VBT approves up to one year of soil excavation for two 5-acre ponds

Dennis Wilkin, who farms a large area at the southeast corner of Sumpter and Hull roads was given approval by the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees to begin digging his two, five-acre ponds for agricultural irrigation.
At the July 5 regular meeting, the request of his contractor Todd Waller was approved to dig the ponds over a one-year period and haul the soil away by a prescribed route. Waller was present at the meeting.
In April 2021, Wilkin was given conditional approval from the planning commission to dig the ponds. On April 20, 2021, the board approved the request and now, under the ordinances, the board may issue a removal permit upon receipt of a completed application for not more than a year. Now it was asked to approve another year, since the project had yet to be started.
Dan Power, director of planning and economic development, said conditions for the permit last year have been met, including a soil erosion permit from Wayne County and completion of a preconstruction meeting.
Director Power said, “The applicant’s project will require significant soil hauling by large trucks. Allowing these activities to occur over the course of a year-long time frame, just before the start of construction, will reduce pressure on the township’s roadways and the number of trucks per day traversing its roads.”
Power said there will be 192,800 cubic yards of soil to move and the trucks will leave the property along Hull and go south on Martinsville Road or south on Sumpter Road and will not go through the City of Belleville.
The project is to drain the fields and then use the ponds as sources of irrigation for the crops, as needed, according to Wilkin, who owns the property.
In other business at the 55-minute meeting on July 5, the board:
• Was informed Trustee Kevin Martin has been made a board member of the Michigan Association of Planners. Supervisor Kevin McNamara said, “This is a big deal”;
• Unanimously approved a formal resolution to require the repair or replacement of sidewalks by property owners in Van Buren Estates [Haggerty Sub] or charging property owners for these sidewalk repairs or replacements. A public hearing was held at the board’s regular June 21 meeting;
• Unanimously approved selecting Rotondo Construction Corp. of Farmington Hills, the lowest of five bidders, for the 2022 Haggerty Subdivision Sidewalk Replacement Program. The bid amount of $6.45 per square feet for a total of $290,250 is an estimate based on Rotondo replacing 45,000 square feet of sidewalk. The final contract amount will depend on the amount of sidewalk that was removed/replaced or repaired by residents, who have the option to self-perform. The township engineer’s estimate was $12 per square foot. Bids went as high as $18 per square foot. References were checked in Canton and City of Livonia and all Rotondo’s references spoke highly of its work. They plan to start in August and hope to be done by Oct. 28 and will work as long as weather permits, completing work in May, if necessary. There are 643 lots needing repairs of the four-inch sidewalks. Supervisor McNamara said the work is necessary for public safety;
• Unanimously approved the selection of Anglin Civil LLC, low bidder of six bids, for construction of the VBT Iron Belle Trail Section B project for a total of $796,217.11. The township is paying $25,000 in addition to a $15,000 estimate for signage. The rest of the cost is covered by grants, including the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and DTE. Section B is 1.25 miles and is an 8-10’ asphalt path starting at the intersection of Rawsonville and Grove roads. The path turns northeast on the I-94 S. Service Drive, curving east and following the road until it turns into Van Buren Park. The path travels through Van Buren Park and ends at the “saddle.” The construction will begin in late August or early September and be completed in the spring, if necessary;
• Unanimously approved the second reading and final approval of an ordinance amendment that changes Waterways misdemeanors under the state code to civil infractions that can be handled by the township prosecutor. “We’re kinder, gentler and if they don’t comply, we hit them with the state law,” McNamara explained;
• Unanimously approved the second reading and final approval of an ordinance concerning boater safety issues. If the person is born after a certain date, the person needs a certificate. This was changed from a state misdemeanor to a township civil infraction;
• Unanimously approved the second reading and final approval of two separate requests by Crossroads Distribution center North, LLC, to rezone 30.88 acres of property from R-1B (single family residential) to M-1 (light industrial) to unify their acquired property in accordance with the Master Plan;
• Unanimously approved the second reading and final approval of an ordinance updating the Fire Prevention Code and giving the fire department another enforcement tool;
• Heard McNamara report that the township’s fireworks on June 25 at Beck field had one of the biggest attendance they’ve ever had. He also said the township is proud of Police Sgt. Mark Abdilla who won the donut-eating contest at Lake Fest in Belleville;
• Heard Trustee Reggie Miller say some people have problems with their animals and fireworks. She said there is an ordinance and asked where it is so she can tell residents. Power said it is in Municode that all can access. Police Lt. Charles Bazzy said the address is www.municode.com. He said state law supercedes the township ordinance and fireworks are allowed the day before, the day of, and the day after specific holidays. They are not allowed on public streets, sidewalks, churches, and schools – public property, he said. Lt. Bazzy said a horse trainer called him to say his horses go crazy with neighborhood fireworks and the annual air show;
• Heard a comment through Chat on the internet from Steven Dark who said he had told them about the graffiti on a utility box at the corner of Haggerty and Ecorse roads and it’s still there. Deputy Supervisor Dan Selman said it’s not on township property, but they’ll get it cleared up;
• Heard a comment from a woman who identified herself as Christine, who said she is a licensed social worker and works mainly in the city of Detroit, but also into Wayne and Washtenaw counties. She said she had concerns about the township’s hotel guests and she offers whatever assistance she can to figure out how to bridge the service gaps for the homeless. She said she works with Ashley Shukait who had spoken at length at the work/study session previous to the regular meeting. Christine suggested shelters be abolished and they concentrate on housing. “We’re losing lives every day … because we don’t have housing,” she said. “We see people shuttled to the city and there’s nowhere for them to go but the streets”;
• Heard McNamara say that housing is a problem. He said the township did lose a bid to Grand Rapids for veteran housing a year ago; and
• Heard McNamara say he read in the Free Press that premier communities, including Birmingham, are looking at building pickleball courts. He said, “They’re following us,” referred to the township’s new courts at the corner of Denton and Beckley roads.