By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- On Monday night, the township board voted 7-0 to send two ordinance revisions to the Planning Commission for review.
At issue is an ordinance first put in place in October of 2018, when residents were concerned that another AFC would open on Sleepy Hollow. The current home on the street was under scrutiny due to housing, and later removing, two registered sex offenders recently released from prison back in May of 2018. The planning commission will have a public hearing for the ordinance at their May 28 meeting, where they will discuss the possible revisions.
“The ordinances are being given to you to look at, but just to let you know that it’s a starting point to send it to the PC (planning commission), and that changes can be made to these ordinances before they get to the planning commission, and after they go to the planning commission,” said Township Supervisor Kathy Thurman. “So they’re not set in stone.”
The two in question relate to the repeal and amendment of sections 46-204(b)(3) (RE Rural Estates) and 46-205(b)(2) (R-1A and R-1B Single Family Residential) according to the proposal. It is to address and remove the 500-foot separation requirement between adult foster care facilities, and is being refereed to the planning commission for consideration, a public hearing and a recommendation. The changes made are to “repeal the provision with the 500-foot separation requirement and replace it with language that matches MCL 125.3206” that permits the facilities in all residential districts. The motion made was just to refer the proposed amendments to the planning commission.
“So this is just going to the planning commission for them to determine if these changes should take place and then they send it back to us with a yay or a nay,” said trustee Dana DePalma. The suggested change comes from the township attorney and litigation attorney, and the language of the ordinance revisions is still subject to change prior to and after the planning commission meeting. It could also change during the planing commission or township board procedures. The motion only was to send it to the planning commission.
“So, all I’m voting for in this, is that I’m approving it to go back to the PC so they can make a determination, nothing more,” said Clerk Candee Allen.

The ordinance was first put in place in October of 2018, when residents were concerned that another AFC would open on Sleepy Hollow. The current home on the street was under scrutiny due to housing, and later removing, two registered sex offenders recently released from prison back in May of 2018.
The planning commission will have a public hearing for the ordinance at their May 28 meeting, where they will discuss the possible revisions.