Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Genoa Township Board is proceeding with a park development plan for a 77-acre parcel it owns.

There was lengthy discussion at Monday night’s meeting about the former property it earlier purchased from the DNR on Brighton Road, east of Chilson Road.

The board ultimately approved a proposal not to exceed $10,000 from K2 Environmental Consulting for a development plan and grant support. Clerk Janene Deaton and Trustees Candie Hovarter and Bill Reiber were opposed.

It was noted that planning is a huge piece to determine what can be done with the property, as it has a rich history with mining and forestry activities.

Genoa worked to acquire the property that was the subject of a controversial gravel mine and then a seed orchard project proposed in 2021. The site was clear-cut at that time by the DNR without any notification to the township, prompting large community outcry. A link to a past story is provided.

The development plan approved Monday night would give an overview of existing conditions, articulate goals and objectives, habitat and forest management, and outline implementation activities. The project timeline includes community workshops and input.

The board earlier budgeted $50,000 toward getting things started with the property.

There has been general board consensus from past discussions about getting the property back to a natural, wooded forest condition with possible trails and walking paths as it is a “giant mess” and basically impassable and unusable with lots of invasive species.

Reiber stressed that he wanted to clean-up the site with minimal disturbance and redevelop it as site a natural asset for the community.

Deaton expressed reservations with the proposal; saying the property is not a top priority, didn’t see an immediate need for any rush, and wanted other quotes. A motion she made to postpone the item failed to pass.

Supervisor Kevin Spicher stated a significant amount of research was done and it’s a very “niche” area – thus the recommendation and company. It was stated there are also timing issues delays due to seasonal changes with the property and taking inventory of the site and everything that’s on it. Deadlines for grants and potential state assistance were also referenced. Spicher emphasized that funding is an issue and a plan needs to be in place with someone with experienced in the field – saying “it’s not like hiring a lawn service company”.

Manager Kelly VanMarter stated the property is zoned low-density residential but it’s not buildable and does not have good access or parking. She said some people park and hunt on the property but it has not historically been used for active recreation. VanMarter said if they are going to do something other than create it as a natural space, then they would likely look at a rezoning to parks and recreation if redeveloping. She further noted the site has lots of valleys and hills and was formerly mined so there are a lot of steep slopes but no wetlands.

While the board approved the proposal; it was stated after the plan is presented, then discussions could commence about whether and how to proceed with grant and fundraising support.

The full discussion and meeting can be viewed in the bottom link.