VBT Board gives final OK to senior housing ordinance changes

The second reading and final approval of new provisions in the zoning ordinance for senior housing was unanimously approved on a roll-call vote at the Sept. 3 meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees.
The action also corrects other sections of the ordinance for consistency.
Among other things, it adds senior housing as special land use in the RM, RMH, C, C-1, C-2, and M-U zoning districts under residential uses.
Vidya Krishnan of McKenna planning consultants said they believe the changes “provide Van Buren Township with a solid foundation for reviewing and activating high-quality senior housing developments while preserving the township’s broader vision, based on our experiences in other developing communities.”
Trustee Sherry Frazier said the township needs housing for those age 60 and older in all income levels. She said the township has a lot of services for the seniors which is a solid foundation for high-quality senior housing in Van Buren Township.
In other business at the 15-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved the re-appointment of Leonard Armstrong to the Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA) with a term to expire Aug. 12, 2023; and
• Approved a proclamation to make September National Recovery Month in Van Buren Township. Trustee Reggie Miller read in full the proclamation that encourages everyone “to commit to increase awareness, acceptance and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders and acknowledge the need for appropriate and accessible services to promote recovery.”