Sumpter Planners to set up workshop to consider future land use

The Sumpter Township Planning Commission will set a workshop session to consider future land use as part of the updated master plan being assembled.
At the commission’s regular meeting March 9, zoning administrator Chris Atkin of Carlisle Wortman, said his firm has worked on the master plan for several years as the consultants changed.
Sumpter Trustee Matthew Oddy, who sits on the commission, said the work started in 2014 with Laura Kreps and then they were waiting for the results of the public survey.
“And, it snowballed from there,” he said, noting the commission became occupied with other matters. Meanwhile, the consultant then changed to Matthew Lonnerstater and now to Atkin.
Atkin said he would check with the others about the status of the master plan work and see if things have changed since those parts were written.
“We probably can get this buttoned up quickly,” he said.
He said the planning commission would make a recommendation to the township board and once the board approves there are some 60 days for surrounding communities to comment on Sumpter’s plan.
“The clock starts ticking,” he said.
Atkin said he would check things out with his coworkers and then propose a date for the workshop.
In other business in its half-hour meeting March 9, the commission:
• Heard Atkin report he has forwarded the solar panel ordinance to township attorney Rob Young for review. He said he created it as a special land use in an Industrial district;
• Heard Oddy report that attorney Young is working at clarifying wording for the township’s original marijuana ordinance now that the state has updates. “I thought it was simple,” Oddy said, referring to changing details. “I thought it was pretty simple,” he said. “Not when you give it to lawyers,” noted Commissioner Jim Clark;
• Heard Oddy report he also asked attorney Young to get more information on the new medical marijuana law that goes into effect next Dec. 17. Oddy said he wanted to know how much money the township would get if it opted into having marijuana businesses in Sumpter. Atkin said every week he gets drop-ins and phone calls from people interested in a marijuana business in Sumpter; and
• Heard chairwoman Jane Stalmack ask if the township has ordinances on wind turbines and outdoor furnaces. Atkin said he would check.