SN 3-2-2024

The Sun and News, Saturday, March 2, 2024/ Page 11

Gaines trustees to take up requested rezone

for a gateway intersection

James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
The Gaines Township
Planning Commission is rec-
ommending that the town-
ship board approve a rezon-
ing request for the southeast
corner of the 76th Street/
Division Avenue intersec-
tion.
Township planners have
described it as a “gateway”
intersection into Gaines
Township, which shares
Division as a boundary with
Byron Township.
Following a public hear-
ing, the planning commis-
sion roll-call voted 5-0 at its
Feb. 22 meeting to recom-
mend that township trustees
approve a rezone of one acre
of a 2.3-acre property at
7610 S. Division Ave. from a
Heavy Industrial (I-2) desig-
nation to Neighborhood
Commercial (NC). Half of
the single parcel adjacent to
the intersection is vacant,
and the other half immedi-
ately to the east is occupied
by a self-storage operation.
As a condition of the prop-
erty’s rezoning, the parcel
would have to be divided
between commercial and
industrial within 60 days of
the rezoning approval.
Planners said it would have
been difficult to fit a modern
industrial development into
that size of a split parcel, and
residential use would not be
appropriate with all the busi-
nesses along that stretch of
Division Avenue.
Two planning commis-

sioners were absent from the

meeting.

The planning commission

had approved a preliminary

request on Jan. 25 from project

applicant Brian DeSmit of

Apex Realty, on behalf of the

land owner, the Jon & Sandra

Good Trust. In December, the

commission recommended the

township board reject an ini-

tial application for General

Commercial rezoning. That

prompted DeSmit to withdraw

that application and submit a

new one requesting the

Neighborhood Commercial

designation, instead.

That allayed planning com-

missioners’ earlier concern

that giving it a General

Commercial designation

might pave the way for a stop-

and-go type business to set up

at that intersection, such as a

gas station or drive-thru

restaurant. Utilities required

for commercial use are already

in place in that area.

“They’re going to be rezon-

ing it in order to develop it

with a Neighborhood

Commercial business. We

don’t know exactly what that

will be yet,” Community

Development Director Dan

Wells told the planning com-

mission.

Some township trustees and

planning commissioners were

surprised at how many decades

the southeast corner of that

intersection has been vacant.

Wells described the property

as a “build to suit” location,

although the developer has not

determined what type of busi-

ness it might attract for the

site.

“He is very confident, with

that being a busy corner, that

he will be able to find a user

for that location,” Wells said.

“We assume that it will be

utilized for some kind of resi-

dential neighborhood retail

and services.”

The township’s Future

Land Use Plan designates the

location as suitable for a medi-

um-density residential/retail

mixed use.

Planning staff have said that

development of the vacant lot

at 76th Street/Division Avenue

would be “a signal of reinvest-

ment of the Division corridor”

in Cutlerville.

“We’d love to see some

investment in that area, so this

would be a good develop-

ment,” Wells said.

68

Residential & Commercial

–Gas Furnaces

–Gas Boilers

–Air Conditioners

–Heat Pumps

–Water Heaters

–Humidifiers

In Memory

IN LOVING MEMORY

Dykstra

Paul “Spike” son, brother, dad,

uncle one year ago March 7,

2023

Paul L., husband, dad and

grandpa four years ago April

3, 2020.

Those we love don’t go away.

They walk beside us everyday.

Unseen, unheard, but always

near. Still love, still missed, still

very dear.

Sadly missed,

Sheila, Austin, Brenda, Carl

Blough and families.

Business Services

CONSTRUCTION: ADDI-

TIONS, REMODELING,

Roofing, Siding, Pole Barns

& Decks. Licensed builder 25

years. Tom Beard, 269-838-

5937.

BUYING ALL HARD-

WOODS: Paying Premiums for

Walnut, White Oak, Tulip Pop-

lar with a 2ft diameter or larger.

Call for pricing. Will buy single

Walnut trees. Insured, liability

& workman’s comp. Fetterley

Logging, (269)818-7793.

Pets

DOG GROOMING. QUALI-

TY local groomer at reasonable

rates. 269-331-9999.

Community Notice

NOTICE OF SELF-STOR-

AGE SALE: Please notice Red

Dot Storage 195- Caledonia

located at 5590 68th Street SE.,

Caledonia, MI 49316 intends to

hold an auction of the storage

unit in default of payment.

This sale will occur online

via http://www.storageTreasures.

com on 3/12/2024 at 9:30 AM.

Unless stated otherwise, the

contents are household goods,

furnishings, boxes, and general

equipment. Unit numbers are

as follows: #263; #440; #441. All

property is being stored at the

above self-storage facility. This

sale may be withdrawn at any

time without notice. Certain

terms and conditions apply. See

manager for details.

FEATURED FILM: Celebration Cinema

opens ‘C Premium’ auditorium with

first public screening

James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
The public has gotten its
first glimpse of the new ‘C
Premium’ auditorium at
Celebration Cinema South in
Gaines Charter Township.
The 19-year-old, 10-screen
multiplex theater is located
at 1506 Eastport Dr., which
is just north of M-6 and west
of Kalamazoo Avenue.
The media got to see the
first non-test show in the C
Premium auditorium on Feb.
28, a replay of the original
“Dune” science-fiction

movie. The first flick viewed

by the public at-large was on

Feb. 29 for the opening of

the followup film, “Dune:

II.”

“That has got to be the

most perfect movie to open

this auditorium to. It is a true

masterpiece. It’s a

world-building film. It

deserves to be seen on a big

screen with all of the best of

projection, sight and sound,”

Emily Loeks said. She is

Celebration Cinema’s Public

Relations & Community

Affairs Director.

The C Premium auditori-

um features 38 speakers

pumping out Dolby Atmos

surround sound, 4K laser

projection and reclining

seats that vibrate during

action sequences in the

movie and have an option

lower-back warmer. All of

the auditoriums in the

Celebration South complex

will have the reclining seats

soon. But only the C

Premium auditorium fea-

tures the high-tech sound

and light-projection system.

“We’re really excited to

launch this brand,” Loeks

said.

It’s part of a $4 million

renovation at Celebration

Cinema South that began in

January and will culminate

with a grand reopening in

late April.

Other renovations include

a full kitchen to support an

expanded food and beverage

menu. That includes delivery

to your theater seat.

Loeks was asked if the

seats are so comfortable that

people might fall asleep in

them.

“I don’t think they’ll fall

asleep during Dune, because

it’s a mesmerizing film. But I

have heard that some folks

come to our Flicks Family

Films, which are free for kids

(12 and younger), because

it’s the best nap ever while

you’re watching a movie

with kids,” she said.

This aerial view shows where Gaines planning

commissioners are requesting a rezoning of a vacant

parcel at a prime intersection at the southeast corner

of Division Avenue and 76th Street. (Source:

GainesTownship.org)

The rooftop marquee for Celebration Cinema, a

19-year-old, 10-screen multiplex in Gaines Township.

(All photos by Steve Katerberg)

Renovation work will continue at Celebration

South until late April.

The Irwin reclining seats featured in the new C
Premium auditorium vibrate during sound effects and
include a lower back-warming button.