SPARTA, Mich. — Monday night, the Sparta Village Council voted to approve an annexation request for a property in Sparta Township, and many in the community are not happy.
It's a yearslong debate between Sparta Village and Sparta Township. The topic: a township property being annexed to the village. There's a constant back and forth over issues like the need for affordable housing and the idea that there's already space to be developed, without needing this major change.
The owner of Apple Valley Events, Chad Momber, wants his Sparta Township property annexed to the village so it can be developed.
"Being annexed into the village would give us the utilities, the water and sewer that we need," Momber said.
So, simply put, it's a problem over property.
"It's just a question of: Will there be water and sewer delivered to the property, and will it be under the village's control instead of the township's for the zoning and planning process?" Sparta's village manager, Jim Lower said.
"We had specific conditions that the sewer and water would never extend south of 12 Mile Road, and that is the parcel that we're talking about annexing tonight," Sparta Township trustee, Jason Bradford said.
According to meeting documents, the village and township have been trying to negotiate how to extend village services to the property since 2005. An agreement hasn't been reached, leading to Monday night's meeting, where many residents spoke against the annexation.
Below is a copy of Lower's Action Memo with further details.
46688772-Sparta Village Feb 17 Agenda Packet on Annexation by WXMI on Scribd
"I'm not against common sense change, but what you're proposing here is not a common sense change," a Sparta resident said.
If the annexation were up for a vote, Lower believes the community would support it. "It depends on who you ask, but we feel very confident that the voters within the village would support it," Lower said.
But Bradford disagrees. "I don't think that this would pass and I think that's why you're going to the county commission with it," Bradford said.
"You are people who speak for us, you say that you have our best interest in mind... you become useless to us. Please listen to the people," another Sparta resident said.
As it stands, all but Momber at Monday night's meeting were against the annexation.
"The agreement was that this wasn't going to happen, and now to annex it feels like a breach of our trust," another Sparta resident said.
Again, Monday night's council vote was to approve the annexation request, which means this now heads to the Kent County Board of Commissioners for consideration.
As for Momber, he says if the Kent County Board of Commissioners approves the annexation, his property developments will most likely include condos, senior living facilities, and single family homes. But no plans are absolute.
"All I'm asking for right now is sewer and water, and to work with the village to get this on my property," Momber said.
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