MILLBURY – Frustrations with Lake Township zoning issues boiled over with raised voices and accusations at a recent trustees meeting.
At the Jan. 16 meeting, residents wanted to know when the township was going to update its zoning map.
The zoning map published on the Lake Township website is dated 2004.
There are so many errors in zoning on Woodville Road, all we want is for that to be addressed before any more zoning maps are done, said township resident Paul Lambecht.
He said the township’s practice was illegal, inefficient and ineffective.
“At what point do we set an end to this madness,” he said prior to the meeting.
Lambecht encouraged the trustees to get zoning maps corrected.
“Zoning is supposed to be an entity that protects the residents, not the businesses,” he said.
How can any decision be made if there is not a proper zoning map, he asked, and and pointed out property on Woodville and Bradner roads that were zoned business but had people living in the structures.
Mike Hossler, Lake Township zoning inspector, said in July the Woodville Road area needed planning and the zoning code for the township must be updated.
“All we ask is that you give us an official map that is correct so that we can make informed decisions,” he said.
Lambrecht said when he moved to the township four years ago, the properties around him were zoned agriculture and residential. Since then, a general contractor has gone up across the road.
“We willy-nilly continue to change things, whether it’s done improperly or not. We don’t know because the maps tell us 17 different things,” he said.
Trustee Richard Welling singled out Jennifer Zam in explaining a zoning process for property on Woodville Road.
Trustees in July opposed a request from Hillabrand Holdings to rezone a parcel located on Woodville Road east of Bradner Road from R-2 residential to B-3 highway business. The property, which is an empty field, is surrounded by residences.
The owner has taken the issue to federal court, Welling said.
Zam took offense, and demanded to know why she was singled out when she had not spoken during the meeting.
Welling alluded to comments Zam had posted on Facebook.
“I don’t appreciate you singling me out in a room full of people,” Zam said.
When given the opportunity to speak, Zam criticized the board.
“It’s been displayed, in many ways, shapes and forms, that if you don’t attend this meeting, you’re not actively involved,” she said.
She said Welling was taking a hostile attitude as if those in the audience were there to attack him.
“You don’t do it here, you do it online,” Welling said.
She said trustees should be able to have a dialogue with anyone whether they write it on Facebook, in a letter or show up at a meeting.
Welling said, “I’m not answering any more questions from you.”
Trustee Chair Melanie Bowen-Greenwald said trustees were working on the zoning issues, but it won’t happen overnight.
When pushed for a timeframe, she said “as soon as possible.”
That wasn’t good enough for Lambrecht, who wanted to know if citizens would be asked to help or if decisions would be made behind closed doors.
Bowen-Greenwald cut him off.
“We really are trying,” she said.
Everybody’s input is welcomed, Welling said.
Joe Zemanski, who is fighting to halt rezoning on Bailey Road, said there were other zoning violations that create safety issues, including flashing lights and banners on businesses along Woodville Road.
Mark Hummer, who is the township’s police chief and administrator, said he will speak with the township’s zoning inspector.
There are some issues that need updated and fixed, Bowen-Greenwald agreed after the meeting.
“We did go through a tornado, and I know it’s been a while, but we’re still cleaning it up,” she said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.”
Welling said the intent was to work on this in September, but contentious zoning issues took up a lot of time.
“I think maybe in February,” he said.
Jean Garrison said at the start of the meeting that she had three questions to ask regarding the petitions filed with the Wood County Board of Elections.
Bowen-Greenwald said they could not discuss the issue due to pending litigation.
The board spent one hour in executive session to discuss pending legal action and took no action upon the return to regular session.
The township approved rezoning of land on Bailey Road from residential to business. Residents are fighting the change and submitted petitions to the board of elections to get the issue on the March ballot.
“Let’s just wait and see how this proceeds,” Bowen-Greenwald said.
The audience encouraged Garrison to ask her questions anyway to get them on record.
The group has gotten 470 signatures, Garrison said,
She said if the township was willing to sue to halt the referendum vote, it was suing the residents of Lake Township.
“Please hear the voices of Lake Township residents, that’s all we’re asking,” she said. “Work with us, the residents that vote for you guys.”
She said Ted Thomas, who is asking to rezone his property on Bailey Road, doesn’t live in the township and owns property in Ottawa County where he can put the proposed self-storage business.
Lambrecht said the trustees’ lack of comment on the pending Bailey Road case shows they’re more worried about business than the citizens.
