Township Meeting Calendar

Meetings are held at the Township Hall, 4545 Nestrom Road, Whitehall, Michigan

Planning Commission:

Regular meeting: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.

Board of Trustees:

Special meeting (work session): Wednesday, October 15 at 4:00 p.m.

Regular meeting: Monday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Mileage-gate Update: On Monday, July 16, 2007 the Fruitland Township board sanctioned Clerk Janell Beard for submitting false mileage reimbursement claims in the amount of $241.08 over a six month period. The Clerk has refused to repay her ill-gotten gains. Click on this link for a synopsis of the public hearing, including video clips. <More about the meeting>

Updated August 6, 2008

Title: "They said it couldn't be done "

Trustee Eley shares her thoughts on the election results.

Kooistra Appointed to PC Chair Position

At the September PC meeting, Trustee Mary Eley handed her gavel to Carol Kooistra, the new Fruitland Township Planning Commission chairperson. The PC appointed Kooistra to the position at its August meeting; commissioner Tom Thompson was voted in as vice-chair. The move was prompted by the new Michigan Planning Enabling Act (PA 33), which requires the board of trustees' representative to serve in an "ex officio" capacity. Eley retains her voting rights and privileges, but cannot serve in an executive role under the new law.

"It's a challenging job and Carol is eminently qualified," said Eley. Kooistra's public service record is long and distinguished, having served as a Kent County Commissioner, chaired many boards and commissions, and even ran for Congress. She brings extensive management and democratic process experience to Fruitland, as well as a deep respect for its rural heritage and pristine natural beauty. "We're lucky to have both Carol and Tom on our team," said Eley.

Board Approves 2 Acre MDR Lot Size

At its June meeting, the Fruitland Township Board approved a Planning Commission recommendation to increase the lot size and width in the Medium-density Residential zoning district to 2 acres and 150 feet, respectively. The MDR lot size was previously zoned at 1 acre and 105 feet. The new zoning requirements will be effective January 1, 2009.

This vote is the culmination of more than a year of work by the Planning Commission (PC), which started with the master planning process. During its early discussions on future land use, the PC commissioned a township-wide survey and conducted several public meetings, all of which demonstrated a clear preference for larger lot sizes throughout the township.

These preferences were reflected in the master plan and subsequently recommended to the board for implementation. The board, however, was not convinced and asked for more information before ratifying the recommendation. PC chair and board trustee, Mary Eley, agreed to survey residents in the MDR district. A majority of the board agreed to comply with the results of the survey, which revealed a 3-to-1 preference for the larger lot size/width.

A PC subcommittee studied the survey results and comments received, crafting a motion to recommend the change to 2 acres/150 feet but delaying the effective date to accommodate property owners who wanted to split their parcels into 1 acre lots. They also instructed Eley to draft a press release to be placed on the township website and in local newspapers, advising residents of the change.

The compromise was appreciated by the board and won their approval. Eley and Supervisor Boughton also agreed with the board's recommendation to provide written notification of the change to all property owner's in the MDR district; the letters will be mailed in late July.

Click on this link to see if your property is in the survey districts
<View the zoning map>