Charter Township of Cascade

The key discussion revolved around Case #26-3913, which involved a Public Hearing for a Special Land Use approval application by Adventure Assets MI LLC to operate a smash room and paint splatter event space in a commercial strip mall. The Commission reviewed staff findings which confirmed that the proposed use met the Special Use Permit standards under Section 17.06 of the Zoning Ordinance, noting the Fire Department expressed no concerns. Applicant representatives detailed the nature of the business, including the use of eco-friendly paint, recycling plans for electronics and glass, expected trash pickup frequency, and proposed operating hours. Noise concerns were addressed by the applicant presenting decibel readings taken at adjacent businesses. Following the public hearing, the Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Type II Special Use Permit subject to conditions regarding material and waste storage location. Other business included the review of training options for Planning Commissioners.

The Regular Board Meeting addressed several agenda items. Key discussions included the approval of the agenda and the financial actions for outstanding invoices dated February 26, 2026. Under New Business, the Board approved the IT Modernization plan, authorized the Township Clerk to strike delinquent personal property taxes from 2020, and approved Resolution 009-2026, which imposed a moratorium on issuing permits, licenses, or approvals for data centers, amending the timeframe to six months with an extension option. A sub-committee was also formed to research the data center ordinance. Discussions also covered public comments, a reminder about the renewable energy ordinance adopted in November 2024, and a closed session to review a protected written legal opinion from the Township's attorney.

The meeting commenced with a roll call and pledge of allegiance. Key discussion items included the approval of the agenda and the minutes from the February 11th meeting. Public comments addressed the proposed IT system updates, delinquent personal property taxes, and a resolution imposing a temporary moratorium on data centers. The Board approved the IT modernization plan, which involves converting Active Directory to Microsoft Entra, moving file storage to SharePoint, and implementing cloud backups and Microsoft Defender, noting associated one-time and annual licensing costs. Furthermore, the Board authorized the clerk to strike delinquent personal property taxes from 2020. Finally, the Board considered the resolution for a temporary moratorium on data centers, ultimately voting to adopt an amended resolution imposing an initial six-month moratorium with the option for a six-month extension to allow a subcommittee time for fact-finding before forwarding recommendations to the planning commission.

The Regular Board Meeting agenda included several key financial actions, such as approving invoices for payment and reviewing the January 2026 Financial Reports. New business items involved considering approval for an IT Modernization plan, including associated costs for service and licensing fees, authorizing the Township Clerk to sign a waiver for striking 2020 delinquent personal property taxes, and considering an Ordinance to impose a moratorium on data center permit issuance. The meeting also addressed several contract awards related to the 2026 Pathways Improvement Project, including construction bids and service proposals. Other agenda items included receiving department reports from Planning Commission, Historical Society, Zoning Enforcement, and Building Department.

The meeting included a call to order and pledge of allegiance, followed by the approval of the agenda. The primary discussion centered on the hotel licensing update, concerning the ordinance introduced in 2024 for the 16 hotels in the township. Staff presented compliance status for 2025 and 2026, noting challenges with non-compliant hotels like Jurin and Clarion, and presenting data showing a decrease in crime and fire runs correlated with the ordinance's implementation. Board members discussed crime statistics, ownership of problem hotels, and potential amendments to the ordinance, including removing camera requirements in pool and fitness areas, increasing suite occupancy limits to six, and clarifying the definition of recreational areas. Potential future actions regarding crime volume at specific locations were also discussed, though fines are currently linked only to licensing non-compliance.