The Sun and News

Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Middleville and Caledonia Areas

No. 35/August 28, 2021 Published by J-Ad Graphics, Inc. • 1351 N. M-43 Highway, Hastings, MI 49058 143rd year

County planners oppose Bay

Pointe rezoning, but OK laundry

facility – with location change

Greg Chandler

Staff Writer

For the second time in

three months, Barry County

planners are opposing a

rezoning request that would

allow Bay Pointe Inn to add

onto its Bay Pointe Woods

cottage complex.

The county planning com-

mission voted 6-1 Monday

night to recommend denial of

the request from Bay Corp.

Inc. to change the zoning on

two parcels, totaling 3.

acres, on Oarie Drive, a pri-

vate drive that serves the

Orangeville Township resort,

from rural residential to

mixed-use. The rezoning

change would allow for the

construction of five two-sto-

ry cottages on the property.

The recommendation now

goes to the county board of

commissioners for final

action, which could come at

its next regular meeting

Tuesday, Sept. 7.

In a separate action, the

planning commission

approved the addition of a

laundry facility to the Bay

Pointe Woods complex, but

not where Bay Pointe owner

Mike Powers wanted it. On a

6-1 vote, commissioners

approved locating the facility

on the west side of the cot-

tages’ parking lot, pending an

administrative review by

county Planning Director Jim

McManus.

Powers expressed disap-

pointment after the meeting.

“We had a good plan for

that area, for the rezoning,

and it would complement

what we’ve already built and

also enhance the whole vital-

ity of the area,” he said.

“Hopefully, we’ll have better

luck at the board of commis-

sioners [meeting].”

Powers said the location

commissioners chose for the

laundry facility is 500 feet

from his preferred location.

He indicated he may pursue

legal action.

“I certainly hope not, but

they may have forced our

hand,” he said. “If that’s our

only alternative, yeah, we’ll

certainly have to [consider

it]. We’re going to fight for

what we feel is right, for the

best location for our guests

and our staff.”

The planning commission

in late June had recommend-

ed denial of the rezoning,

saying a decision should wait

until a new county master

plan is developed. However,

the county board July 20 sent

the rezoning back to the plan-

ning commission, asking

members to re-evaluate the

basis for its recommendation.

“[They] indicated that you

cannot use the concept of a

future land use plan as the

basis of a decision ... That

can’t be done because we

have an existing plan. You

have to use what we have

currently available,”

McManus said.

In his presentation to the

planning commission,

Powers said he regularly has

to send potential guests to

Proposed apartment complex

advances in Gaines Township

James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
The Gaines Township
Planning Commission has
approved and forwarded a
rezoning request for a pro-
posed 348-unit apart-
ment-home development on
60 th Street to the township
board for consideration.
The township board will
have a first reading Sept. 13
on the proposed rezoning and
final site plan for the River
Birch Apartments, followed
by a second reading in the
form of a public hearing
sometime this fall. The

34-acre development would

occupy a combined two-par-

cel site at 3500 and 3540

60 th St. SE, between Wing

and Hanna Lake avenues.

60 th Street is the border

between Gaines Township

and the city of Kentwood.

The rezoning would

change the property from a

residential designation to a

planned unit development.

That would give the develop-

er, BDR Custom Homes,

more flexibility in clustering

buildings for the project.

After various changes

were made over several

months, the township

Planning Commission in July

approved a modified site

plan for the River Birch

Apartments, with multiple

conditions that BDR will

have to meet for the project

to receive ultimate approval.

Among those are restrictions

on building heights, place-

ment of sidewalks, and

reviews by the Kent County

road and drain commissions,

plus the Byron-Gaines Utility

Authority and the Michigan

Department of Environment,

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• Middleville council Oks bridge
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Middleville legalizes marijuana businesses

Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
After more than two years
of discussion and consider-
able public input, the Village
of Middleville has legalized
marijuana-based businesses
within its borders.
The village council, on
identical 6-1 votes, approved
two ordinances Tuesday
night that legalize the sale
and growing of marijuana in
the village, and set the
ground rules for any marijua-
na-based businesses that set
up shop in the community.
“I’m excited. I’m glad
that, finally, we’re done,”
Village President Amanda
Fisk said after the meeting.
Ordinance No. 2119
amends village zoning to
allow marijuana businesses

as special land uses in areas

zoned for highway commer-

cial or industrial use. Retail

businesses, both for recre-

ational and medical use, are

now allowed in the highway

commercial zoned district,

primarily along M-37.

The ordinance also allows

for marijuana growing opera-

tions in industrial-zoned

areas, primarily on the vil-

lage’s north side. Secure

transporter and safety com-

pliance facilities will be

allowed in both highway

commercial and industri-

al-zoned districts, according

to the ordinance language.

The village planning com-

mission must approve any

special land use requests. No

establishments will be

allowed to set up shop in the

downtown area, and no busi-

ness may be within 1,

feet of an existing school,

church or child care facility.

Hours of operation are limit-

ed to 9 a.m.-9 p.m., accord-

ing to the ordinance lan-

guage.

Ordinance No. 2120 sets a

limit of five licenses to be

allocated by the village, out-

lines the process for getting

approval for each license,

and details criteria for evalu-

ating applications. A maxi-

mum of two retail business-

es, which could sell either

medical or recreational mari-

juana or both, are allowed in

the village, according to the

ordinance.

The village manager will

review and approve the

awarding of licenses, after

the planning commission

approves the special land

use. Businesses would need

to have licenses renewed

annually to remain in opera-

tion. The ordinance also must

be reviewed every two years

to determine whether the cap

on licenses should be

changed.

The ordinances are expect-

ed to take effect Sept. 11 –

seven days after the notice of

the zoning ordinance change

is to be published in the Sun

and News. Under the

Michigan Zoning Enabling

Act, any ordinance change

must be published in a gener-

al circulation newspaper

within 15 days of its adop-

tion, and goes into effect

seven days after publication.

See BUSINESSES, page 3

This is the revised site plan layout of the proposed Gaines Towne Center project.

(Graphic provided)

Planning Commission rejects site

plan for Gaines Towne Center

James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
If the developer of the pro-
posed $100 million Gaines
Towne Center wants the
82-acre mixed-use develop-
ment to go forward, it will
have to make some major
modifications to the plan.
The Gaines Township
Planning Commission voted
3-2 Thursday to reject a
revised site plan proposed by
Indianapolis-based American
Kendall Properties LLC.
Voting to reject the site
plan and rezoning were
Planning Commission
Chairwoman Connie Giarmo,
Vice Chairwoman Ronnie
Rober and Commissioner
Brad Waayenberg. Voting in
favor of the plan were com-
missioners Talimma Billips
and Brad Burns.
Commissioners Lani Thomas
and Tim Haagsma were
absent.
The vote came after
American Kendall owner
Mike Speedy gave a presen-

tation, and citizens got a

chance to speak at a public

hearing.

In February, American

Kendall first proposed build-

ing the Gaines Towne Center

at the southeast corner of

84th Street and Kalamazoo

Avenue, across from the

township hall and Prairie

Wolf Park. It would feature a

pedestrian plaza and small

retail businesses near the

intersection, with apartments,

townhouses, along with sin-

gle- and two-family homes to

the south and east.

There would be 522 total

dwelling units on the site.

That would break down into

278 multi-family units (apart-

ments), 34 mixed-use apart-

ment units, 44 attached sin-

gle-family townhomes, and

166 detached single-family

units. In addition, there also

are six commercial buildings

proposed, 110 senior-living

units, and two outlots that

could be added in the future.

The plan calls for 10 acres of

open space.

The 82-acre site is owned

by Lansing-based Eyde

Company. Grand Rapids-

based Eastbrook Homes

would serve as American

Kendall’s business partner in

developing the first 54 resi-

dential acres of the site.

However, a number of cit-

izens voiced concern to the

planning commission about

what they feel is too high a

density for buildings on that

site, as well as the potential

impact on farmland and wild-

life, among other things.

Township Planner Dan Wells

said the overall site would be

medium density, although a

portion of it would be high

density.

Township resident Roger

Corson said he is worried

about local schools being

“overwhelmed” because of

the multi-family homes and

apartments in the future

development. But Wells said

See REJECTS, page 6

See ADVANCES, page 18

See OPPOSE, page 6