The Elmwood Township Board of Trustees deadlocked in a 3 to 3 vote here Monday on a motion to hire LSL and Associates of Grand Rapids to work with the township planning commission on completing a draft zoning ordinance for the township. The vote blocked progress at the planning commission level in the development of the township's long awaited zoning ordinance.

Township planners, staff and the public reacted with surprise at the vote citing LSL's demonstrated ability to deal with the complex issues facing the township, the extensive discussion and preparation at the planning commission that went into defining the firm's bid, and the fact that prior to Monday's meeting no concerns regarding the arrangement had been voiced by Board members.

In comments made before voting against the initiative Township Treasurer Deborah Street stated that she wished to "Become more educated" in regard to the bid proposal. Street was joined in voting against the measure by Clerk Connie Preston and Trustee Terry Lautner. In defeating the measure the board offered no formal instructions to the planning commission as to how to proceed, or made any specific request of LSL for further clarification or action.

LSL representative Val Lasdens had outlined a 9 to 12 month process designed to secure public input and to finalize code elements structured to support the goals and objectives of the Elmwood Master Plan in a complete zoning ordinance.

Earlier in the meeting the Board had voted unanimously to contract with LSL and township attorney Jim Young of Young, Graham, and Elsenheimer to produce amendments to the current zoning ordinance's Planned Unit Development and Resort Commercial District sections in order to clarify requirements and definitions, and to unify the sections with Master Plan statements.

The Elmwood Planning Commission had been working on devising a route toward the completion of the proposed zoning ordinance, and to develop the scope of LSL's input in that process since September of last year.
During the same period LSL and the township's attorney were engaged to facilitate the review of the massive "Glacier Bay" water park for the township. LSL had also completed an exhaustive technical review of the proposed ordinance draft.

Clerk Preston, Treasurer Street, Trustee Lautner, and Trustee O'Rourke (who was absent for Monday's session) were members of the Board that previously voted to adopt a zoning ordinance that was strongly rejected by township voters in 2003 by referendum. After that rejection the township engaged consultant Gourdie-Fraser and Associates to work with the planning commission in an "at will" capacity which included working as required on zoning ordinance revisions. In the following period Gourdie-Fraser billed over $45,000 for those services. No final ordinance had been produced when after the 2004 elections the planning commission was dissolved due to other irregularities. Since being reconstituted in the spring of 2005 the Elmwood Planning commission has stated its focus to be the completion of work on the ordinance as its highest priority.