Northfield board hears updates on dam-removal access, apartment permit timing, new town manager and bridge projects

At its April 23 meeting the Charter Township Northfield Development Review Board received several development and administrative updates affecting local infrastructure and land use.

A speaker reported that work related to a dam-removal project is expected to begin in late spring or early summer and said the town completed a lot-line adjustment with Dollar General that added roughly 0.08 acre of land to improve access and permit possible future trail use. The change was described as having removed access as an obstacle to the project.

The board also discussed a construction permit for an apartment complex that, the speaker said, was issued in May (the speaker referenced May of 2025) and is valid for two years. Members clarified that Northfield’s local code requires projects be finished within the two-year permit term, rather than mandating a fixed start window, and that applicants may request one-year extensions if needed.

The board was told that Mary Casey Smith is expected to start next week as the town manager; a speaker noted she previously worked for Bill Fraser in Montpelier. Members also heard that Francisco Servantes plans to submit an application for occasional outdoor events at his dog-training business on Richardson Road; the applicant will outline intended frequency, parking and traffic mitigation when he appears.

Finally, members discussed sequencing for two bridge projects — a planned work order for Lovers Lane followed by work on the Riverton bridge — and heard that a state transportation official had communicated the intended order to a board representative.

The discussion was informational; no new permits or contracts for the projects were approved during the meeting.