Springfield to proceed with memorial garden

The second time was the charm for the Springfield Township Memorial Garden proposal.
The township board, at its March 13 meeting, approved the plan for the garden. “We agreed to a few slight modifications, but we agreed it was a good plan and we should move forward,” Clerk Nancy Strole said.
Sally Elminger of Carlisle/Wortman Associates, the township’s planning firm, made the following changes from the first plan she presented before the board in January:
·Eliminated the brick pavers, cobblestone “stream” feature and tall grass area.
·Replaced the pavers with a flagstone pathway.
·Cited the millstone water feature as a focal point.
·Oriented the benches so people could view the Shiawassee Basin and wetland.
As requested by the Springfield Township Board in November, Elminger provided a proposal for a township memorial garden for the board’s review at its Jan. 9 meeting.
The original proposal had a water feature located a few feet toward the building in order to provide a backdrop and context for the mill stone fountain.
However, at that meeting, the township board decided they weren’t happy with the design, and they requested Elminger revise the plan to bring back before the board.
In other business, the board:
·Agreed to relist with Al Paul for the sale of the former Springfield Township offices at 650 Broadway. The current list price is at $275,000.
·Established rates for the purchase of a burial space in Davisburg Cemetery at $300 for residents and $475 for non-residents. This marks the first change in burial rates since 1982. Previously, the rates were $200 for residents and $250 for non-residents.
·Approved amendments to the following ordinances: Sewer System Operating Ordinance, No. 68; Zoning Ordinance, No. 26; and Subdivision Ordinance, No. 27.