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02/18/2007Recall centers on proposed Meijer
Acme Township supervisor Bill Kurtz, left, and trustees Erick Takayama and Frank Zarafonitis stand near the proposed site of a Meijer in Acme Township. ACME — Jack Boehm already cast his absentee ballot. He voted to recall Acme Township's seven board members in a Feb. 27 election because he said they "lied to us and they didn't do what the public wants” during a lengthy, contentious review process over a proposed Meijer store. Right next door, Diane Gemmell said Boehm is at odds with most of their neighborhood in this Grand Traverse County community, a largely rural area along the M-72 corridor where developers are eager to transform chunks of farmland into commerical and residential projects. Gemmell said most of her neighbors opposed Meijer's project "right off the bat.” "I think (board members) are doing their job and I don't think they've made any unreasonable requests of Meijer,” Gemmell said. She said the township board just wants Meijer, which wants to build a store and shopping complex on M-72 and Lautner Road, to follow the township's master plan. The courts have sided with Gemmell thus far, ruling in favor of the township board on all seven court actions brought by Meijer against Acme officials. The looming recall involves three separate allegations against township Supervisor Bill Kurtz, Clerk Dorothy Dunville, Treasurer Bill Boltres, and trustees Paul Scott, Erick Takayama, Wayne Kladder and Frank Zarafonitis. Zarafonitis, the owner of the Bayview Inn, said even some of his regular customers signed recall petitions. When he asked them why, they all said the same thing: "Meijer.” Last May the township board approved a special-use permit for Meijer, but included conditions that went beyond recommendations of the township planning commission. Meijer sued. In December the board amended its approval to remove a limit on Meijer's hours of operation and requirements that the Meijer store have architectural detail and a brick facade. But the township board wants a proposed Meijer gas station and car wash relocated off the corner and moved to the main entrance on Lautner Road. The board also wants two sidewalks across the parking lot to be raised with curbs, and will require permits for construction of the rest of the shopping center. Township Manager Sharon Corpe said because Meijer doesn't know how the out lots will be used, the township needs to review future uses to make sure the retailer stays within design limits of the shopping center. In a ruling that upheld the township's conditions, 13th Circuit Court Judge Philip Rodgers called those requirements reasonable for the location. "Construction would perhaps go more smoothly if Meijer would stop trying to pound a square peg into a round hole,” Rodgers said. Board members and their supporters insist the recall isn't about Meijer, but massive, uncontrolled commercialization of the M-72 corridor by property owners, outside developers and former board members or unsuccessful candidates from the 2004 election, when the previous board was swept from office. Recall committee chairman Lewis Griffith, who started the recall, was both an unsuccessful political candidate and owns property near M-72. He declined to comment for this story. Former Township Clerk Noell Knopf gave $400 to the Acme Recall Committee. Two unsuccessful 2004 candidates, Ron Reinhold and Dan Rosa, also contributed money and support the recall. Reinhold said he's not motivated by sour grapes. He supports the recall because he contends that if Meijer wins its appeal, the township could face a multi-million dollar loss that goes beyond its insurance coverage. Rosa said he was politically active before the election and won't stop now. He disagrees with the current board on several issues, particularly in the area of property rights. "People who buy property for a specific use ought to be able to use it that way,” he said. Reinhold and Rosa called the board's conditions on Meijer a stall tactic that's economically unfeasible for the giant retailer. Township voters said they have been swamped with mailings making contradictory claims. "I don't know who to trust anymore or who to believe,” said Acme resident Linda Sturm. The Meijer plan is the third large shopping center proposed for an area that covers about 450 acres. In an attempt to resolve the litigation the board created a new urbanism committee to work with developers to hire a planning consultant for the designated growth area. "We get one shot at this and we have to get it right,” said Kurtz, elected supervisor in 2004. Committee chairman Marc Krakow said the urbanism committee met twice a week for four months, and he thought Meijer and developers of the proposed Acme Village across from Meijer were on board, right up to the point when they said no. "They basically said they weren't playing, they will wait for the litigation,” Krakow said. "They led us in the wrong direction.” Other developers are still interested in the committee's work and the township has raised $75,000 of the $150,000 the plan will cost. Kurtz contends that eventual development in that particular section of the township, considered the gateway to the community, will have far-reaching implications for the entire region. Former Michigan Gov. William Milliken, a Grand Traverse County resident, agreed. "Ordinarily, I make a point of not becoming involved in local political issues, but I feel strongly that the outcome of this election will have important implications not only for Acme Township but for the entire region,” he said in a letter asking voters to oppose the recall. Meijer spokeswoman Stacie Behler did not respond to several requests for comment last week. Boltres, the township treasurer, said he believes Meijer officials are driving the recall effort. That argument was bolstered by a court deposition from recall petition circulator Danny Hanna, who said he attended two meetings "organized by Meijer” when a discussion about circulating recall petitions occurred. Reinhold said he doesn't believe Meijer is involved in the campaign. He suggested that Hanna misunderstood who organized the meetings, because the Acme Recall Committee and Meijer both held meetings at the same location. The election also will ask voters to recall the board for losing its municipal insurance and for allowing Boltres to vote on an annual budget that increased the hours for his wife, the deputy treasurer, from less than nine to 20 hours a week, the same as the deputy clerk. Though Reinhold and Rosa don't oppose the increase, they said it was a conflict and Boltres should have abstained. The board maintains that its liability insurance for zoning matters was dropped due to lawsuits lost by the previous board. Recall supporters say it was dropped because of the lawsuits filed by Meijer against the new board. Both cite the same documents and the insurance carrier hasn't clarified the issue. If less than four of the seven board members are recalled, those board members left standing will appoint replacements. If four to seven are recalled, the county election commission will appoint enough board members to reach a quorum: four members. Those four then would appoint the other three members. Blair Township's entire board was recalled in 1998 and a three-member county election commission met two days later to appoint a quorum. County Clerk Linda Coburn said they interviewed applicants and picked people the commission thought would be neutral caretakers until the next election. If some Acme board members are recalled, voters will go back to the polls in May to replace them. The county Republican and Democratic parties will each nominate a candidate and others can run without party affiliation. Total cost to taxpayers for both elections is estimated to be from $8,000 to $10,000.
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