- After a long night, the DeWitt Township board settled the 40 acre rezone by asking the developer for more specifics
- Residents voiced their opinions on the land right by the highway and did not want all commercial space there
- The developer now has until Thursday to release a specific plan for the land to be reviewed by the planning commission on Monday
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
It's 40 acres of land right off the highway that has many residents in a defensive position.
And dozens of residents packed into a township meeting Monday night where the board decided to hold on a vote to rezone a site of land next to I-69 and Old US 27 for commercial use.
"It's not ideal for the developer or the residents, but I think it addresses one concern that we've heard, that blanket commercial zoning behind that residential area," said the Community Development Director of DeWitt Charter Township, Brett Wittenberg.
Monday night, the board of trustees, township residents, and the developer K2 Retail Construction spent over 4 hours debating the potential rezone of the 40 acre area. And while many didn't want the area commercialized...
"When people share why they came to Dewitt, its not about new developments or taxes. It has to do with a beautiful quiet natural area and small town community away from business and busyness," said DeWitt Resident Brendan Finnerty.
Kris Krstovski, the founder of K2 Retail Construction and developer of the project tried to ease the minds of those opposed.
"We are going to do a more community development feel here. With commercial along 27 where it belongs, and then the majority which is more than half of the property will be residential," said Krstovski.
After hearing every comment, the board decided to give an extension to the developer so that residents know exactly how the land would be used. K2 construction and development now has until Thursday to include specifics. Then, Monday will bring the people back together to see those details in front of the planning commission.
Many members of the board thought that if they decided either for or against, they would miss out on hearing a possible compromise.
I will be attending Monday's meeting and will update this story with results.
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