Consultants with the Sustainable Business Park project in northeast Dorr Township Tuesday night revealed that the anchor tenant on the 250-acre parcel will be Continuous Materials, which takes waste plastics and paper to manufacture reusable items.
Rick Chapla told the Township Planning Commission that Continuous Materials seeks to make flooring, siding, rooking and ceiling materials out of the Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 plastics items at its plant, along with fertilizer and renewable natural gas.
Chapla said, “Our goal is 90 percent diversion (from throwaway plastic, cardboard and paper) by 2030. We’re on the cusp of doing something very different with the emergent technologies. Our intent is to cap it (the current Kent County landfill) and get out of the landfill business.”
He said plans right now call for the anchor tenant to begin operations by early 2025 at the site bounded by 14th Street, 108th Avenue, 146th Avenue and the U.S.-131 expressway.
Chapla told the Planning Commission a zoning request for a planned unit development (PUD) is likely to be made next month or in November.
The Kent County Department of Public Works has been working on implementing a sustainable business park rather than a landfill at the location it owns for the last several years. The current Kent County dump takes in most of Allegan County’s trash, but it is expected to run out of space before the next decade.
In other business Tuesday evening, the Planning Commission:
- Approved a minor amendment for the Hilltop View Estates residential project, which completed its first phase years ago, but since abandoned the second phase. The amendment will permit the developer to add two more parcels.
- Held its second workshop on the new master plan with consultant Nathan Mehmed of Williams and Works.
COVER PHOTO: Nathan Mehmed speaks to the Planning Commission about the master plan, showing two maps.