Dorr Township Truste
e got into a little bit of trouble once again Thursday night because of his penchant for trying to do things outside of the Township Board.
Tuinstra was successful in getting a decision on a rezoning request postponed for another month to seek further information, but he incurred criticism from Trustee Dan Weber and Supervisor Jeff Miling for taking matters into his own hands.
Tuinstra noted that a request to rezone the property at 2211 138th St. (near 22nd Avenue) from commercial to rural estates was made to the Township Planning Commission last June by Joe Jablonski, but the site now is owned by Dan Wright.
“It looks to me as though this is highly irregular and maybe not even legal,” Tuinstra told board colleagues. “I’d be irritated if someone wanted to rezone my property without my knowledge.”
He said this matter came to his attention Thursday and because he was unsuccessful in reaching Wright for comment, he even personally went to his house to inquire. He was still unsuccessful in making any contact.
Tuinstra’s actions were regarded by Weber as conduct unbecoming of an elected township trustee.
“I think he is operating above his authority and he needs to stop (this behavior),” Weber said.
He agreed that further inquiry was needed, but it is not Tuinstra’s job to do that work unilaterally without any board input.
“We (Township Board members) are not supposed to do the investigating,” Miling added.
Tuinstra almost four years ago single handedly halted the demolition of the old Graczyk property to make way for park expansion, which had been approved earlier by the board. He actually went to the site and persuaded men working the machines to stop because he thought the property could be saved for some kind of agricultural petting zoo.
The expansion project as a result was delayed by several months.
The board agreed to postpone any action on the rezoning request until the matter of property ownership at the time the request was made is resolved.
PHOTO: John Tuinstra
