On Nov. 6, members of the Kalamazoo Planning Commission were presented with a request to rezone a portion of the Asylum Lake Preserve to allow commercial development for the third time in three years.
Kalamazoo residents were lined up out the door to attend the meeting. Many were watching and listening to the broadcasted event on mobile devices throughout the hallways.
The proposal had been previously brought forward by Drive & Shine Car Wash, but was denied both times. Because the land they are trying to rezone is currently residential land, commercial development cannot proceed until it is rezoned.
“I’ve said that there’s no demand for residential development on this parcel, which is what the zoning allows,” said Emily Pelatius, representative of the current landowner.
Pelatius argued that Stadium Drive and Drake Road attract high commercial interest in the area. Pelatius also stated that zoning the land for commercial use would prevent future homeless encampments on the property, citing a major waste incident from 2023.
“My client has not been able to do anything with the property in the time that he’s owned it, but others have made use of his property while he has owned it,” continued Pelatius, showcasing photos of environmental damage on the property.
A majority of the five-hour meeting consisted of short speeches from Kalamazoo citizens voicing their concerns over the damage the potential development would cause.
“Homelessness is a problem in Kalamazoo. It’s another thing we need to address in other areas,” said one resident speaker during the meeting. “However, just because it exists, it’s not a reason to devastate a property that, once cut into, cannot be repaired.”
The attendees raised many major environmental concerns throughout the meeting, including runoff into the lake, light pollution in surrounding neighborhoods, road safety, and the permanent damage that development would cause to the preserve.
Even with the acknowledgement that commercial zoning could have a place in that area, the proposal was denied without a single vote in favor.
