Grant Township panel recommends conditional rezoning for Team Thompson recycling site on Spruce Ave

Grant Township’s Planning Commission recommended approval on Aug. 21 of a conditional rezone that would allow Team Thompson LLC to expand recycling operations at 13475 S. Spruce, contingent on conditions including fencing of the site’s west side.

The commission voted to forward the recommendation to the Township Board after hearing from the applicant, the township planner and residents. The motion to recommend approval was made by Commissioner Mike Bouwkamp and seconded by Commissioner Joel Newton; roll call reflected six votes in favor and one abstention. The Township Board will consider the draft Conditional Zoning Ordinance at its Sept. 8 meeting at 7 p.m.

Applicant Nate Thompson told the commission he was present to answer questions and read a letter from the mayor of Newaygo praising improvements at the company’s current recycling facility and saying the facility has generated no complaints about noise or traffic. “The Thompsons have been very good to work with,” the applicant said while summarizing the mayor’s letter.

Township planner Brad of Williams & Works reviewed changes to the proposed contract and emphasized a requirement that “the west side will need to be fenced if approved before any trucks and/or equipment can be left there.” That condition was incorporated into the set of requirements the commission considered before voting.

Residents asked how trash runoff would be handled and how many trucks the operation would use. The record notes that the applicant indicated trucks are sealed units and roll-off containers would be empty while on site; the applicant and planner also stated the township’s ability is limited to enforcing contract conditions rather than capping company growth or setting an absolute cap on truck numbers. The record further lists the applicant’s current operations as running approximately 4–5 garbage trucks early in the morning and about a dozen roll-off trucks later in the day.

The commission closed public comment, discussed the recommendations and voted to recommend approval “with the conditions indicated,” making the approval contingent on Township Board action. The hearing closed at 7:26 p.m. The commission briefly reopened business to refer a separate short-term rental request from a resident to the Zoning Board of Appeals. The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.

The Township Board will review the commission’s recommendation and the draft Conditional Zoning Ordinance at its Sept. 8 meeting; no final township decision on the rezone was recorded at the Aug. 21 meeting.