State Senate passes House Bill 5207, on Govenor’s desk later this week.

Fritz Klug
Western Herald

In a late night session, the Michigan Senate passed House Bill 5207, Friday, Dec. 18. The bill allows Western Michigan University to develop a 54 acre parcel of land known as the Colony Farm Orchard between US-131 and Drake Road for the purpose of expanding its Business Technology and Research Park.

Also included in the bill are provisions to convey an area of land on the corner of Oakland Drive and Howard Street from the state to WMU for one dollar and lift public-use language on a patch of land off of Blakeslee Street that houses a former tuberculosis sanitarium.

The senate voted 29 for and one opposed; two senators did not vote and six were absent.

Alan Cropsey, a republican senator from Dewitt, was the only senator who voted against the bill. He said he and his staff had heard from former senator Jack Welborn and people in the Kalamazoo area who were opposed to the bill because of the original deed restrictions on the property. The deed says the land should be used “solely for public park, recreation, or open space purposes,” except if the legislature, authorizes WMU “to utilize the property for some other public purpose.”

“The land was supposed to be green space,” Cropsey said. “An industrial park is not a compatible use for it.”

Cropsey, who grew up on a farm, said he understands how people who live in an urban area like Kalamazoo are upset by the development of green space.

Cropsey also questioned if the development needed to be done at this time, while there are still spots open in the first park. He also wondered why this green space was being used when there are other, former industrial spots open in Kalamazoo. Cropsey said that he would be willing to see the smart zone law change to be closer to downtown. “I don’t want to go against the wishes of the [people of Kalamazoo],” Cropsey added.

Jack Welborn, who was a state senator and whose deceased brother, Robert Welborn, worked to get the provision in the deed, said he was not surprised that the bill passed. “Western double-crossed the people,” he said. “The deed restriction was clear.”

The bill has yet to be enrolled and introduced to the governor’s office, Megan Brown, Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s deputy press secretary said Monday.

When it is, Granholm will have 14 days to either sign it or veto it.

Calling Granholm’s office and asking her to veto the bill is the current focus of those who want to preserve the land, Amy DeShon, head of the Asylum Lake Preservation Association, said.

DeShon added that ALPA will continue to look at ways to protect the Orchard as well as strengthen the protection of Asylum Lake.

Tom George, the republican senator from Texas Township, said that he had heard from both citizens who want to preserve the land and the university concerning the bill.

“I understand the concern about preserving green space,” George said. “It was about finding a balance and I can down on the side of job creation.”

George said that as times change, so should the laws and deeds.

“It is the duty of the legislature to make adjustments.”

House Bill 5207 was introduced in July by State Representative, and former Kalamazoo mayor, Robert Jones. Jones said that he is glad that the legislation is moving forward and that it gives hope and motivation to area businesses in the tough economy.

“This is great for Western Michigan University and the community,” Jones said.

Greg Rosine, senior vice president for university advancement and legislative affairs at WMU, said he is very pleased with the vote. “We worked hard to get it passed,” he said. “It was really a team effort.”

Rosine said that any development of the Orchard property will be at least three years off, while Michigan State University moves their etymological research off of the property.
“Hopefully the economy will turn around by that time,” he said.

No development is planed for the other two areas of land the bill details, but Rosine said that a brick “Western Michigan University” sign would be suitable on the corner of Howard Street and Oakland Drive.

Bob Miller, vice president of community outreach at WMU, said he is grateful for the bi-partisan and multi-chamber support the bill received. “They all realized that [the bill] was all about jobs and employment,” Miller said on Tuesday, “also, at some point in the future, more internships.”

Miller has said that the university will work with local groups before they begin work on the land and will bring the same level of environmental stewardship to the park’s extension and building standards for its tenets as they did when they built the first park.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Dec 21 2009. Filed under Breaking, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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