4
www.newbuffalotimes.com
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022
Local Government Meetings New Buffalo Times
Democracy Requires Transparency
CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL LOU O’DONNELL, IV. MARK ROBERTSON, JOHN HUMPHREY, ROGER LIJESKI, BRIAN FLANAGAN City Council meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30PM CITY OF NEW BUFFALO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS to be determined NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP BOARD PETE RAHM, MICHELLE HEIT, JUDY H. ZABICKI, PATTY IAZZETTO, JACK ROGERS Board meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7PM NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM NEW BUFFALO AREA SCHOOLS BOARD CHUCK HEIT, PRESIDENT HEATHER BLACK, VICE PRESIDENT JOHN HASKINS, TREASURER LISA WERNER, SECRETARY JOYCE LANTZ, TRUSTEE FRANK MARGRO, TRUSTEE PATRICIA NEWSTON, TRUSTEE CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP BOARD DAVID BUNTE, PAULA DUDIAK, LIZ RETTIG, RICHARD SULLIVAN, BILL MARSKE Chikaming Board meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30PM CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:30PM THREE OAKS THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP BOARD Meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7PM VILLAGE OF THREE OAKS BOARD Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7PM GRAND BEACH VILLAGE OF GRAND BEACH COUNCIL Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7PM MICHIANA VILLAGE OF MICHIANA COUNCIL Meets on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1PM
Chikaming planners approve final site plan for event center
M
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
embers of the because it had been determined Chikaming that “the intent of the Planning Township Commission was not to have it as Planning an accessory use in needing that Commission restaurant area.” This resulted in approved the final site plan the required parking calculation and special land use (SLU) being decreased down to 49 for Section House Hall 5896 spaces. The proposal included 80 Sawyer Road (formerly Sawyer parking spaces, and the original Hardware and Lumber), as number of required spaces (with well as to recommend the plan the restaurant) was 63. to the Chikaming Township Planners heard an update on Board for final approval, at their the ongoing improvements to Wednesday, Jan. 5, meeting. Harbert. A view of the former Sawyer Hardware and Lumber Planners approved the initial Planning Commission chair in downtown Sawyer site plan for the building, which John Chipman said that the will be changing use from retail plan for the redesign of Harbert, grading plan, and it was clarified that to event center, at their December which will include an area that will the existing overhead utilities on the site meeting. stretch from Harbert Community Park will remain. A large pine tree existing Planners approved the site plan and to just past the post office and deals on the site will be retained, which was SLU and their recommendation to the with mainly the east side of Red Arrow clarified on the final site plan. A couple township board in a 4-0 vote (Doug Highway, is just being finalized. “decent sized trees” and brush will Dow and Grace Rappe were absent and remain on an area to the southwest of Bill Marske abstained due to sitting on egarding the reconstruction the building, Andrew said. the township board). The approval was of Sawyer Road that’s being At the last meeting, there was a “lot made after a public hearing (in which no worked on by the Berrien of discussion to whether or not the one spoke out regarding the project). County Road Department, landscaped trees for buffering and Chipman said the road is Rob Andrew of Merritt Midwest said appearance were adequate,” he said. In being surveyed by Abonmarche from that the existing large building will be response to the comments, Andrew said Red Arrow Highway to Flynn Road and turned into an event hall. that 10 trees were added to the site plan the drawings are currently being worked The area that is currently gravel in “roughly” locations where planner on and should be done in February. around the building will mostly be Grace Rappe suggested. Plans are for the project to go to bid in paved and made into permanent “We feel it’s pretty full and pretty mid-March. organized parking, he said. Permanent well landscaped in this arrangement,” Last month, the Chikaming Township underground drainage will be installed, Andrew said. Board of Directors approved a which will be going to a detention basin Kelly Largent, township zoning recommendation from the Planning at the rear of the property. administrator, said that, because of Commission to hire The Antero Group In response to comments made from discussions that have taken place “about for the initial design for Sawyer Road. the Planning Commission, Andrew said what was intended with the zoning On Jan 5, Chipman said the township a few adjustments were made to the site should be receiving a proposal from The plan. ordinance,” she removed the restaurant Antero Group at the end of the week. Spot elevations were added to the site in her final review of the site plan
R
The truth is, I have absolutely no professional credentials - literally, which is why I’m teaching at MIT. — Noam Chomsky
