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July 21, 2004Tondu shows its colors by ducking bill, suingResidents of the Lake Michigan port community of Manistee should have shuddered when Manistee Saltworks/Tondu Corp. swaggered into town promising riches in exchange for a place to build a coal-burning power plant.If not, they're shuddering now, in light of the company's $100 million lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. Tondu claims the city's planning commission violated its rights when it voted against a special use permit for the plant. An attorney representing Tondu alleged that planners "succumbed to political pressure" when they nixed the plan. Which apparently is much worse than the financial/social arm-twisting Tondu applied when it waltzed in and promised residents jobs and riches galore. Tondu's lawsuit came on the heels of the city presenting the company with a bill for $111,581 for conducting a lengthy review of economic, environmental and planning impacts posed by a poster child for dirty industry. Tondu, by the way, had promised to pick up that tab when it believed it had the locals under control. Manistee - which is working to remake itself from bluest of blue collar towns into a residential and tourist community - bent over backwards to study Tondu's pitch, including holding a spate of public hearings that allowed the developers and residents alike to speak their minds. In the end, it was clear that Tondu's scheme benefited no one but Tondu and planners rightly shot it down. Now Manistee must hope a federal judge agrees and sends a message that communities deserve a say over what types of businesses should or shouldn't allowed to set up shop. Bus site testing prudentIn all likelihood the ruffled feathers over the proposed bus transfer station near downtown Traverse City won't be soothed for some time to come.Opponents are pressing their case in Circuit Court, as is their right. Just this week, a judge tossed an attempt by the city to have the appeal dismissed. The case should go forward to allow those opposed to have their day in court. Just as correctly, the Bay Area Transportation Authority and the city are moving ahead with preliminary environmental work at the site, a few blocks west of the downtown. The work involves state-required soil and groundwater testing. It is funded by a state grant, and the funds may only be used for that site, no other location. Regardless of the court battle, the testing must be done. The decision to move ahead is prudent.
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