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Dear Friends of the Peninsula,
On Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., there will be yet another very important public hearing on “The 81 on East Bay” development. It will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 12675 Center Rd. This issue has been on the Old Mission Peninsula for more than two years now, culminating in a circuit court judge’s ruling to re-address the issue of proper fire road and proper study of the soil and erosion effects of the project.
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Many experts have testified at past public hearings against the wisdom of this project. One of the main issues is the quality of the soil, as this site was a former farm and orchard. The developer refuses to have a baseline environmental assessment (BEA) done on the property to see what’s in the soil. Our Township Board has yet to decide if they will make the BEA a requirement for the project to move forward.
All the experts will be there again at the Oct. 25 public hearing, but what we really need is you. The physical presence of many, many residents and homeowners will impress the Township Board. We are blessed with a very good Township Board. It was elected as a response to all the shenanigans done by the previous board, one of them being the haphazard, rushed approval of The 81 in August of 2015.
This has gone on for almost two years. Our board will be pressed to make a decision soon, if not at this meeting. Most likely, this will be your last chance for input. Please come and speak before the board or just show your support. If you’re out of town, please consider coming back for this most important and probably last meeting on The 81.
Please tell everyone you know on the Peninsula about this final public hearing. This might be our last chance!
Yours for the Peninsula,
James Komendera
President, Preserve Old Mission
Editor’s Note: If you’re unable to attend the public hearing, Peninsula Township residents are always welcome to email the Township with their concerns on any project or Township issue. To have your thoughts on The 81 included in the record for the public hearing, email by the end of the day on Oct. 24, 2017. Email Township Clerk Joanne Westphal, [email protected], or Township Supervisor Rob Manigold, [email protected]. -jb
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Best of luck to you! How dare they touch the dunes?