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The next public hearing for “The 81 on East Bay” development was originally scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. However, because of the amount of additional information the township has received which needs to be reviewed, along with the availability of the meeting room, the public hearing is now scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church meeting room. The church is located at 12675 Center Road on the Old Mission Peninsula, near the intersection of Center Road and Island View Road.
At the Oct. 25 public hearing, the Peninsula Township Board heard presentations from developer Kevin O’Grady’s representatives regarding two issues remanded back to the township by now-retired 13th Circuit Court Judge Philip Rodgers in a January 2016 ruling. Those issues included the development’s emergency access road, as well as whether the standards for soil erosion, grading and storm water have been met.
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No other issues could be considered with regard to the development, which was approved by the previous Township Board in August 2015 (prior to public information that the land was farmed for decades), but challenged in court by township resident James Komendera and the nonprofit group, Preserve Old Mission. The group’s suit led to the January 2016 ruling by Judge Rodgers.
Because of the length of the presentations, no decision was made at the Oct. 25 public hearing. Read our full report of the meeting here.
Information regarding the development is available for viewing and download on the Township website, under the Oct. 25, 2017 Special Meeting of the Township Board. However, as the application itself is in excess of 1000 pages, it is not included in the packet for that meeting. The application is available for viewing in the Township Planning Department at the Township Hall, 13235 Center Road on the Old Mission Peninsula.
Feel free to stop by the Township Hall and take a look, or contact Township Planner Brian VanDenBrand, (231) 223-7314, [email protected], for more information.
You may also have noticed an Earth Change Permit posted on “The 81” site along Boursaw Road. This permit was issued by the Grand Traverse County Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Department (dated May 9, 2016 and expiring May 9, 2018).
Township Supervisor Rob Manigold notes that it is legal for them to post the permit; however, no earth change is yet permitted because it falls under Peninsula Township’s Special Use Permit, and no decision has been made as of yet.
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Fingers crossed and holding my breath! Hoping our overwhelming election last year spoke volumes about the outcome the peninsula tax payers are hoping for.
They inherited a bit of a mess with this one, so there’s only so much they can do at this point. -jb
Very true. A big mess.
Please STOP this terrible development.
The public hearing on November 8th was cancelled, rescheduled for December 6th, and now that has been cancelled with no reason given (reading and reviewing?) nor has it been rescheduled. What do you think?
Hi Lois! I will see what I can find out from the Township tomorrow.