A proposed amendment to the Elmwood Township Zoning Ordinance encountered determined resistance at a special meeting of the Elmwood Township Board Wednesday. The meeting was called at the request of township attorney Jim Young in part to reconsider the Board's earlier rejection of a zoning ordinance amendment designed to deal with shortcomings in the township's Resort-Commercial zoning district. Trustee Terry Lautner characterized development standards delineated in the proposed amendment as "insane" and promised to withhold support for the proposed zoning ordinance amendment until standards were substantially altered. The Board voted 6 to 1, with Lautner the lone "nay", to put the reconsideration of the proposed amendment on the agenda of their regular meeting to be held December 11.

The Elmwood Board voted at its regular meeting in October against adopting the new "Rural Resort" zoning district language. The district encompasses property that was the subject last year of an application by Wilderness Development to create a destination water park resort that would have surpassed the Grand Traverse Resort in intensity of use. The zoning amendments were undertaken as a part of the Wilderness application when the deficiencies in the existing Elmwood standards became apparent. The Elmwood Planning Commission in conjunction with its land use planning consultants and attorney Young worked over a period of 10 months to create standards for the district that Young characterized as "backing up your community Master Plan." The provisions underwent scrutiny via public hearing, and were reviewed and endorsed by the Leelanau County Planning Commission. Attorney Young called the current township zoning for the district "a recipe for a lawsuit".

Township attorney Young and planning consultant Val Lasdins will be on hand at the December 11th meeting to offer their professional input on the board's discussion regarding the adoption of the amendment.