Attorney gives statement on clear cutting of 40 acres on Willis Road

Ronald Ruark, an attorney from Westland, told the Sumpter Township Planning Commission at its regular meeting Aug 11 that he was representing Nelson Po, who owns the 40 acres of property on Willis Road that was recently clear cut of trees.
“Mr. Po is committed to staying within the law,” Ruark told the commission. “He has gambled a bit because he can’t do anything there until the law is changed.”
He referred to spending the money to remove all the trees. Po had received a permit from the township for the clear-cutting, Ruark said.
Ruark said they anticipate a change in provisions of the Michigan Marijuana Act by the end of the year.
“He will abide by all federal, state, and Sumpter Township laws,” Ruark said. “I just wanted to reassure the township.”
Ruark told the Independent that they followed the survey, but if there was any encroachment on neighboring property during the clear-cutting, “I’ll make sure the person is compensated.”
Earlier in the commission meeting, Robert Vredenburg, who lives in Holiday West near the clear-cut property, spoke about his concerns with having a marijuana growing business in the neighborhood.
“To clear that much land for growing marijuana is as wrong as the day is long,” Vredenburg said. “I’m not against the township. I’m against this kind of stuff.”
The property in question has Industrial zoning in the rear, with the front 300 feet on Willow Road being Residential. Sumpter Township’s medical marijuana ordinance allows indoor growing of marijuana in Industrial zoning by a licensed caregiver, but allows no more for a parcel than the amount prescribed by law for an individual to grow. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act allows a caregiver to grow 12 plants each for five other people, plus 12 for himself, making a total of 72 plants total.
But there are pending changes to the state law which might allow dispensaries, leasing of space for commercial growing, and other changes.
Vredenburg said he got into a discussion with them when they put the drowned cars there. “What if he says I have 300 people who are caregivers and I want to give them a place to grow?”
He was told the Sumpter ordinance allows only one caregiver per property and even if he subdivides the facilities have to be 500 or 1,000 feet from another caregiver.
At the July 26 regular meeting of the Sumpter Township board, two upset neighbors from the 50500 block of Willis alerted the board to the clear-cutting that suddenly occurred on the property next door, reportedly to build a marijuana-grow complex.
They said the man, who is growing marijuana in a building on Harris Road, is moving his operation to Willis Road. They said he already has blueprints and plans, which one of them saw.
One neighbor said the cutting went 30 feet into his property and so they are taking civil action because they lost some big trees next to their pond.
“We’ll send an ordinance officer out there and see if they are violating any ordinance,” said Supervisor John Morgan.
The neighbors said there were five buildings planned for the property. The big buildings planned would be leased out to caregivers to grow their marijuana and there would be a huge dispensary at the front to sell marijuana and fertilizer and other products to grow marijuana that the people in Detroit could come out and buy.
Also, they said, two big retention ponds are planned. They expect to have 150 employees and a 20’ fence all around, the neighbors said.
“That operation you described cannot be built in the township,” stated township attorney Rob Young, adding that state law makers are considering changes to the law but until the law changes, “There’s no communal grow or dispensary in Sumpter Township.”