By Andrea McBride
Staff Writer
ALMER TWP. — Almer Township residents continued to raise concerns and seek answers at the township board meeting Tuesday night.
A main concern is the intended use of 60 acres of land being re-zoned for commercial purposes on Deckerville Road.
Betsy and Brian McHugh, owners of a center in Kingston that houses young victims of abuse and neglect, have an interest in opening a similar home on the land in question owned by Gary and Troy Parsell.
Connie Hart, clinical director of The Lighthouse Inc. said bringing a program similar to The Lighthouse to Almer Township would have a negative effect.
“If another program is developed in this township that houses 30 to 60 … youth, we’re going to have difficulty maintaining our experienced staff. (The McHughs) also will have difficulty maintaining experienced staff. Ultimately what will happen is both programs will be compromised.”
Resident Wendy Jacot said the board and planning commission are not passing along pertinent information regarding the issue.
Her property is near the land being rezoned, and she said landowner Gary Parsell approached her at the AYSO soccer fields with a rezoning application in September.
The application was already filled out and only required her signature. Jacot said because she felt misled, she never signed and submitted the form.
“I got told that my property was R-2, but when asked tonight I think you all agreed that my property … is truly zoned all commercial,” Jacot said. “That bothers me.”
She also said the only intended use listed on the application for the property was future development of apartments.
Jacot said she hopes residents and the board can go forward from here and remain honest.
“I think what everybody is trying to drive home … is the perception of how you as a board and how the planning commission board is looking right now,” Jacot said. “We’re not trying to accuse anybody, but sit back in our position and look how it looks to us.”
Troy Parsell, one of the landowners and also a member of the planning commission, said he made connection with the McHughs about purchasing the property but nothing has been finalized.
He said the home seemed like a positive addition to the community, and also stressed that it would be licensed for 12 children, not 30 to 60 as residents had been led to believe.
Parsell and his father Gary, whose properties are right next to each other, applied separately to have their land rezoned. The planning commission board then decided it seemed appropriate to rezone more than just the two properties.
Parsell said it’s next to impossible to get all residents’ approval to begin such projects, and this case is no exception.
“You can’t have every property owner agree or nothing ever gets zoned. There (are) many zoning changes that take place all the time. You don’t have to have property owners’ approval to rezone,” Parsell said.
The board recently discovered that due to an oversight, the planning commission members’ term limits have expired.
A special board meeting will take place to elect a new planning commission on Nov. 25. That way the new planning commission will be in place for the Dec. 9 meeting.
Interested Almer Township residents must write a letter of intent and send it to Supervisor Jim Miklovic by Nov. 22.
A motion was also passed to increase the planning commission from five to seven members.
The rezoning issue must first go before the new planning commission, and then will go before the board in January.