By Bruce Rolfe
A recommendation by the Charleston Township Planning Commission to rezone two parcels of land from R-1 Single Family Rural Residential District to I-1 Light Industrial District was denied by the Charleston Township Board July 22, 4-1.
Kim Balkema was the lone board member who voted to approve the rezoning recommendation.
Clean Streams, LLC submitted an application to rezone 2 parcels of land at 1938 S. 40th Street, totalling approximately 201.66 acres from R-1 to I-1.
The Charleston Township Planning Commission recommended the rezoning request be considered by the Charleston Township Board at a June 17 public hearing.
Clean Streams, LLC owner Steve Taplin did not want to comment after the board’s decision to deny the rezoning request.
Township attorney Rob Thall said the applicant could come back to the planning commission with a conditional zoning request, that requires the company to provide specific details what the company plans to do on the proposed rezoned property. A conditional zoning request would bind the company to the conditions outlined.
He adds Clean Streams, LLC owner Steve Taplin could also appeal the decision made by the Township Board in the Circuit Court.
The two parcels of land are located where the now closed landfill is on 40th Street and currently owned by Georgia Pacific, sitting south of L Avenue and extending south to ML Avenue.
Taplin said his company provides a variety of industrial services and environmental remediation services working with the EPA on cleanup sites.
However another part of the business transports non-hazardous liquid waste to various disposal facilities, which he was proposing to build on the Charleston Township parcel of land. He said the building would be placed on six or seven acres in the northeast corner of the property, however with entrance and exit roads, approximately 20 acres of the 201 acres would be needed.
Adam Harvey, design and construction manager from Glas Associates, said Clean Streams LLC is a new company proposing to construct a centralized treatment facility that handles non-hazardous industrial waste at the location.
However Charleston Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest said the owner indicated he would be treating the same chemicals his company was treating at its West Michigan Avenue facility in Kalamazoo.
“At first it was all going to be PFAs and he had some special patent and he was going to be able to treat it. When he came two and a half weeks ago he said he was going to be treating a lot of other stuff. Any chemicals,” said Vander Roest.
The rezoning recommendation by the Planning Commission aligns with the township’s Master Plan usage map the Planning Commission approved in 2023 to rezone the property from R-1 to I-1.
However when the land use plan was approved in 2023, the township board had not enlisted in a wellhead protection program. The board established a wellhead protection area last fall.
Under a wellhead protection plan certain types of businesses can not be constructed within a certain distance from a well.
Part of the property Taplin proposes to build the facility on is within the wellhead protection area, which brought concern for Vander Roest.
In a lengthy motion to deny the application for rezoning by Clean Streams, LLC from R-1 to I-1, Vander Roest emphasized he believed it is important for the township board to consider the use of the property as it relates to the township’s wellhead ordinance. He adds the parcels are located in a general area that is a capture zone where water travels below the surface and reaches a municipal well field within a specific period of time. Vander Roest said the township received a four year grant from the State of Michigan and adopted a wellhead protection ordinance protecting two wells the township owns and maintains for the township municipal water system that provides water for over 1000 employees at Target and Eaton. He adds the wells are independent and do not have another source if they became contaminated.
Vander Roest said on September 24 the township board adopted an updated wellhead protection ordinance comparable to other Kalamazoo County Townships and similar to the City of Kalamazoo’s wellhead protection ordinance.
He said his concern is not just the portion of property in the wellhead protection ordinance area is near the location for the proposed facility, but he was concerned trucks delivering material to the facility could travel on 40th street past township wells creating a risk if there was a spill.
Taplin emphasized his company is proposing to build a state of the art facility that will add another layer of environmental protection by installing a secondary containment area with an additional liner that would be monitored to determine if there was a leak that went through the concrete floor, providing a remedy on site quickly.
Thall said rezoning the parcels from R-1 to I-1 would allow any uses allowed in I-1 to go onto the property without conditions, however any application would have to be approved by the planning commission and ultimately the township board.
Board trustee Josh Balkema felt with a conditional rezoning application the township would have some immediate protections, however based on how the rezoning request application was presented, he voted to deny the request.
Weather Warning Sirens Purchased
Township Trustee Josh Balkema told the board Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Chief Kevin Roomsberg had the opportunity to purchase some military weather warning sirens and offered two to the township to purchase for the price Roomsberg purchased the sirens, $1,000 each, which is significantly less then a new one.
After short discussion, the township board unanimously approved the purchase of the two weather warning sirens, which can serve as back ups.
The township will have to store and install the two sirens when one needs to be replaced.
Balkema said run volume totals are up by four at 270 compared to this time last year.
In other items covered at the July 22 meeting:
• There was an application from Wolverine Gas and Oil to install an injection for salt into an oil well on the Schug property.
• The Township Board continues to work with the City of Galesburg in an effort to come up with a fair monetary figure the township pays the City to rent the Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Station.
In a letter dated January 30, 2025 from the Charleston Township Board to the Galesburg City Council, the township board struggled with the city’s request for a 38.2% increase in rent. The increase in rent equals $6,300 more for the 2025 year. The letter adds two years ago the two sides arrived at a figure of $1,375 a month.
Vander Roest said trustee Josh Balkema is working with city officials on another approach where both sides share the cost for maintenance and improvements.
In the mean time, Vander Roest suggested the Township increase the montly rent from $1,375 to $1,461 to reflect a CPI increase.
• Vander Roest updated the board about an attempt by the township to get money back for repairs to sewer lines that were damaged on McCollum Street he said was created by the County Drain Commission office and a telecommunications company. He said photographs and documentation have been secured that show the damaged sewer lines.
Vander Roest said the telecommunications company damaged the sewer line in three spots. He said the township is seeking $36,130.03 for repairs.
He adds the township submitted a claim to the Kalamazoo County Drain Commissioner’s office for $106,000 for damage to the sewer line.
New township attorney Rob Thall suggested the township board wait for feed back from the County Drain Commissioner’s office and telecommunications company addressing the township’s concerns before he writes a letter to both, providing documentation and evidence the township has regarding both incidents and requesting reimbursement for repair costs.
Because the incidents date back to 2016 when the county installed the drain, Thall said there may be a statue of limitations issue, however the township did not discover the damage until 2023, which Thall felt should give the township the right to pursue the reimbursement.
Target Agrees to Land Acquisition by Township
Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest informed the board he met with Target officials about obtaining a small amount of land some of the township’s water system equipment sits on. The agreement would be a quit claim deed. There would be no cost for the land however the township would pay for land survey costs.
Vander Roest said the small piece of land is approximately 65’ x 71’.
“It’s important to us because there’s over $600,000 of our equipment down on that property,” said the Charleston Township supervisor.
He adds for some reason the small piece of land the township has water system equipment on wasn’t separated out in 2000 when Target purchased the property near the lift station.
• The Township Board authorized the supervisor to spend a maximum of $10, 000 to have crack seal maintenance performed on 1.2 miles of East L Avenue between 38th Street and the concrete portion of the road near Target. The estimate was obtained from the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County.
A recommendation by the Charleston Township Planning Commission to rezone two parcels of land from R-1 Single Family Rural Residential District to I-1 Light Industrial District was denied by the Charleston Township Board July 22, 4-1.
Kim Balkema was the lone board member who voted to approve the rezoning recommendation.
Clean Streams, LLC submitted an application to rezone 2 parcels of land at 1938 S. 40th Street, totalling approximately 201.66 acres from R-1 to I-1.
The Charleston Township Planning Commission recommended the rezoning request be considered by the Charleston Township Board at a June 17 public hearing.
Clean Streams, LLC owner Steve Taplin did not want to comment after the board’s decision to deny the rezoning request.
Township attorney Rob Thall said the applicant could come back to the planning commission with a conditional zoning request, that requires the company to provide specific details what the company plans to do on the proposed rezoned property. A conditional zoning request would bind the company to the conditions outlined.
He adds Clean Streams, LLC owner Steve Taplin could also appeal the decision made by the Township Board in the Circuit Court.
The two parcels of land are located where the now closed landfill is on 40th Street and currently owned by Georgia Pacific, sitting south of L Avenue and extending south to ML Avenue.
Taplin said his company provides a variety of industrial services and environmental remediation services working with the EPA on cleanup sites.
However another part of the business transports non-hazardous liquid waste to various disposal facilities, which he was proposing to build on the Charleston Township parcel of land. He said the building would be placed on six or seven acres in the northeast corner of the property, however with entrance and exit roads, approximately 20 acres of the 201 acres would be needed.
Adam Harvey, design and construction manager from Glas Associates, said Clean Streams LLC is a new company proposing to construct a centralized treatment facility that handles non-hazardous industrial waste at the location.
However Charleston Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest said the owner indicated he would be treating the same chemicals his company was treating at its West Michigan Avenue facility in Kalamazoo.
“At first it was all going to be PFAs and he had some special patent and he was going to be able to treat it. When he came two and a half weeks ago he said he was going to be treating a lot of other stuff. Any chemicals,” said Vander Roest.
The rezoning recommendation by the Planning Commission aligns with the township’s Master Plan usage map the Planning Commission approved in 2023 to rezone the property from R-1 to I-1.
However when the land use plan was approved in 2023, the township board had not enlisted in a wellhead protection program. The board established a wellhead protection area last fall.
Under a wellhead protection plan certain types of businesses can not be constructed within a certain distance from a well.
Part of the property Taplin proposes to build the facility on is within the wellhead protection area, which brought concern for Vander Roest.
In a lengthy motion to deny the application for rezoning by Clean Streams, LLC from R-1 to I-1, Vander Roest emphasized he believed it is important for the township board to consider the use of the property as it relates to the township’s wellhead ordinance. He adds the parcels are located in a general area that is a capture zone where water travels below the surface and reaches a municipal well field within a specific period of time. Vander Roest said the township received a four year grant from the State of Michigan and adopted a wellhead protection ordinance protecting two wells the township owns and maintains for the township municipal water system that provides water for over 1000 employees at Target and Eaton. He adds the wells are independent and do not have another source if they became contaminated.
Vander Roest said on September 24 the township board adopted an updated wellhead protection ordinance comparable to other Kalamazoo County Townships and similar to the City of Kalamazoo’s wellhead protection ordinance.
He said his concern is not just the portion of property in the wellhead protection ordinance area is near the location for the proposed facility, but he was concerned trucks delivering material to the facility could travel on 40th street past township wells creating a risk if there was a spill.
Taplin emphasized his company is proposing to build a state of the art facility that will add another layer of environmental protection by installing a secondary containment area with an additional liner that would be monitored to determine if there was a leak that went through the concrete floor, providing a remedy on site quickly.
Thall said rezoning the parcels from R-1 to I-1 would allow any uses allowed in I-1 to go onto the property without conditions, however any application would have to be approved by the planning commission and ultimately the township board.
Board trustee Josh Balkema felt with a conditional rezoning application the township would have some immediate protections, however based on how the rezoning request application was presented, he voted to deny the request.
Weather Warning Sirens Purchased
Township Trustee Josh Balkema told the board Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Chief Kevin Roomsberg had the opportunity to purchase some military weather warning sirens and offered two to the township to purchase for the price Roomsberg purchased the sirens, $1,000 each, which is significantly less then a new one.
After short discussion, the township board unanimously approved the purchase of the two weather warning sirens, which can serve as back ups.
The township will have to store and install the two sirens when one needs to be replaced.
Balkema said run volume totals are up by four at 270 compared to this time last year.
In other items covered at the July 22 meeting:
• There was an application from Wolverine Gas and Oil to install an injection for salt into an oil well on the Schug property.
• The Township Board continues to work with the City of Galesburg in an effort to come up with a fair monetary figure the township pays the City to rent the Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Station.
In a letter dated January 30, 2025 from the Charleston Township Board to the Galesburg City Council, the township board struggled with the city’s request for a 38.2% increase in rent. The increase in rent equals $6,300 more for the 2025 year. The letter adds two years ago the two sides arrived at a figure of $1,375 a month.
Vander Roest said trustee Josh Balkema is working with city officials on another approach where both sides share the cost for maintenance and improvements.
In the mean time, Vander Roest suggested the Township increase the montly rent from $1,375 to $1,461 to reflect a CPI increase.
• Vander Roest updated the board about an attempt by the township to get money back for repairs to sewer lines that were damaged on McCollum Street he said was created by the County Drain Commission office and a telecommunications company. He said photographs and documentation have been secured that show the damaged sewer lines.
Vander Roest said the telecommunications company damaged the sewer line in three spots. He said the township is seeking $36,130.03 for repairs.
He adds the township submitted a claim to the Kalamazoo County Drain Commissioner’s office for $106,000 for damage to the sewer line.
New township attorney Rob Thall suggested the township board wait for feed back from the County Drain Commissioner’s office and telecommunications company addressing the township’s concerns before he writes a letter to both, providing documentation and evidence the township has regarding both incidents and requesting reimbursement for repair costs.
Because the incidents date back to 2016 when the county installed the drain, Thall said there may be a statue of limitations issue, however the township did not discover the damage until 2023, which Thall felt should give the township the right to pursue the reimbursement.
Target Agrees to Land Acquisition by Township
Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest informed the board he met with Target officials about obtaining a small amount of land some of the township’s water system equipment sits on. The agreement would be a quit claim deed. There would be no cost for the land however the township would pay for land survey costs.
Vander Roest said the small piece of land is approximately 65’ x 71’.
“It’s important to us because there’s over $600,000 of our equipment down on that property,” said the Charleston Township supervisor.
He adds for some reason the small piece of land the township has water system equipment on wasn’t separated out in 2000 when Target purchased the property near the lift station.
• The Township Board authorized the supervisor to spend a maximum of $10, 000 to have crack seal maintenance performed on 1.2 miles of East L Avenue between 38th Street and the concrete portion of the road near Target. The estimate was obtained from the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County.
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