Posted: 7/2/03

Wyoming Township considers zoning moratorium

Jessica Foster
Staff Writer

The Wyoming Town Board of Supervisors last week considered a moratorium on any rezoning in the township for the next year.

The board voted to direct Township Attorney Tom Fitzpatrick to write up the moratorium ordinance, to be discussed at the next meeting Tuesday, July 8. The moratorium cannot be enacted until the ordinance is written.

Supervisor Richard Berglund, relaying a message from Thora Cartlidge of the Center for Rural Design, suggested the moratorium. The township is in the process of revising a comprehensive plan which will direct growth in the township for the next two decades.

ìThe obvious problem is people coming in with rezoning and various projects,î Berglund said. ìThe recommendation was the township as a whole because the zoning is dealing with the township as a whole.î

In support of the moratorium, Berglund said, ìI think it would be much better to have a clear cut plan of where this township should be in the next 10 or 15 years. We want to stop doing things that drastically change an area until we have a plan in place.î

At the center of the issue is a request for rezoning by Raymond and Betty Pliscott, who want to rezone their land from Rural Residential and Agricultural to Highway Business.

They have been seeking to sell their land to a developer for a business development for some time. Their purchase agreement is with Fred DeWall of Pioneer Village LLC.

As of now, they are the only rezoning request on the books. The rezoning was approved by the planning commission and supported by staff.

James G. Golembeck, attorney for the Pliscotts, said any moratorium would target his clients.

ìMy clientsí rights to due process have been violated,î he said.

The Pliscott request and the moratorium are scheduled to be discussed at the next meeting.

Building

The board has hired the services of local architect Mark Finnemann to design a new town hall.

The township will pay Finnemann $5000óhalf of that for labor and half for graphics and a rendering of the buildingís exterior.í

The existing town hall has been of subject for years. Previous votes to construct a new building have failed.

The rendering, and the information would be shown to the public and likely, the building would be on the ballot next March.

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