With the M-24 Moratorium scheduled to be lifted at the end of April, the chances of anyone getting a waiver granted from Orion Township appears to be slim at best.
The township board agreed Feb. 6 that any granted waiver requests at this point could have a negative impact on how the planning commission conducts the final stages of the master plan update.
‘By going through a waiver, we’re jumping a loop and the planning commission is making decisions in haste (to keep up),? township supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said at the meeting.
The board granted one such waiver request for a property back in December.
They agreed that the hardship presented and the fact that there would be no rezoning of the property made the request feasible.
Two more recent requests for waivers were denied at the Feb. 6 meeting.
Another, at the Autumn Creek property, was granted a waiver based on the fact that their project began prior to the moratorium coming into effect.
The denied requests were from the Regency Centers Corporation and Brian Milosch.
Milosch said his Chrysler dealership has lost its lucrative 5-star rating, and denying his request could push back construction on his new PalaceChrysler Jeep dealership up to 10 months, based on the weather.
Mike Weger, owner of the golf facility at the Regency Centers location in question, said he was disappointed with the input he has been asked to offer.
He said that during a similar update in 1980 he had an opportunity to work with the planning commission on their project.
The board defended its willingness to work with the community and said that no one had expressed interest in doing so until now, when the process is almost at an end.
Board members placed a premium on developing a community of interest, and encouraged the public to attend the March 1 master plan update hearing at township hall.
The public hearing begins at 8 p.m.