VBT Planners to hold Jan. 25 hearing on Lakeshore Amendments

Van Buren Township has sent two series of letters to residents and taxpayers along the Belleville lakeshore to alert them to the 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25, public hearing on the proposed shoreline districts amendments and general ordinance changes.
In December 2015 changes in shoreline rules were presented, followed by a great deal of public opposition and threats of law suits over the next few months.
The documents were pulled from the table and a committee of lakeshore residents was set up to work with the township staff on changes that could be supported.
What is being presented now has been approved by the committee whose members were so vehemently against it last year. Now, they are presenting it to the public.
The public hearing was discussed briefly at the Jan. 11 meeting of the VBT Planning Commission.
In other business at the two-hour Jan. 11 meeting, the commission:
• Heard planning consultant Patrick Sloan give a report on proposed changes to Articles 6 and 7 in the Zoning Ordinance which is being completely updated. The changes are being presented in multiple parts to the commission and will be ready for a recommendation after one or two more meetings explaining updates, Sloan said;
• Accepted the year-end report of the planning commission given by Ron Akers, director of planning and economic development, and sent it on to the township board; and
• Heard Commissioner Bryon Kelley give a presentation on what he learned from three days of classes from the Michigan Association of Planners. The presentation is necessary to earn his Master Planner certification. Kelley said, among other things, he learned that it is very important to look at what your neighbors are doing and make a cohesive plan for you and your neighbors to plan for growth. He said the separate communities should be working together because, “We’re really tied together.” He listed other important ideas he learned from MAP. He said some planning commissions are requiring each member of the commission to at least earn a Citizen Planner certification. Kelley was very enthusiastic about the classes.