Holly Township strives to take lead in ‘comprehensive planning’

HOLLY TOWNSHIP, Michigan – Holly Township Trustee Janet Leslie has an idea – one she says could prove to be a big win-win for everyone in the Holly community.

Leslie spoke during the township’s special meeting Aug. 27, telling fellow board members about a grant she says could help bring the township and village together for a common cause.

Partnerships for Change assists communities in their efforts to develop coordinated planning programs with neighboring townships, cities and villages that protect natural resources and cultural character.

“They caught my attention more than a year ago as I was investigating what other communities had done to not only attract positive growth, but also manage it appropriately,” Leslie said. “Milford always came up when I was talking to residents or community leaders as a great example for two reasons: One, because they were able to manage growth while still maintaining a small town atmosphere, and two, because they were able to do it without any bids for cityhood – they are still a village and a township.”

Leslie said Milford has participated in Partnerships for Change, and as a result, have been very successful in growing the area.

“I would like to see us apply for a project that’s becoming more complicated than I anticipated – this Grange Hall Road development,” Leslie said. While one group of business owners seeks village-provided sewer hook-ups along Grange Hall Road, another seeks additional police services in the same area.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Leslie said. “We’re looking at something that benefits both the village and the township, but suddenly, there are feelings being expressed that we’re not looking at it comprehensively.”

Leslie was referring to comments made at an Aug. 25 Village Council meeting in which Councilman Tom McKenney said providing sewer and water to the Grange Hall Road corridor too hastily would only spur the need for greater public safety – a topic the township and village have yet to agree upon.

“I don’t know what was meant exactly by comprehensive planning, but suddenly all these words that we tend to avoid like annexation began popping up,” Leslie said. “If comprehensive planning is what they’re concerned about, then let’s take the lead and make the proposal that we get involved in the grant program to work together.”

Leslie reiterated that Partnerships in Change seemed to offer exactly what the community needs. “We need to stave off this impulse to protect resources and see to it that resources are shared, that decisions are made jointly –everybody benefits,” she said. “I think we just need to take the lead.”

Should the village agree to participate, township officials have until Oct. 1 to provide Partnerships for Change with resolutions from both governments stating their willingness to take part in the program.  Leslie volunteered to take the lead in the grant writing process.

Leslie recommended the board start slowly, giving the example of applying for a $25,000 first step grant. Under the agreement, the village and township would jointly match Partnerships for Change, each paying $6,250 while Partnerships for Change in theory, would contribute $12,500.

The township hopes to send a proposal to the Village of Holly for their consideration at their Sept. 8 meeting.