BRIGHTON TWP. — The Brighton Township Board of Trustees voted to approve a rezoning request for the last undeveloped parcel along Woodland Lake on Feb. 23, despite public opposition.
For several months, neighbors and other residents have voiced their opposition to the rezoning request from R-2 to PUD from developer Mitch Harris, who plans to build a condo development. Woodland Lake suffers from poor water quality, experts have said, and residents are concerned the loss of woodland area and possible contaminants from the development could lead to further pollution.
During a first reading in January, representatives for Harris agreed to reduce the proposed number of condos and docks. During the second reading Feb. 23, Brent La Vanway of Boss Engineering confirmed the project has been reduced from 40 units to 39, and the number of docks reduced from 10 to 8.
Trustees told concerned residents that PUD zoning allows for more control over how the property is developed than R-2. Treasurer Rose Drouillard and Trustee Brian VanSingel, in specific, said they both use Woodland Lake.
The motion to approve the rezoning passed 5-2, with Patrick Michel and Rose Drouillard voting no.
What’s wrong with Woodland Lake?
Woodland Lake has suffered for years from runoff, nutrient loading, recreational use and regional growth, according to community group Organization of Woodland Lake, which is working to restore water quality. OWL, a volunteer, resident-led organization that’s been monitoring the water since 1994, has publicly opposed The Cove at Woodland Lake.
In October, organization representative John Boland told officials Woodlake Lake averaged about 482 micro siemens of electrical conductivity between 1994 and 2011, an indicator of contamination. There was a significant increase between 2012 and 2023, with the lake averaging 740 micro siemens of conductivity without the Grand River Drain. Including the drain, that number rises to 948 micro siemens.
Phosphorus, chlorides and nitrates from the Grand River Drain are significant contaminators, Boland said. There’s also been an increase in ammonia levels. OWL has been using phoslock and timber char to help improve water clarity, which has dropped significantly since 2017.
Limnologists say nitrogen, phosphates, algae and boat churn are driving clarity issues, according to OWL, in addition to fewer ice-over days during the winter months and an increase in boating density.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton Twp. approves rezoning on Woodland Lake, despite public outcry
Reporting by Tess Ware, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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