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Council schedules public hearing on vacating N. Division Street as Mead Johnson modernization advances
Summary
The Common Council set a July 6 public hearing on a request by Mead Johnson to vacate a dead-end portion of North Division Street as part of a larger facility modernization; councilmembers also discussed possible donation and relocation of playground equipment and preliminary plans for accepting Mead Johnson sewer flows that could trigger future plant expansion.
The Zeeland Common Council on June 1 adopted a resolution to schedule a public hearing on July 6 to consider vacating a portion of North Division Street at the request of Mead Johnson as part of the company’s proposed modernization of its manufacturing site.
City Manager Tim Klunder told council that Mead Johnson acquired and rezoned parcels in 2025 to assemble land contiguous to its existing site and has requested vacation of a dead-end segment of North Division Street that is surrounded by Mead Johnson-owned parcels. The Planning Commission is preparing a resolution with contingencies to consider the associated site plan and special land use application at its June 4 meeting, Klunder said.
Klunder said staff are also negotiating a lease with Zeeland Public Schools to site donated playground equipment from Bethel Christian Reformed Church between the Main/Fairview ballfield and the bus garage parking lot; the donation would come from Mead Johnson. He said the lease and related agreements could come before council at its June 15 meeting if finalized.
In a study-session briefing, Klunder added that accepting sanitary sewer flows from Mead Johnson is under evaluation. “Preliminary indications are that the city can accept flows from Mead Johnson under certain parameters,” he said, but noted that the volume of flows could require planning for a Clean Water Plant expansion and raise questions about what contribution Mead Johnson would make for upgrades to the plant and distribution system.
Because the sewer-flow issue is technical, Klunder recommended involvement from the Clean Water Plant Committee and assistance from the city’s rate consultant, Utility Financial Solutions, to determine potential cost allocation and treatment parameters. Mayor Van Dorp’s recommendation to appoint members to the Clean Water Plant Committee was approved later in the regular meeting.
The council’s action on June 1 only schedules the public hearing; no vacation or site-plan approvals were made at that meeting. The Planning Commission will continue consideration of the site plan on June 4, and council will hear the scheduled public hearing on July 6.
