By Andrea McBride
Staff Writer
ALMER TWP. — Almer Township residents brought a pair of issues to the township board’s attention during Tuesday night’s meeting.
The first group discussed its frustrations associated with the re-zoning of five parcels of land in the township, claiming they weren’t given clear public notice.
Marianne Daily said she was disappointed by the “evasive” answers given by planning commission board members at the previous meeting. She said they were reluctant to give out any information regarding the re-zoned parcels.
“It wasn’t until I specifically asked for (the board) to get township maps out and tell us which parcel numbers they were that any of us knew which parcels were included in the re-zoning request,” Daily said.
Daily said the vagueness continued when she and other residents asked about the re-zoned land’s intended uses. She said she was told to specifically ask the landowners who were present in the audience. This answer confused her, as the board had specifically asked for all questions to be directed to them.
Dailey said she felt she was met with arrogance throughout the meeting. She asked board members to reconsider who sits on the planning commission board.
“I don’t feel comfortable with the choices that you all have made in appointing some of these people — maybe all the people — to the planning commission. Because of the way it was handled, it seems that there is a lack of knowledge and serious lack of public relations.”
Township resident Bill Jackson said he was not present at the planning commission meeting, but is concerned about the planning commission’s inconsistency.
“I don’t think this township board has the feeling that that’s how we want this township to be conducted,” Jackson said. “It just doesn’t sound right to me, especially when answers are vague, answers aren’t forthcoming, and answers are changed.”
Trustee Brian Schriber serves on the planning commission as well as the township board, as one member is permitted to hold both positions.
He said he personally took measures to ensure residents’ questions were answered, and felt other board members did the same.
“I don’t feel as though I need to be criticized quite as strongly as I was, as I sat there and I tried to explain to you where the parcels were, and you made it sound like there was no effort made at all,” Schriber said.
Schriber admitted that the first public notice regarding the re-zoned parcels was inaccurate. It did not go through Gary Howell, township security. The second notice will go through Howell, and it will essentially re-start the process due to the inaccuracy of the first notice.
Schriber said the second notice should clear up existing confusion and frustration. It will include parcel numbers and a general description of parcel locations, as each parcel does not have a specific address.
Supervisor Jim Miklovic said residents’ concerns were difficult to address at this time, as the re-zoned property is still going through the planning commission and isn’t before the township board yet.
“We’ve got to wait and see what happens here. The planning commission has had a request, and they’re going to address that and deal with the request,” Miklovic said.
People affiliated with Pinecrest Mobile Estates also came to the meeting to express concerns regarding the noise level coming from Caro Motorsports.
Gary Curtis, developer of Pinecrest Mobile Estates, a retirement community that sits close to the business, is concerned about the well being of residents.
The dynamometer or “dyno” tuning service Caro Motorsports offers customers has nearby residents frustrated. Motorcycles are placed on a device that allows for only the back wheel to spin on a treadmill-like surface. Once secured, the motorcycle is taken through all gears to test its power.
“When they get (it) revved up, it rattles the windows in the park. It turns the neighbors, our residents, into almost prisoners to their house. They can’t turn the TV up loud enough to hear the TV,” Curtis said.
Resident Gerry Thorp provided the board with a petition regarding the issue. He obtained signatures from more than 80 percent of retirement-aged residents in the neighborhoods adjacent to Caro Motorsports, all of who agreed that noise relief is necessary.
Caro Motorsports employee Dean Burkel explained pending additions to the building that he said would eliminate noise. Right now, all noise from the dyno goes directly outside through an open door. The additions will completely enclose the dyno and suppress noise. A snowmobile dyno will also be added, but Burkel assured it would also be properly enclosed.
“I’m not going to guarantee you that we will be 100 percent quiet. I am a business. I do work on motorcycles. You ride motorcycles,” Burkel said. “There is going to be some noise made, but I am working towards quieting everything down.”
Burkel said he conducted a decibel test with one of his loudest motorcycles on the dyno. It measured 88 decibels with the door open and 45 decibels with the door shut, which are both legal according to the state’s 90-decibel limit. He conducted the test at four points.
The additions to Caro Motorsports should be complete in the next 30 days.
The board said similar noise issues have been resolved in the past, and ensured it will take the necessary measures to resolve the problem.