As planning consultant for Independence Township, Dick Carlisle of Carlisle/Wortman Association traditionally included recommendations with his reports to the Planning Commission.
That service is no longer required ? commissioners ended it Thursday with a 3-2 vote.
‘We felt it was misleading to the petitioners,? said Sam Moraco, commission chairman. ‘It was somewhat inappropriate that the township would take a stand on a project prior to a public hearing about it or prior to the planning commission having an opportunity to see the project.?
After a public hearing, they certainly want to know the thoughts of the consultant, he said.
‘I think what got people fired up about this was they seem to think this has something to do with the Beaumont project. The Beaumont project has already had a public hearing and was before this change,? Moraco said.
‘The planning commission has exceeded any other commission as far as educating itself and taking classes and getting certified to do what we do. We have a great commission right now and everybody takes it very, very seriously. I’m real pleased with what’s going on, if it’s got a few people worried it’s because they don’t understand how much effort we’re putting into it.?
The commission asked Carlisle not to change the rest of his reports, which includes research and ordinance deficiencies or compliances, just the end of them, where it states his recommendation, said Moraco.
‘We recommended to change the language from ‘approve? to ‘support,?? he said. ‘We just didn’t want the word ‘approved? used because that’s the word we use.?
Neil Wallace on Independence Township opposed the decision.
‘The township gets opinions from professionals all the time, from our engineers, from our lawyers and from other specialists that we hire,? Wallace said. ‘We don’t have to abide by their opinions, but it is vital for us to have those opinions.?
Wallace, who used to be on the planning commission, said he sometimes disagreed with the consultant.
‘That didn’t mean I didn’t want him to give me a recommendation,? he said. ‘I value his opinion.?
Moraco said the planning commission has also changed its bylaws to require all members of the planning commission to take Michigan State University extension courses in citizen planning. If a planner does not graduate, they cannot be reappointed to the planning commission.
‘When I first started on the planning commission, there were people who just opened their packets at the meeting, who just didn’t know what was going on or had no idea even how to read a blue print, or a site plan,? said Moraco. ‘It was a different age, when everything was based upon the consultants because people didn’t understand the text. They didn’t understand the concepts and the new ways of green building and things we were trying to implement. That’s why the change is here because, we can read a report and know whether or not it’s good for the community.?
Joe Lawrence and Larry Rosso voted against the motion.
Rosso said he considered the consultant’s recommendation as one of the ‘most important areas of consideration.?
‘Members of the planning commission, as lay people, do not understand the complexities and the technicalities of the various issues that deal with plan use,? said Rosso. ‘We pay the consultants a lot of money to use the professional judgment to weigh and balance the pluses and the negatives and to reach a conclusion.?
Moraco said the decision is not without exception.
‘It only affects a couple different situations like a PUD or something where they want us to deviate from the zoning ordinance, in height restrictions and things like that,? he said.
‘In return, the township gets certain provisions that are made for the township or certain community amenities are negotiated towards the project. Those are the projects that we don’t want to prematurely say ‘yay? or ‘nay? so that the township can negotiate for the best deal possible without a predetermined notion of what’s going to happen.?
Dick Carlisle was not immediately available for comment.