MONTAGUE — White River Township’s planning commission recommended four changes to its zoning ordinance Monday at a public hearing at NBC Middle School. The changes, the commission said, would create a Renewable Energy Overlay District in the township that largely comprises land currently owned by Chemours.
The township board Tuesday tabled the recommendations until its September meeting so it can research the issue further and evaluate public feedback.
The commission stated in its resolutions that the changes will bring the township into compliance with Public Act 233, which passed the Michigan House of Representatives last November and survived a statewide effort from opponents to put the act on the ballot for referendum this year because not enough signatures were collected to do so. The ordinance changes would also govern wind energy systems and battery storage systems. The township’s goal is to retain local control over renewable energy siting, which is set to be taken to the state level Nov. 29 per PA 233.
Three of the four changes passed by a unanimous 5-0 vote, and Resolution 68, which specifically mentioned the creation of the renewable energy district, passed 4-1, with Marisa McGlue dissenting. McGlue cited concerns over the lack of the land in the proposed district that would actually be available for renewable energy projects and the possibility of legal action being brought against the township. (The township’s special counsel, Michael Homier, declined to address a commission inquiry asking if he believed the revised ordinance would hold up legally.)
Notably, personnel from National Grid Renewables were among the crowd of over 100 in the middle school cafeteria. NGR filed a lawsuit against the township in 2023 for what it said were unlawful attempts to block a proposed solar energy facility it planned to construct in the township, but the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice earlier this year.
As has been the case with previous developments regarding renewable energy in the township, the hearing generated many public comments. A majority of the commenters spoke in support of the resolutions - commenter Mary Jo Ernst asked those in the crowd in support to stand, which the majority did - and thanked the township for its work, believing the creation of a renewable energy district in brownfields and away from prime farmland satisfies PA 233 requirements. Several others, citing mainly climate change concerns and the possibility of the township facing legal action over the ordinance changes, spoke against the resolutions.
There was some disagreement among public commenters about local residents’ objections to the ordinance while local farmers may be interested in selling their land to renewable energy companies. Landowner Bill Negelkirk asked during public comment why residents were not being listened to regarding “this mess,” given it was the land they will be on the most, but multiple commenters asked what the farmers themselves think of this ordinance (no commenter identified themselves as a current farmer).
Commission chair Don Kline, who recently took over as chair after Sue Lloyd’s retirement, said the commission is not certain how much acreage being made available for renewable energy would be acceptable to state legislators. (At Tuesday’s board meeting, it was said that the proposed Renewable Energy District comprises 582 acres, more than the 500 the township enacted as the upper limit in a 2023 change to its zoning ordinances.) He added the commission has done some analysis on the matter but doesn’t plan to publicly state its findings because of the evolving nature of the issue.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, also at the middle school cafeteria, a public commenter asked if Chemours, given that it owns the land, could refuse to allow a renewable energy installation to be built on its property. Township supervisor Ron Bailey replied that the company could do so, but added Chemours is aware of and supports the township’s proposal.
Board member Laura Anderson added Tuesday that she grew up on a White River Township farm and knows young people are interested in buying small plots of land to farm on. She hopes this new ordinance will help keep that option alive for local buyers.
