VBT board backs off approval of 5-acre pond at Elwell/Martz roads

After making and seconding a proposed motion to approve a five-acre, agricultural irrigation pond on 30 acres at Martz and Elwell roads, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees backed off approval.
They voted instead to table the request and get more information.
Ron Akers, director of municipal services, presented the request of Todd Waller for the excavation, removal, and off-site hauling of roughly 93,000 cubic yards of soil to create a five-acre pond for agricultural purposes.
Director Akers said the removal of the soil off-site requires the approval of the board and the bond permit needs to be approved by the planning commission. The recommendation for approval was based on staff reports and the Right to Farm Act.
Supervisor Kevin McNamara asked if a five-acre pond wasn’t big for a 30-acre site. He also asked what the soil was like and was told it is sandy loam soil. He said that sandy soil is expensive to buy and everyone is going to sell their sand.
Akers said they can change the ordinance next year, but the request currently meets regulations.
Treasurer Sharry Budd said that is a lot of water for 28.8 acres.
“Do we have the right to reject it?” Supervisor McNamara asked. “My worry is another guy might want to do the same thing. If someone hits a good vein of sand…”
The previous motion to approve was withdrawn and a motion passed to table the motion to the next meeting so Waller can be present to discuss it.
In other business at the one-hour-12-minute meeting, the board:
• Was informed that Carol Bird, who served Van Buren Township for 40 years, passed away the previous day. Later Clerk Leon Wright said in 1997 he opened a store downtown Belleville and he was right next to Carol Bird’s real estate firm. “She was a genuine, good person,” he said;
• Approved Chloe Michael’s personal service agreement as a full-time member of the Communications Department. She had served in the position part-time for 18 months;
• Approved the Washtenaw Area Mutual Aid Council Interlocal Agreement for the fire department;
• Approved the reappointments of Penny Young, Harry Roesch, Elaine Gutierrez, and Gina Dorazio (alternate) to the Board of Review with terms to expire Dec. 31, 2026;
• Approved the 2024 Policies and Procedures updated and Earned Sick Time Act;
• Held a public hearing to receive comments on the creation of a special assessment district for Walden Woods Subdivision Phases Four and Five for street lighting operational costs. No public spoke at the public hearing and the board later approved the creation of the special assessment district and approved the special assessment roll. It will be $4,998 spread over 42 lots per year;
• Approved purchase of a John Deere X754 Series Tractor with specified options for the amount of $30,004.10 from John Deere of South Lyon. Director Larry Luckett said with the addition of the Iron Belle Trail there have been maintenance challenges on E. Huron River Drive. With this equipment they will have software, a boom, and a snow blower and this will serve the township well since they are adding more links of the Iron Belle Trail ;
• Approved purchase of a boom mower attachment purchase for the amount of $72,400 from John Deere of South Lyon. Director Luckett said this attachment cuts from the side of the road. He said currently they can only cut so far on the easement and they’ll be able to reach farther and cut sideways now. He said residents talk to him about safety at intersections. Supervisor McNamara said the county does its best and the township is helping. “If you have line-of-sight problems, call us,” he said. “It’s not that much extra work for us.” He said the township had a solid, balanced budget and now they are buying some of the things they need;
• Approved purchase of a 2024 Ford Escape and a 2025 Ford Explorer from Atchinson Ford for a total amount of $69,536. Supervisor McNamara said they’ve been giving old vehicles to the seniors, but now these new vehicles will go to the seniors so they can have a little bigger vehicle and be able to haul stuff around. He said the township just sold 18 old vehicles at auction and most didn’t run any more. He said they also sold two BMW motorcycles that the police didn’t use any more. Luckett said it is costly to maintain old vehicles;
• Approved a proposal from Allied Fence and Security Systems, Inc., to install a four-foot-tall fence around the detention pond at Quirk Park in the amount of $27,980. Treasurer Sharry Budd said she had concerns about the pond near the splash pad and she was promised if there looked like there would be a problem, they would put up a fence. Luckett said the pond that is part of the new construction was designed as a dry pond, but they found when the splash pad overflows it becomes a wet pond. He said kids were playing near it over the weekend, so they decided to put in a fence;
• Approved selection of Erie Construction, LLC for the construction of the Iron Belle Trail, Section D, for $1,940,337 with a 10% contingency for a total of $2,134,370.70. This link of the trail starts in Van Buren Park and includes a foot bridge over Willow Creek to Denton Road. This is fully funded by grants;
• Approved special land use request for a gasoline station and drive-thru restaurant for Symmetry Management to be located at the Northwest corner of Ecorse and Haggerty roads. This was recommended by the planning commission;
• Approved a proposal from Fishbeck to design the sidewalk project on the north side of Tyler Road for $53,360. “It would break my heart to see the people walking on Tyler Road and some in wheelchairs,” said Clerk Wright, noting they are working toward a walkable community. Supervisor McNamara said Wayne County Community College will put in a sidewalk to meet up with the VBT sidewalk. He said the sidewalk will go from Quirk to Morton Taylor and beyond and the DDA will pick up part of it;
• Approved the Annual Exemption Opt Out for 2025 for health insurance;
• Heard Clerk Leon Wright announce the township new domain is VBTMI.gov, but the .com address is still active;
• Heard Clerk Wright thank everyone who worked on the general election, which had a lot of challengers, both Republican and Democrats. He said he wanted to get a voting total of 70%, but he got just 69.55%;
• Heard Human Resources Director Nicole Sumpter note that she doesn’t have to order a new nametag at the board table for new trustee Will Frazier, since his mother’s former tag still works. It says “Trustee Frazier”; and
• Heard a resident tell about noise pollution on I-94 at Diamondback when the motorcycle clubs gather on Wednesday and at 12, 1 o’clock in the morning they leave one by one, trying to outdo each other. Everyone in the area is disturbed. “I wanted to confront them, but I was told not to, but to call police.” McNamara said he would talk to the resident about it, but he doesn’t know what he can do.