Marion Township

The board received a presentation from Tetra Tech regarding service offerings. Action items included approving a temporary moratorium on hyper-scale data centers, accepting a proposal for pump replacement at the Peavy Road lift station, approving a request for quote for planner services, and passing a resolution to apply for a PAR Plan Risk Reduction grant. Additionally, the board appointed two alternate ZBA members. The discussion regarding Francis Road was postponed to a future meeting, and the supervisor initiated efforts to obtain bids for a sewer rate cost analysis.

The meeting included the approval of the agenda and the minutes from the October 28, 2025 meeting. A public hearing was held regarding proposed amendments to several sections of the ordinance text (TXT #01-25), specifically concerning Private Roads, Planned Unit Developments, Condominium Projects, Multi-family Site Condominiums, and Infrastructure and Concurrency Standards. During the public hearing, residents expressed concerns about how the proposed changes would affect private road maintenance agreements and development standards. Under Old Business, specific suggested modifications to Section 6.20 J, 6.20 Item B 15, and 6.17 were discussed, followed by a motion to submit the entire TXT #01-25 package to the Livingston County Planning Department for review and comment. No new business was addressed, although storage containers and ordinances related to data processing facilities were noted for future discussion.

The meeting included discussions regarding the regulation of storage containers, specifically reviewing language from May 2022 and Howell Township Article 14.07, leading to an agreement to track ordinance changes via a spreadsheet. In new business, the Commission addressed the Marion Township Board's decision to create a new Zoning ordinance, necessitating the formation of a dedicated committee. Discussions also covered township language related to fences, wild and livestock animals, and the distinction between emotional support animals and service animals. An update was provided on the new Private Road ordinance, which is pending feedback from the Livingston County Planning Commissions. During the call to public, residents addressed issues concerning cows under the right to farm act and storage containers.

The meeting commenced with an agreement to postpone the election of officers until the February 2026 meeting to ensure all Commissioners are present. A key agenda item involved reviewing and processing remarks from the Livingston County Planning Commission regarding Marion Township's text amendment changes to TXT# 01-25, specifically concerning Private Roads ordinance definitions (e.g., Minor Private Road, Major Private Road, Commercial Private Road) and general requirements pertaining to Livingston County Road Commission standards. The Commission passed a motion to recommend the approved changes for TXT# 01-25 Private Road Ordinance to the Board of Trustees for final review. New business also included discussions regarding language development for a Storage Unit Ordinance and an ordinance for Keeping Chickens, with requests for the Township Planner to draft materials for the next meeting, including specifications for a two-acre minimum and regulations on chicken density. Furthermore, a motion was passed to recommend a six-month moratorium on Data Centers to allow time for ordinance revisions. Correspondence reviewed included the Planning Commission budget for the current fiscal year and an update on the Zoning Ordinance Committee appointments.

The agenda for the meeting was amended to correct the date of the minutes to May 29, 2025, to include closed session minutes from that date, and to add the election of officers for 2026. The primary new business item involved ZBA Case #01-26 regarding Mark & Brenda Zeigler's request for a variance from Section 8.04 E3---Front Setback on their vacant parcel on Coon Lake Road. The applicant sought a 20-foot variance to construct a home of approximately 1500 square feet and attach a deck overlooking the lake. After discussion and considering alternative options, the board voted 5-0 to grant a 10-foot front yard variance from the NW corner on the Coon Lake Road side, based on specific conditions related to the property's unique circumstances. In unfinished business, the board elected Larry Fillinger as chairman, Jim Witkowski as secretary, and Linda Manson-Dempsey as vice chairman.