The Liberty Farms Solar project, which is proposed by Consumers Energy, would cover over 2,200 acres of land in Richland Township.
The Richland Township planning commission needs to approve special use permits for the solar project. But before that can happen, a public hearing needs to be held.
Township supervisor Bear Priest said the original hearing was supposed to take place in January during a planning commission meeting in Richland's small township hall space.
"So many people came we we actually were over fire capacity, so the meeting had to be postponed," Priest said.
The meeting was then rescheduled and moved to Gull Lake Middle School, where residents packed the building. There wasn't enough time to hear all of the comments during that first hearing, so a continuation of the hearing was scheduled for April.
During the April meeting, Priest said residents mistook the public comment period for the public hearing.
“The public comment period just kept going for over two hours. And then finally, when there was no line, it was after — I think it was 9:15 or 9:30. We only have the school til' 10. And so there was no time to actually open the public hearing," Priest said.
The public comment period is different from the public hearing. A public comment period is held at the beginning of every planning commission meeting, regardless of topic, to provide an opportunity for residents to address the commission with any topics they wish to discuss.
Any comments made during the public comment period aren't recorded as part of the public hearing.
Priest said to avoid a repeat of the last meeting and ensure all residents who wish to contribute to the hearing can be included, the public comment period rules have been changed for the meeting.
During the meeting, the first public comment period will be reserved for non-agenda items. Priest said this isn't to limit the opportunity for residents to give feedback on the solar project, but to ensure all comments on the project are happening during the official public hearing.
"We have limited the first public comment period to only non-agenda items. They will be a another public comment time after the the agenda items for anything anybody wants to talk about.
But the hope is we can get to the agenda item of the public hearing, because as a township we do have to try to attend to the agenda item of the applicant," Priest said. "I hope no one thinks that we're trying to move it along faster. We just we have have to be fair to the applicant and to our residents."
But during this latest meeting, Priest said he and other township leaders are hoping the hearing will conclude so that the next stage of the process can begin. The Wednesday, May 27 meeting at Gull Lake Middle School has been moved to 6:30 p.m. in hopes of making more time for the public hearing.
“I think hopefully for the applicant's sake we can get through the public hearing and let the planning commission start deliberation on the application," Priest said.
Priest said those deliberations can stretch on for a long time, maybe even several months.
"I think a conservative estimate is is probably three to four months of deliberation before the planning commission will be at a place to make a decision," Priest said.
He said that's why he and other township leaders are hoping to begin deliberations sooner rather than later. But the school is still only available until 10 p.m. this time, too — so if the hearing doesn't wrap up this time, it will stretch on once more.
No matter what happens, Priest said every resident who wishes to give input will be given the opportunity.
"The township will never limit the public hearing. As long as there's people — new people that want to comment, we want to hear from the public," Priest said.
