County  of  Antrim

PLANNING  COMMISSION

 

Jill Barnard

Al Luurtsema, Chairman

Jim Gurr

Joe Allen

Tom Maleck, Vice-Chair

Laura Stanek

Barbara Bradford

Alan Martel, Secretary

Marshall  Wright

 

Terry Morris

 

Minutes

January 9, 2007

7:00 p.m.

Antrim County Building - Board of Commissioners Room

 

Members present:

 

Joe Allen, Barb Bradford, Jill Barnard, Laura Stanek, Jim Gurr, Al Luurtsema, Alan Martel and Terry Morris (arrived at 7:15 a.m.)

Members absent:

 

Marshall Wright and Tom Maleck

Advisory present:

 

None

Staff and others:

 

Peter Garwood and Joe Meyers

 

 

 

1.       Meeting called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Pete Garwood, Coordinator/Planner.

2.       Election of Officers

 

Pete Garwood, Coordinator/Planner, chaired the meeting during the process for the election of officers.

 

Chairperson

Mr. Garwood opened the floor for nominations for Chairperson.

 

Barb Bradford nominated Al Luurtsema for chairperson of the Planning Commission.

 

Motion by Jill Barnard, supported by Al Martel, to close nominations and cast a unanimous ballot for Al Luurtsema for Chairperson of the Planning Commission.  Motion carried – unanimous.

 

Vice Chairperson

Al Luurtsema nominated Al Martel for Vice Chairperson

 

Al Martel nominated Tom Maleck for Vice Chairperson.

 

Motion by Alan Martel, supported by Barb Bradford, to close nominations and cast a unanimous ballot for Tom Maleck for Vice Chairperson of the Antrim County Planning Commission.   Motion carried as a role call vote Yes: Al Martel, Jill Barnard, Jim Gurr, Barb Bradford, Laura Stanek, and Joe Allen; No: Al Luurtsema; Absent: Terry Morris, Tom Maleck, and Marshall Wright.

 

Secretary

Joe Allen nominated Alan Martel for Secretary.

 

 

Motion by Barb Bradford, supported by Jill Barnard, to close nominations and cast a unanimous ballot for Alan Martel for Secretary of the Planning Commission.  Motion carried – unanimous.

 

At this point of the meeting the elected chairperson, Al Luurtsema, chaired the remainder of the meeting.

3.       Approval of Minutes

 

Motion by Jill Barnard, supported by Barb Bradford to approve the minutes of November 7, 2006 as presented.  Motion carried – unanimous.

 

Motion by Al Martel, supported by Joe Allen to approve the December 5, 2006 minutes as amended.  Motion carried – unanimous.   

4.       Conflict of Interest Disclosure

 

None. 

5.       Public Comment

 

None

6.       Torch Lake Township Land Use Plan

 

The Planning Commission discussed the Torch Lake Township Land Use Plan.

 

Discussion ensued over the plan and how it could effect the growth of the township by potentially creating non-conforming lots.

 

The Committee went around the table to discuss their comments on the land use plan

 

Terry Morris – If the master plan is fully enacted on it could potentially create a hardship on all of the property owners.

 

Barb Bradford – The plan should be presented more clearly to the township property owners.

 

Laura Stanek – Concerns were expressed that when the plan is fully implemented a number of nonconforming lots would be created.

 

Al Luurtsema questioned the following things:

 

It was questioned why they did not state in the plan that the township has a farmland preservation ordinance.

 

 

It was also questioned why they did not include the recreational activities within 30 miles of the township to help inform residences and visitors. 

 

 

On Page 33, 5th paragraph – reference is made to “Antrim Count” and that should be Antrim County.

 

 

On Page 44, the 4th paragraph reads “…activities as well as the to protect the farmer from complaints and nusisence”, and should read “activities as well as the need to protect the farmer from complaints and nuisance”.

 

  Joe Meyers informed the Commission of the following corrections that were questionable:

 

On Page 11, the plan suggests that you refer to the attached dune map for specific locations of regulated sand dunes in Torch Lake Township.  The map is not included.

 

 

On Page 27, roads are discussed.  The Antrim County Planning Commission feels that private roads are an issue and you may want to address them in this section.  

 

 

On Page 32, The Antrim County Planning Commission is recommending changes in the following offices:

 

The Veterans Affairs Office should be changed from a federal office to a county office.

 

The Friends of the Jordan River Watershed, Inc should be changed from Bellaire to East Jordan.

 

The Antrim County Parks and Recreation Commission is now called the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

 

The Antrim/Kalkaska Community Mental Health Board is now the North Country Community Mental Health Board (Counties included are Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Kalkaska, and Otsego). 

 

The County Clerks Office should be mentioned as a facility in the County Building in Bellaire. 

 

Another note is that the Antrim County Soil Erosion and sediment control is located in the Antrim Conservation District office and not in the county building.

 

 

On Page 33, the County Road Commission has offices in Central Lake and Kewadin as well as Mancelona.

 

 

On Page 34, the Antrim/Kalkaska Community Mental Health Service is now the North Country Community Mental Health Services.

 

 

Page 35 Barnes Park currently has 76 campsites, 2 pavilions, 2 bathhouses, and according to our records, it is not an archeological site under state protection.

 

 

Jim Gurr indicated that:

Concerns were expressed that the plan if implemented would be unduly restrictive to current and intended commercial activities.

 

 

On page 37, Torchport Airpark regularly has fly-ins not periodically.

 

 

Al Martel indicated that:

Concerns were expressed that the plan did not address the sanitary code that is coming up for adoption soon and felt it should. 

 

 

The Committee felt that the plan was rushed.

 

 

Motion by Laura Stanek, supported by Joe Allen, to recommend the Torch Lake Township Board NOT APPROVE the Master Plan.  The Antrim County Planning Commission feels the proposed adoption may be premature at least prior to addressing the following comments and concerns.

 

 

If the master plan is fully enacted that it could potentially create a hardship on the all property owners.

 

The plan should be presented more clearly to the township property owners.

 

Concerns were expressed that when the plan was fully implemented a number of nonconforming lots would be created.

 

It was questioned why they did not state in the plan that the township has a farmland preservation ordinance.

 

It was also questioned why they did not include the recreational activities within 30 miles of the township to help inform residents and visitors.

 

On Page 33, 5th paragraph – reference is made to “Antrim Count” and that should be Antrim County.

 

On Page 44, the 4th paragraph reads “…activities as well as the to protect the farmer from complaints and nusisence”, and should read “activities as well as the need to protect the farmer from complaints and nuisance”.

 

On Page 11, the plan suggests that you refer to the attached dune map for specific locations of regulated sand dunes in Torch Lake Township.  The map is not included.

 

On Page 27, roads are discussed.  The Antrim County Planning Commission feels that private roads are an issue and you may want to address them in this section.  

 

On Page 32, The Antrim County Planning Commission is recommending changes in the following offices:

 

 

The Veterans Affairs Office should be changed from a federal office to a county office.

 

 

The Friends of the Jordan River Watershed, Inc should be changed from Bellaire to East Jordan.

 

 

The Antrim County Parks and Recreation Commission is now called the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

 

 

The Antrim/Kalkaska Community Mental Health Board is now the North Country Community Mental Health Board (Counties included are Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Kalkaska, and Otsego). 

 

 

The County Clerks Office should be mentioned as a facility in the County Building in Bellaire. 

 

 

Another note is that the Antrim County Soil Erosion and sediment control is located in the Antrim Conservation District office and not in the county building.

 

On Page 33, the County Road Commission has offices in Central Lake and Kewadin as well as Mancelona.

 

On Page 34, the Antrim/Kalkaska Community Mental Health Service is now the North Country Community Mental Health Services.

 

Page 35, Barnes Park currently has 76 campsites, 2 pavilions, 2 bathhouses, and according to our records, it is not an archeological site under state protection.

 

Concerns were expressed that the plan if implemented would be unduly restrictive to current and intended commercial activities.

 

On page 37, Torchport Airpark regularly has fly-ins not periodically.

 

Concerns were expressed that the plan did not address the sanitary code that is coming up for adoption soon and felt it should.

 

The Committee felt that the plan was rushed.

 

 

Motion carried as a yea and nay vote as follows: Yea – Al Luurtsema, Alan Martel, Joe Allen, Jill Barnard, Barb Bradford, Jim Gurr, Terry Morris, Laura Stanek, No – None   Absent – Marshall Wright and Tom Maleck.  Motion carried.

7.       Antrim County Master Plan  

 

Al Luurtsema informed the Commission that all final “word smithing” must be to Joe by Monday January 15, 2007 by 9:00 am to get added in the plan before being sent out. 

 

Motion by Jill Barnard, supported by Joe Allen, to recommend the Board of Commissioners approve letting the Planning Commission send out the master plan to the surrounding communities, so they can review our work.  Motion carried – unanimous.

8.    Communication

 

Joe handed out the planning and zoning news for this month. 

9.       Public/Member Comment

 

Al Martel spoke on asking townships if they are informing property owners about master plans that can affect their properties. 

 

Jim Gurr spoke on a letter from Kent McNeil about county ordinances.

 

Terry Morris inquired about the planning law notice of intent process.

 

Barb Bradford spoke on Norwood Township and Elk Rapids Township’s plans and if we had the tools to help us review them.

 

Joe Allen spoke on generalized zoning and communities change.

 

Al Luurtsema spoke on the law as how it pertains to affecting other people.

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Submitted and Approved

 

 

Alan Martel, Secretary       Date:

Antrim County Planning Commission