PUBLIC HEARING MAY 15, 2019
CALL TO ORDER: 6:00
p.m.
ROLL CALL AND RECOGNITION OF VISITORS: Bette Gabe, Chairperson; Keith Erickson,
Township Board Representative; Ken Anderson, Zoning
Administrator; Jay Loman, Trustee; Mary Deline, Trustee, Linnea Barron,
Secretary. Absent: Dorothy Nankervis, Trustee, prior
commitment.
Visitors: Pete and
Jean Suomela, Burt and Raelyn Mason, Bob Kissel, Nancy and Whitey Soli, Joe and
Sue Bollech, Katherine Andrews.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Minutes from January 9, 2019 meeting:
Keith made a motion to accept the minutes, seconded by Jay Loman, all
approved, motion carried.
Minutes from special meeting/work session, February 6,
2019: Jay made a motion to accept the
minutes, seconded by Mary, all approved, motion carried.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Keith made a motion to accept the agenda, seconded by Mary, all
approved, motion carried.
INTRODUCE UPDATED ZONING MAP, ZONING TEXT CORRECTIONS, AND
ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS:
- Copies of zoning map:
Bette explained that we have had ten revisions to our zoning map. We have been working with Steve Rouser from
WUPPDR to revise the map for clarity, good colors, roads and rivers
identified. No changes to the zoning
districts were made. Copies of the map
were distributed and reviewed.
Katherine Andrews had a question about a setback of 75 feet
from rivers be shown, and that is in text in our ordinance.
Whitey Soli requested that the nature conservancies, that
are not taxable, be shown as well. We
have lost revenue due to these conservancies with more land being applied for
as a conservancy. (This is unique to
this area and is not a statewide issue.)
He wondered if those areas could be shown in a different color to be
visible, that these properties need to be a different district or a different
designation, and maybe a plan for usage.
He stated that programs like commercial forest, and qualified forest
land have to have a plan for usage to qualify for programs. Bette stated this is a tax issue and that our
ordinance does not get into this.
- Text
corrections:
- In ARTICLE V – R-1B General Residential District, under
Section 502. Required
Conditions, page 45; and ARTICLE VII – RR Recreational
Residential, under
Section 702. Required Conditions, page 48; and ARTICLE IX –
FR Forest
Resource, under section 902. Required Conditions page 51;
and ARTICLE X –
FF Farm Forest Districts, section 1002. Required
Conditions, page 53; and ARTICLE XI – B-1 Business District, section 1102.
Required Conditions, page 55; and ARTICLE XII – Industrial District, section
1202. Required Conditions Water Frontage, page 57:
The sentence shall read:
Small non-habitable structures such as utility buildings may be
permitted within the minimum setback upon the approval of the Zoning
Administrator. (not Planning Commission)
- Article XVII – Administration; Section 1700. General
Administration:
The provisions of this ordinance shall be administered by the Zoning
Administrator who shall be appointed by the Township Board. (Not Planning Commission)
- Under Section 901, Special Uses Permitted (Alternative
Energy Sources),
under C. Safety: The minimum
vertical blade tip clearance from grade shall be seventy-five (75)
feet for a wind energy system employing a horizontal axis rotor. (Correction made from 20 feet to 75 feet, an
oversight.)
- Text amendments:
- The amendment to the height of a utility grid wind
energy system over 20 meters high and anemometer towers over 20 meters was
discussed by the Planning Commission and amended to be three hundred feet (300
feet). We felt this was necessary for
aesthetic and view shed purposes. This
change can be found in Section 901, Principal Uses Permitted Subject to Special
Conditions and Section
1502. Alternative Energy Sources; to read: A Utility Grid Wind Energy System, On-site
Use Wind Energy System, and Anemometer towers over 20 meters (65.6 feet) high
and not to exceed 300 feet from the ground level to the tip of the wind
generator blade when the tip is at its highest point, shall meet the following
standards, Article XIV of this Ordinance.
- Add to Section 1502, Alternative Energy Sources,
Section 901 Principal Uses Permitted Subject to Special Conditions, Property
Setbacks, #2, add letter ‘e’, to read:
Utility Grid Wind Energy Systems shall be spaced a minimum of one (1)
mile apart from one another. This was
for density and less harmful to birds of all species. The Fish and Wildlife recommendation was
anywhere from ½ mile to 2 miles apart.
- Add to Section 1502, Alternative Energy Sources,
Section 901 Principal Uses Permitted Subject to Special Conditions, Property
Setbacks, #1, add letter ‘d’ and #2, add letter ‘f’ to read: d.
Anemometer towers shall meet a minimum setback of seven (7) miles
landward from the shoreline of Lake Superior and Huron Bay. f. Utility Grid Wind energy Systems shall meet a
minimum setback of seven (7) miles landward from the shorelines of Lake
Superior and Huron Bay. After reviewing
our Forest Resource District on the map we felt it was necessary to have a
setback from Lake Superior/Huron Bay, residential areas, wetlands, rivers, and
bird migration. The Fish and Wildlife
suggested anywhere from 3 to
10 miles and the Planning Commission felt 7 miles was
best. This would account for 10-12% of
total township area and we were hard pressed to find anywhere that they would
fit. Bette also stated that on the seal
of Michigan in latin the meaning states, “if you seek a pleasant peninsula,
look about you.”
- Add to Section 1502, Alternative Energy Sources,
Section 901 Principal Uses
Permitted Subject to Special Conditions, Property Setbacks,
under letter “C”, Safety, add sentence:
Utility Grid Wind Energy Systems and Anemometer Towers shall have
built-in fire detection systems and fire suppression systems. This was felt
necessary due to the remoteness of the area and the difficulty of resources to
fight a fire in that area.
- Add to Section 1502, Alternative Energy Sources,
Section 901 Principal Uses Permitted Subject to Special Conditions, Property
Setbacks, letter ‘H’, #2, add small letter ‘a’, to read: Blades shall be feathered from dusk till
dawn. This is for the protection of bats
as that is when they are active.
Bette also prepared references of the Planning Commission
decisions for the amendments concerning Utility Grid Energy Systems with standards
in our Ordinance, Land Use Plan and Recreation Plan.
OPENING OF PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Time: 6:35 p.m.
Pete Suomela:
We are on the right track. Burt Mason:
Lots of time devoted to this.
Brian Kissel: No comment but supportive.
Joe Bolleck: Good
job.
Katherine Andrews:
Commended us. She never thought
L’Anse Township would have had to deal with this. They trusted an engineer and didn’t do their
own homework. Sue: We have done a good
job.
Close of public comments:
Time: 6:48 p.m.
PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED AND REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
CONTINUES:
Commission members were ready to continue with all the
proposed updated zoning map, zoning text corrections and zoning text amendments
as presented. Jay made a motion to
accept the map, corrections and amendments, seconded by Keith. Record of results: Jay Loman, yes; Mary Deline, yes; Linnea
Barron, yes; Bette Gabe, yes; Keith Erickson, yes. Motion approved by all and
carried.
ADJOURNMENT: Keith
made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Jay, all approved and motion carried.
Submitted by Linnea Barron, Secretary
