The Hastings Banner — Thursday, April 8, 2021 — Page 5Planning commission OKs chicken ordinance;
addresses semi parking and building height
Sophie Bates
Staff Writer
Hastings Planning Commission members
approved a text amendment change to the city
ordinance to allow for keeping of chickens
within the city limits.
The decision, made during a hybrid meeting
Monday evening, will now go to the city
council for a vote.
This is the fourth draft of the ordinance the
planning commission has reviewed.
At its March meeting, commission members
reviewed results of a survey conducted by the
city to gauge public attitudes toward allowing
chickens in the city.
Out of 269 survey responses, 79 percent
said they would support such an amendment;
55 percent said they personally have an
interest in raising chickens.
“The planning commission has put a lot of
thought and delved hard into the issue at hand,
which is a text amendment to the keeping of
animals’ ordinance as it applies to chickens,”
Community Development Director Dan King
said. “A lot of input, public, through a survey
that was sent out near the end of the year
showed a favorable response to some type of
text and change to the ordinance.”
If approved by the council, the ordinance
would permit chickens within residentially
zoned districts – other than rural residential,
or RR zoned, where animals already are
allowed.
“[The change states] that the keeping of
chickens would be done on a noncommercial
basis solely as a locally grown food source of
consumption of meat and eggs; that there
would be a maximum number of chickens,
depending upon the size of the lot from four
to six. Roosters at all times would be
prohibited. The chickens would be required to
be in an enclosed enclosure, such as a coop;
there will be design or building standards
regarding those chicken coops,” King said.
“The ordinance does speak to keeping food
and other sources like that covered fully at all
times; and that the enclosures would be kept
neat and clean at all times to avoid noxious
odors or unsightly debris and mess.
“One of the other components to this is the
outdoor slaughtering of chickens would be
completely prohibited.”
Those interested in keeping chickens would
apply for a permit through the city. If granted,
the permit would expire after five years.Before a permit would be issued, a site review
of the location for the chicken coops and
enclosures would be completed by the city to
ensure that enclosures don’t violate the
ordinance’s setback requirements. The
requirements state that coops shall be located
in the rear yard no closer than 10 feet to any
property line and no closer than 40 feet to any
residential dwelling on an adjacent property.
The ordinance also requires the enclosure
not exceed 8 feet in height or 100 square feet
in total area. Coops must be constructed to
prevent harboring of rodents or vermin. And
the use of tarps, fabric, rubber, paper,
cardboard or similar materials for a coop is
prohibited.
Some members of the commission, such as
John Resseguie, were hesitant to approve the
change. Resseguie said he personally thinks
chickens should be kept in the country, but
voted to approve the ordinance because ‘that’s
what the people want.’
The change was approved with one “no”
vote from Planning Commissioner Lois
Bowers, who expressed concerns about
compliance during the Monday evening
session and at past planning commission
meetings.
The planning commission also set a public
hearing for its next meeting, May 3, to
consider a text amendment regarding parking
of semi-tractors, semi-trailers or vehicles with
two or more rear axles.
Currently, no zoning district or site
condition in the city allows for the overnight
or short-term parking or storage of such
vehicles. Parking of large vehicles is only
allowed if they are part of a business.
The text amendment, if passed, wouldallow for the outdoor storage of semi-tractors,
semi-trailers or vehicles with two or more rear
axles on an off-street parking lot without
connection to a business in a non-residential
zoning district as a special land use.
Additionally, the planning commission
approved a text amendment change to the B-
central business district as it pertains to
maximum building height.
“Currently, the maximum building height
in the B-1 central business district is 40 feet.
That standard has been out there for quite a
while,” King said. “There are a few buildings
downtown that exceed that, but those buildings
are 100 years old or older. So, it’s the
appropriate time for the planning commission
to review the possibility of increasing the
maximum building height.”
The commissioners agreed to allow
buildings to exceed 40 feet as a special land
use, which must be approved by the planning
commission. Commissioners also inserted a
provision that developers who wish their
projects to exceed 40 feet must provide front
elevation drawings to show how the design
would fit into the neighborhood.
In other business, the planning commission:- Approved the exterior design for a
residential development project at 600 W.
Woodlawn Ave. The commission previously
approved the project’s site plan with the
condition they review the exterior design
standards. - Heard an update from Chairman Dave
Hatfield regarding the addition of two-family
dwelling units as a permitted use in the
residential and apartment zoning districts.
Hatfield appointed a committee to review
what he said is a “complex issue.”
from our readers
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Editorial page 2
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Publisher & CEOHank Schuuring
CFOScott Ommen
Mike GilmoreTy Greenfield
Jennie YonkerSophie Bates
Greg ChandlerSean Bradley
Taylor OwensMichigan Legislature
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat, P.O. Box 30013, Lansing, Mich. 48909.
Phone (517) 373-3400; 517-335-7858 (Constituent Services).
State Representative Julie Calley, Republican, 87th District (All of Barry County),
Michigan House of Representatives, N-1191 House Office Building, Lansing, MI- Phone (517) 373-0842. e-mail: [email protected]
State Senator Dr. John Bizon, Republican, 19th District State Senate, Phone 517-
373-2426 or toll-free, 855-347-8019. Email: [email protected]; U.S.
mail: Sen. Dr. John Bizon, P.O. Box 30036, Lansing MI 48909.
U.S. House of Representatives
Peter Meijer, Republican, 3rd District (All of Barry County), 1508 Longworth House
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515-2203, phone (202) 225-3831, fax (202) 225-- District office: 110 Michigan Street NW, Suite 460, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503,
phone (616) 451-8383.
U.S. Senate
Debbie Stabenow, Democrat, 702 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
20510, phone (202) 224-4822.
Gary Peters, Democrat, 2 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-
2202, phone (248) 799-0850. District office: Gerald R. Ford Federal Building, Room
720, 110 Michigan Street NW, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503-2313, phone (616) 233-
9150.
President’s comment line: 1-202-456-1111. Capitol Information line for Congress
and the Senate: 1-202-224-3121.Know Your Legislators:
Thornapple Manor staff prevails
in these challenging times
To the editor:
I am writing to share my gratitude for the
amazing staff and team at Thornapple Manor.
Over the years, we have been recognized
within our community and industry for pro-
viding high-quality, state-of-the-art services. I
have felt blessed to be part of such a great
organization and to work with such a dedicat-
ed team.
As we passed the anniversary of closing
our building and working diligently to protect
our residents from COVID-19, I have taken a
moment to reflect on the absolutely amazing
successes our team has achieved. Here is a
brief summary of their successes.
We closed our building March 12, 2020, to
outside visitors before ordered to do so by the
state or federal government. We admitted our
first COVID-19-positive patient into an isola-
tion area we created April 6, 2020. This was
followed by 17 more COVID-19-positive
admissions through August 2020, all of them
recovered and were successfully discharged.
During this time, we had zero cross-infections
from our known COVID-19-positive residents
to other residents or staff. The staff working
within the isolation unit volunteered to do so.
We did encounter an unexpected COVID-
19 outbreak in late August from a resident in
for therapy unrelated to COVID-19. However,
the actions of our team within the first few
hours of confirmation contained the virus
spread. Although eight other residents and 12
staff became infected, two weeks later we had
no further cases of COVID-19 within our
building. Fortunately, those cross-infected
with COVID-19 had only mild symptoms and
fully recovered. Since then, we have had more
than 70 staff test positive for COVID-19 from
community exposures with no staff or resi-
dents cross-infected.
In addition, our team saw improvements in
many of our quality measures while the state
and national numbers worsened. To under-
score this accomplishment, this was done
while skilled-nursing facilities were over-
looked in the early days and not prioritized
with personal protective equipment and other
vital resources. We faced daily and sometimes
hourly changes in regulations and require-
ments from multiple governmental agencies
that often provided conflicting rules and guid-
ance. We also faced, and continue to face,
staffing challenges with our team working
past the point of exhaustion.
COVID-19 is not completely behind us.
But there is light at the end of this long dark
tunnel. With the vaccine, spring and sunshine
in the air, we have a renewed sense of opti-
mism about the future. We have the pleasure
of reuniting family members and watching the
hugs, kisses and tears following a year-long
separation.
It seems entirely inadequate to simply
express thanks, gratitude and admiration for
your successes as we and our families have.
But I would like to publically like to recog-
nize to the entire team at Thornapple Manor
for their love, dedication, care and compas-
sion for our residents. They make our resi-
dents’ days brighter and truly make a differ-
ence in their lives. Like never before, this past
year highlights their efforts. I hope they are as
proud of their efforts as I am to be part of their
team.Donald A Haney, Administrator,
Thornapple ManorComplicated voting
is a threat to democracy
To the editor:
There is nothing more sacred or more
important to a citizen of this country – the
USA – than the opportunity and responsibility
to vote. Without the absolute right of citizens
to vote, we will not have the democracy we
thought we had.
The Michigan Legislature and lots of other
state Legislatures have passed laws that will
make voting more difficult. This is totally a
mistake and another attempt to make voting
more difficult – based on unfounded suspicion
of other people who have the right to vote.
As a voter for 70 years after an honorable
discharge from the U.S. Army, I have been
voting here absentee for about 15 years. The
latest application for an absentee ballot in
Michigan, which I used and copied, has a lot
of questions obviously based on suspicions
about absentee voters that can, if necessary, be
easily proven. The application, which has to
be signed for every election, which is a waste
of money and inconvenient, smells of suspi-
cion about applicants based presumably on
total suspicions Trump created about the last
election.
Now I hear that the geniuses of our
Legislature have concocted something proba-
bly more complicated for that application,
which is a constitutional right of every citizen.
Anything to harass the applicant for voting
absentee.
Let us hope our competent governor won’t
sign it or our equally competent attorney gen-
eral of Michigan will get rid of it, one way or
the other.George C. Williston,
HastingsSewer rates
could increase
in southwestern
Barry County
Sean Bradley
Staff Writer
A rate increase could be in the future for
property owners connected to the Southwest
Barry County Sewer Authority sewer system.
An increase of $5.50 per month has been
proposed for 2,034 property owners in the
authority’s region of Hope, Prairieville,
Johnstown and Barry townships whose
properties are connected to the authority’s
sewage-treatment system.
The proposal from the authority would
increase to $40 per month, or $120 every
quarter, from $34.50 per month, or $103.
every quarter.
“The reason it’s being proposed is the
sewer authority is attempting to plan for
future improvements that will be necessary,”
Laurie Tamez, a consultant for the Southwest
Barry County Sewer Authority, said Monday.
Funds are needed for the future to keep the
sewer system operating efficiently without
having to go into debt from the state of
Michigan or to ask residents for funding via a
special assessment district, Tamez said.
All townships in the authority have to agree
to the rate increase for it to go into effect. As
of Monday, Hope and Prairieville townships
had approved the proposal.
Johnstown and Barry officials are waiting
for Scott Monroe, general manager of the
Southwest Barry County Sewer Authority, to
present information to their respective boards
before voting on it.
At a special meeting March 30, the
Prairieville Township Board of Trustees voted
to approve the proposal. Trustee Ted DeVries
voted against it.
“To me, I didn’t think it was a good time [to
raise the rates],” DeVries said after the March
30 meeting.
Residents who live in that district also pay
for an assessment of the Watson Drain District,
he said.
The rate increase is needed now, Prairieville
Township Supervisor Jim Stoneburner said.
“I apologize to my residents, but I feel it’s
necessary,” Stoneburner said.
Hope Township approved the resolution at
its March 15 board of trustees meeting.
“I think they’re heading off any future
shock to the people as far as if something goes
terribly wrong,” Hope Township Supervisor
Doug Peck said Tuesday. “If they can
accumulate some reserve, it might offset some
issues in the future.”
Peck said his board members didn’t view
the rate increase as “too bad.”
Attempts to reach Barry Township officials
for comment were unsuccessful.Starr Commonwealth may
figure in to DHS strategy
John Hendler
J-Ad News Services
Albion-based Starr Commonwealth
confirmed this week that the federal
government has contacted the former youth
facility about housing immigrants from the
U.S.-Mexico border.
“It is premature to share details, but we
can confirm that Starr Commonwealth has
been asked by the federal government to
help alleviate the crisis unfolding at our
southern border,” Starr Commonwealth
spokeswoman Mary Ann Sabo said in a
statement.
Sabo declined to say if the facility would
provide housing and how many people the
facility in eastern Calhoun County could
accommodate.
“For more than a century, our campus
has served as a refuge and haven for children
in crisis,” Sabo said. “When called to serve,
we will follow the principles of our founder,Floyd Starr, and our mission of leading with
courage to provide positive experiences so
that all children, families and communities
flourish.”
Starr Commonwealth closed the Albion
youth facility in 2020 following the death of
a teen in Kalamazoo at Lakeside Academy,
operated by Sequel Youth and Family
Services, which also had been contracted by
Starr at that time.
U.S. 3rd District Rep. Peter Meijer,
R-Grand Rapids, whose district includes
southwestern Michigan, was among 16
lawmakers who introduced the Irregular
Migration Surge Border Response
Resilience Act in the House April 1.
That bill directed the Department of
Homeland Security to establish a
comprehensive plan to respond to irregular
migration surges with a goal of developing
strategies so the department is able to
manage the crisis.See us for color copies,
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