First ZBA Hearing
Monday's Saugatuck Township ZBA Hearing
We’re deeply appreciative of the Saugatuck Township Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) for their time and diligence in preparing for Monday night’s hearing. The hearing began the ZBA’s process for determining whether the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance has standing to appeal the Township’s 2017 decision to grant NorthShore of Saugatuck permits to excavate a marina near the Kalamazoo River Mouth. It focused exclusively on what new evidence the ZBA will accept from the Coastal Alliance and NorthShore that for good reason wasn’t submitted when the Township voted on the Coastal Alliance’s standing in 2017 and 2018.
The Role of Standing and How We Got Here
Standing is a gatekeeping function that helps ensure lawsuits are brought by people who have legitimate interest in the matter at hand. The Coastal Alliance was denied standing by the Township in 2018 leading to several years of litigation. In July 2022, the Michigan Supreme Court clarified the criteria required for standing and asked the Allegan County Circuit Court to determine whether the Coastal Alliance meets the criteria. In April, the Circuit Court remanded the decision to the Township ZBA.
The Coastal Alliance meets the criteria for standing as outlined by the Michigan Supreme Court.
Our members:
Participated in the challenged proceedings
Can claim some protected interest, e.g., a protected personal, monetary, or property right that is likely to be affected by the decision being challenged
Can provide some evidence of special damages that are more significant in degree than the effects on others in the community
Next Steps
The ZBA's next hearing will be at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2 at Saugatuck Township Hall and on Zoom. According to the Notice of Public Hearing published in the Sept. 14 issue of the Commercial Record, "the ZBA anticipates discussing in open session and voting on what additional material evidence exists that with good reason was not presented to the ZBA at its prior hearings in October 2017 and April 2018." Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the hearing.
(From the Notice of Public Hearing)
This is an in-person meeting and it will also be livestreamed via Zoom; virtual attendance is encouraged for members of the public.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5285764397?pwd=ZXJ3cWEwbE1pWTJkT21WWG52ZXpDUT09
Meeting ID: 528 576 4397 Passcode: 2021
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And, as always, thank you to our many supporters for joining us as we protect and preserve the Saugatuck Dunes and Kalamazoo River Mouth!
