The Columbia Charter Township board voted last night to rezone a portion of the north shore Hitt property from agricultural to residential suburban.
When this originally came before the planning commission in January, it drew a crowd. Some neighbors worried that the large size of the property could lead to the building of a subdivision. In turn, these new home owners could gain lake access on a community dock connected to another Hitt parcel that is lakefront. That set off alarm bells about possible funneling, a term used to define this kind of usage.
At the January planning commission meeting, Mike McKay outlined a solution that would allay that fear while allowing some north shore residents to purchase a piece of it. Parts of the property could become backlots for lakefront owners for about 400 feet (108 feet deep) along North Shore. Last night, the Township board voted to accept Mike’s solution, but not before an error in the description was caught. The error would have changed zoning to residential suburban for the entire acreage. Kevin Thomson, attorney representing Hitt, explained that the change in zoning applied only to establishing backlots.
During the meeting, both Kevin and Mike McKay were called upon to clarify the intent of the planning commission. That settled the question. Here’s Mike responding to questions from the board.
The proposal goes forward to the June meeting for a second reading and final vote. For further detail from the January planning commission meeting, please click here.
Sewers
Sewer rates change periodically, mostly as determined by the Leoni treatment facility. In the latest update, two items in the formula changed (Leoni Treatment and Interceptor O, M, & R), but cancelled each other out. The result? As of July 2024, sewer rates will remain the same. The chart below shows the monthly breakdown. Converting Clark Lake’s rate to quarterly reveals the now familiar total of $271.41, starting July 1, 2024 totals
Zoning Board of Appeals
In other news, Gerald Shay, of Lake Columbia, was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).
