Vicksburg car wash proposal advances

By Jef Rietsma

The petitioner behind a proposed automatic car wash in Vicksburg cleared an initial hurdle last month.

During the village council’s April 15 meeting, municipal officials approved text amendments in support of the proposed development proposed for a site near the southeast corner of Richardson and Vine streets.

Village Manager Jim Mallery said the history of the proposal dates to last summer, when Pat Pearson approached him about the concept. Mallery said he realized the village did not have a zoning classification for a standalone car wash.

He said the proposal required a review of the village’s zoning codes. Mallery concluded Commercial-2 zoning would be the appropriate classification for such a development.

He presented a timeframe for the proposal, indicating potential approval of a special land-use application will appear before the council May 6. That step would be followed by a site plan review by the village Planning Commission May 13.

“If all goes well, the developer would begin turning dirt in June, with anticipation of opening as soon as possible,” Mallery said.

Pearson addressed Planning Commission members during their meeting earlier in the evening. He said he has been in the car wash industry for 30 years.

Pearson said he became aware of the idea for a car wash in Vicksburg after attending one of the ‘Burg Days of Summer weekly events in 2023. Pearson said he sensed a good vibe and later discovered Vicksburg to be a business-friendly community.

“This is a community … willing to help. Hats off to you guys for what you’re doing in this community,” he said, noting he has attempted to keep everything related to the proposed development local. “Our banking, our financing, our builders, electricians, everything we’re trying to do we’re trying to keep it in the area.”

In a separate matter, council members approved construction of a fence along the northern border of the village hall. The 8-foot, white vinyl fence is necessary to provide a visual barrier between the building and residential properties to the north.

Cost is $36,200 and includes five-foot, black fencing to camouflage ground-level HVAC systems by the office. The money will come from the village’s general fund, Mallery said.

US 131 reconstruction begins

By Steve Waldron

The Village Council noted that reconstruction of US 131 (Grand Street), and traffic rerouting began April 15th. Manager Cheri Lutz and her staff will continue monitoring feedback from village residents about traffic concerns. A village resident requested a dead-end sign to be installed at the entrance to Bernard Street from Lyons Street to notify lost drivers who try to take this street instead of the posted detour. Lutz noted the village will be actively posting construction traffic updates on its Facebook page to keep residents informed about the situation.

The Council approved a cost recovery ordinance which provides a plan for how the village can defray a portion of expenses associated with cleanup of hazardous materials and seek recovery of expenses from those responsible for the incident.

The Council intended to discuss village water rates and charges. That was tabled to May 6 following questions related to rates and charges assessed to township users who do not live within the Village limits, as well as having the appropriate members to vote on adoption of any revised rates or charges.

Other updates shared by council members:

At a May Council meeting, President Mike Rochholz will share information from the April meetings of the South County Water and Sewer Authority meeting regarding a maintenance program as well as the Lockport Township Water Board meeting.
Manager Cheri Lutz said the Vicksburg Foundation agreed to consider aiding Schoolcraft Village businesses during the period of the US 131 reconstruction. Lutz will provide more information as details are completed.
She added that the demolition of 203 East Pine Street is awaiting Consumers Energy’s disconnection of power from the structure, expected in mid to late May.
Trustee Kathy Mastenbrook said she had attended the Village Infrastructure Committee where members identified village roads which need immediate attention after they drove around the village to assess the roads. Mastenbrook also said she had attended a recent meeting of South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority (SKCFA). It was disclosed that SKCFA cannot join the Kalamazoo Intergovernmental Ambulance Agreement until October 2024.

Schoolcraft Twp. OKs texting to residents

By Phyllis Rose

Schoolcraft Township residents will soon have a quick and easy way to get updates, alerts, and other important information from the Township. Its board April 9 approved a contract with TextMyGov to use texting technology to communicate with residents.

Treasurer Teresa Scott noted that with this system, constituents can receive text alerts, respond to a text, ask a question, or report an issue. The responses will be automatic.

“People will sign up for the service,” she said. “They can still call the Township offices at any time.”

Residents can sign up for the types of texts they want to receive, such as voting reminders, she said.

The service also provides a database of local phone numbers that includes cell numbers, Scott said. This would be helpful in her job because some people mail their taxes in and have the wrong amount on the check. With the phone number database, she could call them and have the problem taken care of quickly rather than having to mail the check back and wait for a new one to arrive with the resident possibly incurring late fees in the meantime.

Trustee Tamra Stafford assured residents that they would not be bombarded with texts, but will receive them when something important needs to be communicated.

At previous meetings, Board members had discussed installing a digital sign outside the Township offices to keep people informed. Scott reported that her research into a digital sign indicated the cost would be between $43,000 and $60,000 but would only reach those who happen to drive by the offices.

“We can reach a lot more people with texts,” she said.

Following the discussion, the Board approved the contract at an annual cost of $2,500 and a one-time $1,250 implementation fee. The program allows for 25,000 texts per year. Those not used can roll over into the next year.

Scott said the system should be up and running within about a month. Information about the program and how to sign up will be available on the Township’s website.

The Board voted to designate the Penny Saver as the newspaper of record instead of the Kalamazoo Gazette or Climax Crescent.

The Penny Saver is more cost effective than the other two, noted Stafford. The cost per column inch in the Kalamazoo Gazette is $45.10 with a $10 affidavit notary fee. The Climax Crescent charges $12 per column inch. The Penny Saver charges $10 per column inch.

Published in Three Rivers, the Penny Saver is distributed free throughout Vicksburg and Schoolcraft, said Stafford. It has a circulation of about 18,000 and distributes about 1,500 copies within the Township.

To be considered a newspaper of record, the publication has to come out at least weekly. The South County News is monthly.

In other business, the Board set the fee for the lacrosse field at $350.

It also set a May 14 public hearing for the Sunset Lake Vegetation Control 2025-2029 special assessment roll confirmation. The cost of the five-year control program is $119,400, which represents a slight increase each year over the term of the agreement.

The Board voted to spread out the assessment evenly over the five years rather than changing it each year as the rates go up.

At a previous meeting, Board members had discussed what to do with a tractor that was no longer needed. They decided they needed a policy on the disposal of fixed assets.

They approved a new policy at the April meeting which provides that the clerk will be notified of any equipment up for disposal. A list will then be submitted to the Board to approve how the items will be handled, whether through sealed bids, auction, negotiated sale, gift or disposal. Township employees may not purchase the items without approval of the board.

The township supervisor will place a notice in the paper about a sale and then the Board would make a decision based on the bids that are received.

During public comment time, Toni Rafferty from the Schoolcraft Fourth of July committee reported that the annual parade has been cancelled this year due to US-131 construction. However, there will be fireworks at the Dome Sports Center, 12733 N. US 131 in Schoolcraft. The Board requested that the committee submit the appropriate forms from the fireworks company.

Board members expressed concern about the traffic issues in the area due to the construction and how parking may cause problems.

Rafferty noted that next year the fireworks will be back at Schoolcraft High School after the completion of the football field.