Watson Township Supervisor Kevin Travis Thursday evening introduced Jay Roberts-Eveland, retired Kentwood Schools therapist, who is writing a grant and submitting it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help fund a study for sewer extension to property at the corner of M-222 and 12th Street.
Travis told colleagues he has a vision for developing the old gravel pit at that site into a sheep and goat processing facility to serve West Michigan Muslims. He indicated there is a population of Muslims in the Kentwood community and they might be interested in having such a facility so they wouldn’t have to drive all the way to the Detroit area to get their meat products.
He suggested that the Martin Motor Sports Park just to the north on 12th Street could perhaps provide sewer service to the site, which now is zoned commercial and has been for sale for a long time.
Travis said a grant, if approved, could fund a feasibility study for the idea.
In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, the Township Board:
• Officially fielded a request from Corey Smith for permission to have hill climbs on his rural property zoned agricultural. He may have to see rezoning or a special use permit, but he plans to have the request submitted to the Planning Commission later this month.
Smith had to shut down his twice a year operation this summer because it was learned his activity was violating the township zoning ordinance and he was illegally sponsoring a for-profit activity.
Travis acknowledged, “I really want to see this go away,” but Smith and Board Member Chuck Andrysiak said they would get in touch with Lori Castello of Professional Code Inspections to help matters along.
• Received a lot of information from Allegan County Commissioner Gale Dugan, who reported Recycling Director Ben Williams has joined the Health Department as a sanitarian, Craig Atwood has the inside track on being promoted to engineer-manager of the Road Commission to replace retiring Larry Brown, and the Selkirk Lake special assessment for drainage has been approved.
Dugan said the Selkirk Lake project is sorely needed.
“There is no adequate percolation,” he commented, “there are sewer tanks coming out of the ground. It’s an issue of health, safety and welfare for those people on the lake. Their properties have been damaged and flooded.”
