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Kalamazoo NFP board debates role in city projects; staff to draft training and update guide
Summary
During unfinished business the NFP board discussed whether city-led water projects subject to EGLE oversight should continue to undergo NFP review, and staff said an updated NFP guide and joint training plans will be circulated; no formal action was taken.
Board members and staff discussed the scope and value of the Natural Features Protection (NFP) overlay in cases where city projects are already subject to state regulation, and staff said they will circulate an updated NFP guide and pursue joint training with related commissions.
A planning staff member told the board the administration is preparing a revised NFP guide and will send a draft to board members for review. The staff member said the city is planning cross-board training with planning commissioners and the Zoning Board of Appeals to clarify overlap in review processes and compliance questions.
Staff noted that the zoning administrator, Pete Eldridge, and assistant city planner Bobby Durkee will participate in NFP discussions when available and that the staff report template was aligned with the Zoning Board of Appeals template to reduce confusion. The staff member said administrative reviews tied to soil erosion and sediment control permits have increased this year and that the guide may be used internally by building and trades personnel who perform SESC reviews.
Board members asked whether city projects that must satisfy EGLE regulations — such as municipal well siting and construction and Safe Drinking Water Act requirements — add value when reviewed under the NFP overlay. One board member said the city often follows the same steps the board would require and questioned whether that duplicated staff effort yields additional benefit; another board member said public visibility of city projects in the NFP process can generate helpful neighbor engagement.
Staff and a board member contrasted recent examples: the Pump Station 14 reconstruction reviewed earlier in the meeting and a country-club irrigation project the board previously reviewed. Staff said differences in well type and EGLE requirements (municipal versus irrigation wells) affect review outcomes, and they noted the city has adopted several best-management practices beyond EGLE requirements on the Pump Station 14 project (for example, containing drill cuttings rather than discharging them near the lake) that the board found useful to know.
No motion or vote was recorded. Staff said they will consult other planners about whether the ordinance or administrative processes should be clarified to reduce redundancies and will return with updates. The staff member also said the updated guide will be shared with the board for discussion at a future meeting.
