The Kalamazoo Planning Commission will hear a new proposal to rezone a plot of land near the Asylum Lake Preserve in Kalamazoo at a public hearing Thursday.
The proposal provided in the meeting agenda does not say what will be built on the wooded land if it is rezoned, but changing the zoning would be the first step toward commercial development.
The land is owned by DNS Stadium Drive LLC, a company associated with Drive and Shine Car Wash that previously sought to change the zoning.
But this time the request to rezone has come from a different company: Stadium Drive #1 LLC.
A letter to the commission from the Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council said rezoning the land would cause permanent harm to the preserve.
"It will lead to the loss of wildlife habitat, placing a greater strain on Preserve habitats and increasing light, noise, and visual pollution," the letter said.
"These realities of development will lead to loss of biodiversity and negatively affect the experience of visitors who come to the Preserve to relax and refresh."
The planning commission’s meeting is at 7 pm Thursday at Kalamazoo City Hall.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
