute said this project has been in the works for as many as eight years.
Kim Donker asked how many agricultural acres are being lost by the urban sprawl and Laura Byrd insisted that “We’re going to need farm land (in the future) to grow food.”
Commissioners said the business park plans do not encroach on land suitable for farming.
Baas pointed out that Kent County at one time had as many as 20 landfills, but now, he added, Allegan County has no such facilities.
He also noted that landfills do not pay taxes because they are regarded as public services.
Baas reiterated that a data center isn’t and wasn’t even on the business park project’s radar.
“Data centers are not in the mix,” he said. “But we need to have the ability to adapt and change in the nature of handling trash.”
All six commissioners present voted to approve recommending the project again to the Township Board. Commissioner Dan Weber was absent because he is recuperating from surgery.
In other Township Planning Commission business:
A request to rezone a parcel on 144th Avenue and U.S,-131 by Dirk VandeBunte was turned down because it was too close to Moline Christian School and would be disruptive. VandeBunte said the parcel in question is no longer suitable for agriculture.’the commission also approved requests for concrete curb and gutter requirements for developments, a text amendment for battery energy storage systems and amending the existing solar ordinance. All will be sent to the Township Board next month.
