Atchinson keeps meeting going past first adjournment to second

After a motion was made to adjourn the Sept. 28 meeting of the Van Buren Township Planning Commission and the meeting was adjourned, Commissioner Medina Atchinson said she votes “nay” on adjournment.
She then started a 13-minute statement on what she read in the minutes of the last meeting, which she didn’t attend, as well as what was reported in the Independent on the meeting. She said had she been at the meeting she could have rebutted the statements.
The two attorneys on the commission, Chairman Bryon Kelley and Commissioner Callie Barr, stood and left the adjourned meeting after it was adjourned for a second time, as discussion continued. Kelley stood in the hallway to talk to Atchinson away from the board table.
Both showed reservations about discussions at a gathering at an adjourned meeting that would lead to a future decision.
Atchinson said had she been able to attend the last meeting she would have had comments on the proposed reduction of setbacks between houses in planned residential communities and the reduction of the required 30% side-entry garages.
After a long discussion at the Sept. 14 meeting, the commissioners were not enthusiastic about reducing side lots to a total of 10 feet, which means five feet on each side of the house.
“We had worked so hard on making a master plan and then ignore it,” Atchinson said, adding the township gathered information and put it in the master plan.
“We did what our residents wanted. Residents wanted a variety of houses with smaller yards, not bigger houses…
“I consider myself a gate-keeper. I have to do what the residents want … We have to adhere to the master plan and have to update it, I don’t know if it is every five of ten years … This is a roadmap.”
She said in an Aug. 4 letter from staff, “We wanted to look at 10 feet between the houses.” She named a list of communities, including Lyon Township, Canton Township, Plymouth Township, Ypsilanti Township, Pittsfield Township and the city of Novi, that all allowed for 10 feet between the houses.
“I think we will miss out,” she said, referring to competition with other communities. “It’s much bigger than that… we want to be inclusive … if we are exclusive we will get in trouble … 10 foot of distance, somehow is not healthy… will cause issues, is fraught with issues … the building separation code set by the State of Michigan is 10 feet not 20 feet…”
She referred to comments made by commissioners that she disagreed with, including one on how Cherry Hill Village in Canton is crowded and “horrendous” but it was based on what the residents wanted.
“The residents wanted smaller yards, walkability, open space,” she said adding less and less people can afford homes. “If we limit ourselves, we become more exclusive…”
She disagreed with a comment reported on the “wisdom of 20 feet” between houses. She said in Van Buren Township’s past they hired McKenna Associates and they had to guide the township.
“We’re past that now … Now it’s time to give residents what they ask for … It’s not just 10 feet, we want areas being rural and we have that and more restaurants … Restaurants don’t come to areas where less people are living … our residents go to Canton and Ann Arbor to eat.”
She referred to a comment she read asking if the township had missed out on any developments because of the 20-foot rule. “We can’t count what didn’t happen.” She said any developer can go on the township’s website see the ordinances. They don’t come if they don’t like the ordinances and they have their own standards on setbacks, she said.
She said Director Power asked what the commission wanted to do.
“As a planning commissioner, I’ve been doing this for some time,” she said. “I was told by a wise person that one day it’s going to click. It is clicking and I’m understanding the bigger picture.”
She said she doesn’t want to be exclusive but neighborly and inclusive.
She said drainage was also discussed in her absence and she said, “Drainage is a whole separate issue.” She said if other neighboring communities can bring verbage to solve the problem, Van Buren Township can, too. She said she thought that was all she wanted to say at the moment.
Chairman Kelley said there will be more discussions at upcoming meetings and Power is setting up a public hearing to get public input.
Power said no public hearing has been set yet and the commission will discuss this again before setting a public hearing.
Power reported there was a comment by chat from Steven Dark who said, “I completely agreed with Commissioner Atchinson.” Dark also had written comments which Power said would be presented to commissioners.
Kelley said a motion had already been made to adjourn and he asked for a second motion to adjourn, which Budd made again.
Commissioners said after the second adjournment that all her concerns were discussed at length at the previous meeting, and you can’t keep talking when the meeting is legally over.
Atchinson explained after the second adjournment that she wanted to make her statement and Kelley said it could have been done when he asked for General Discussion at the end of the agenda.