After two meetings and lots of discussion last week, the Oxford Township Planning Commission changed its mind and recommended Kallie Roesner-Meyers be reappointed as the body’s liaison to the zoning board of appeals (ZBA).
The recommendation moves on to the township board for a final decision because it’s the body with the legal authority to appoint all ZBA members.
This was the planning commission’s second recommendation in just over a month. The first one received no support from the township board last week.
Back in December, the planning commission recommended Mike Young, who’s served on the board since 2012, be appointed to the ZBA, instead of Roesner-Meyers, who has served on the ZBA since 1995.
Instead of making and approving a formal motion, the planning commission simply voted for its recommendation via a show of hands that was reflected in the meeting minutes. Young received four votes, while Roesner-Meyers garnered three.
The night before last week’s planning commission meeting, Roesner-Meyers made her case to the township board as to why she should be reappointed to the position.
She cited her experience as a planning commissioner, a position she’s held since 1999, and her educational background.
But she also stressed the importance of having the rural northern portion of the township, commonly referred to as ‘horse country,? represented on the ZBA.
Roesner-Meyers owns a 22-acre horse farm at the northeast corner of Delano and Oakwood roads, while Young is a village resident living in the Oxford Lakes subdivision.
‘Not having representation (for) the entire northern area is not good for this board,? she said. ‘If you can find somebody that can represent that area, I have no problem having them (on the ZBA). If they’re educated, if they take the training, if they learn what the ZBA is all about, I have no problem with that. The problem I have is that the representation that’s being proposed is taking away from a vital section of the area.?
No one else on the ZBA lives in the northern part of the township.
Roesner-Meyers cited the township zoning ordinance, which states that ZBA members ‘shall be representative of the population distribution and of the various interests in the township.?
She also shared her ‘vision? with the township board.
‘I’d like to preserve and promote the equestrian community,? she said. ‘I would like to create more trails, green spaces and corridors to link the parks, the attractions in the community and the highway, so that people can ride, bike, recreate and walk right from where they live. I’d like natural safety paths along our dirt roads, so that walkers and riders can get off the roads and have a safe place to go. I’d like to implement this when I can and as I can.
‘My vision is to create a community that’s not overdeveloped, where home values will not diminish in 30 years and where people look to us and say, ‘Wow, you live in Oxford.??
Although she’s lives in the northern part of the township and is deeply concerned about preserving the horse country, Roesner-Meyers made it clear she represents all of Oxford.
‘I care about every area of the township,? she said. ‘I care about the development of the village and how it looks and how it affects the township, and how the township develops and affects the village and the character.?
Roesner-Meyers was critical of Young’s lack of education regarding the ZBA process and that, in her view, he ‘doesn’t talk? during planning commission meetings.
‘I don’t know where he stands. He just votes,? she said. ‘If I thought that he was good for that body, I wouldn’t have a problem . . . That is such a critical function of the ZBA ? to be able to discuss everything, express your viewpoints.?
Some township board members had an issue with appointing Young to the ZBA because he’s a village resident.
‘I think Mike would do a great job, but the tough thing with having a village rep. is they don’t have to live under the rules that they apply,? said Treasurer Joe Ferrari.
The township zoning ordinance does not apply to any properties within village boundaries. The township and village each have their own, separate zoning ordinances along with their own planning commissions and ZBAs.
‘I’m not in favor of the planning commission’s choice of a village resident because the ordinances that we’re going by are all township ordinances,? said Trustee Sue Bellairs. ‘And I don’t think somebody that doesn’t have to live, like Joe said, under those rules should be making the decision of whether we are breaking the rule or changing the rule or doing some kind of variance for the rule. I think it needs to be a township resident on ZBA . . . We’re enforcing township ordinances only, not village ordinances.?
Township attorney Gary Rentrop issued a Jan. 13 opinion letter in which he explained when a village resident can and cannot serve on the township ZBA.
‘A village resident can be appointed to the township planning commission and if that resident was selected by the township board to be the planning commission member serving on the ZBA, then in that instance, a village resident could serve on the ZBA,? Rentrop wrote. ‘For the ‘remaining regular members of a zoning board of appeals? however . . . there could not be a village resident appointed to the ZBA since a village resident does not reside ‘within the zoning jurisdiction? of the unincorporated portion of Oxford Township.?
Trustee Melvin ‘Buck? Cryderman was complimentary of Roesner-Meyers and the job she’s done.
‘She’s very experienced,? he said. ‘In my opinion, she has a tremendous amount of common sense.?
Based on Cryderman’s observations from attending planning commission meetings, he said, ‘there’s a lot of animosity there towards Kallie? from other members. He believes it’s because ‘she has strong opinions on things and she would like things to go her way, like all of us do.?
‘She speaks up. She’s not willing to roll over. She’s willing to fight for what she wants,? Cryderman said.
Ferrari made a motion to the send the liaison issue back to the planning commission ‘for a formal recommendation to the township board.? The treasurer did not feel voting via ‘a show of hands? constituted this.
His motion did not receive a second, so it died on the floor.
Ultimately, the township board took no action regarding the planning commission’s recommendation.
The day after the meeting, township Supervisor Bill Dunn contacted Todd Bell, chairman of the planning commission, and requested his board revisit the ZBA liaison issue at their meeting that night and make a recommendation.
Based on his observations from attending the township meeting, Bell told the commission the Young nomination ‘was not going to get approved.?
Since Roesner-Meyers was the second-highest vote-getter at the December meeting, Bell said, ‘I only think it’s fair that the planning commission . . . recommend to the board (her) appointment as the PC liaison to ZBA.?
Commissioner Tom Berger made the motion to recommend Roesner-Meyers for appointment and it was approved with Commissioner Jack Curtis casting the lone dissenting vote.
During commissioner comments, Young took some time to defend himself.
He said he will ‘gladly? serve on any subcommittee the planning commission asks him to join ‘and do the work required.? He said his only interest is serving his fellow residents.
‘I’ve lived here for 15 years,? Young said. ‘I’d like to improve (the community). I’m not trying to destroy anything whatsoever.?
As for his fellow planning commissioners, Young said, ‘I respect the time, the professionalism and especially the amount of experience that sits up here with me.?
‘It’s true I’m the newbie ? maybe I have to learn a few things . . . but you (have) got to learn at some point. And I definitely, definitely respect everybody’s experience up here and I’m trying to learn from it the best I possibly can,? he continued. ‘I would certainly hope that after a few years of doing this ? putting the time in and the effort ? that you would start respecting some of mine.?