City Commission - Regular Meeting

Y'all set? All set, colleagues. All right. Looks like it.

Well, I hate to interrupt this friendly conversation, but it is a little after 6 here, so we want to get started. It is amazing to see uh all the beautiful people here in the chambers this evening. uh and we're going to get our meeting here started so we can get on with these auspicious events. So to start our meeting, I'm going to call to order the Kazoo City Commission for Monday, January 26th, 2026. And the first order of business is call to order. Then roll call. Clerk Barley, Commissioner Hess, present. Commissioner Hoffman, present.

Commissioner Pedle, present. Commissioner Slay present. Commissioner Wilson present. Vice Mayor Duncan here. Mayor Anderson here. Thank you, Clerk Borling. Uh we are blessed this evening to have Reverend David Zmer from the Bethany Reform Church here with us and he will come forward shortly to provide an invocation. When he does, I will ask everyone in the chambers to stand for the invocation and then remain standing for the pledge of allegiance. Reverend Zilmer.

Thank you, Mr. Mr. Mayor, commissioners, please stand. Let's pray. Dear Lord, we come before you as brothers and sisters in the city of Kalamazoo tonight. We thank you for the young people who are inspired to work for social justice and their families and their mentors who have encouraged them along this path that so many of our forefathers and foremothers have fought for. Lord, in a different spin tonight, we also lift up snowplow drivers and bus drivers, those who have to deal with broken water manes and clearing the streets. They are a blessing to us and we thank you for them and their gifts. May you protect, may you keep safe all those who contribute to this beautiful city. We ask a blessing upon your meeting tonight. May peace prevail. Amen.

Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you again, Reverend Zmer. I appreciate it. Well, this is one of my favorite meetings of the year and I think it always ranks as the most positive meeting we have during the year. Uh and it is as we are all aware recognizing the new next generation of young people who are participating in a in a very profound and important way in their communities and in many ways provide an example even for their elders. So that is what we get to do this evening and for us here on the commission being part of that is always an amazing honor. So tonight is the presentation of the 2026 social justice youth awards and at this time we have a variety of awards that are presented by a variety of organizations. Obviously, we're doing this in the month of January as the month of January is the month when we recognize nationally the n the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. And as a matter of fact, we are having this meeting today because our regularly scheduled meeting falls on the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, Monday the 19th. So that pushes us back. So, we have nine outstanding young residents that we're going to be recognizing along with Dr. Lewis Walker and the program sponsors. The program sponsors are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Iota Sigma Omega Chapter, Consumers Energy, Douglas Community Association,

Fifth Third Bank, Cal Mazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War, Life EMS, Dr. Betty and Mr. Tony Dennis, the Lodge Dennis Award, Shupan and Sons and Dr. Lewis Walker social justice youth award in order. The first one is Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Charlie Atkinson is being recognized. Would members of the sorority like to come forward at this time? and the individual being recognized. Everyone who's involved here be great. Um, good evening, Mayor Anderson, honorable members of the city commission, city manager Henkins, welcome to Kalamazoo, and valued community partners. My name is Nicole Wallace and I am honored to represent Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Iota Sigma Omega chapter. Alpha Kappa Alpha is an international service organization which was f founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington DC in 1908. It is the oldest Greek letter organization established by African-American college educated women. This evening, we are pleased to recognize a local youth whose leadership reflects the very values this city, our organization, and this award represent. Youth engagement, equity, service, and social justice. It is my honor to introduce to some and present to others Miss Charlie Atkinson, a senior at Kalamazoo Central High School and this year's recipient of the Alpha Cappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Iota Sigma

Omega Chapter Social Justice Youth Award. She was nominated by her aunt Satie Miles and Craig and Reneita Atkinson are her proud parents. Charl's work demonstrates how youth leadership can meaningfully support community well-being. I will cite a few of her numerous accomplishments. As executive chair and president of the Ivylets, a local youth service organization, she leads initiatives that address real community needs such as coordinating child care at the Gospel Mission so parents may pursue employment, supporting food distribution for local families, and participating in violence prevention, and community wellness programs. These efforts align directly with social justice principles that promote access, dignity, and opportunity for all. Through the giant leader program at Kalamazoo Central High School, Charlie mentors younger students and helps new students navigate their school environment, reinforcing the importance of peer leadership, a sense of belonging, and educational equity, key pillars of youth development. Charlie also participates in the Green Leaf Trust financial literacy program where she is building skills in budgeting, investing, and long-term financial planning while encouraging her peers to participate. This commitment to financial empowerment reflects an understanding that economic literacy is an essential component of social justice and long-term community stability. As captain of the Kalamazoo Central Comm Kalazoo Central High School cheerleading team. Charlie models teamwork, discipline, and inclusive leadership, demonstrating that leadership takes place both on and off the field. In addition, Charlie is a lifetime member of the Kalamazoo NAACP and has served as

master of ceremonies for the AXO youth competition, using her voice to uplift young people and support civic awareness and engagement and celebrating the achievements of local youth in our community. Her service through faithbased organizations, senior outreach, veteran recognition, and large-scale community events further reflect her commit commitment to building a stronger, more connected Kalamazoo. Charlotte's leadership represents the role young people play in advancing social justice, strengthening neighborhoods, and shaping the future of our city. At this time, we are pleased to recognize Miss Charlie Atkinson as the Alphacapa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Iota Sigma Omega Chapter Social Justice Youth Award recipient. Charlie, we invite you to share a few words if you wish. Thank you. Thank you guys. Hi. Today I'm reminded of the words of Dr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?" I'm truly honored to receive this social justice award. I'm grateful to my parents, grandparents, and the legacy of my great-grandparents for teaching me the importance of service, community, and justice. I would like to sincerely thank the city of Kalamazoo, Dr. Lewis Walker, and the Western Michigan University Lewis Walker Institute for creating this meaningful award. Thank you to Alpha Capa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Miss Paty Moore and Miss Nicole Wallace for believing in me and sponsoring me for this honor. I'm thankful for the organizations that give me the that gave me the opportunities to serve, including but not limited to the Ivlet Calamazoo, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Kamoo Central High School, and Kamazoo Central Ch Central Lady Giants cheer team. Finally, I would like to thank my aunt Satie

Clark Miles for nominating me for this award. Thank you all.

Thank you, Shirley Atkinson. Appreciate your words. Here you are. Thank you so much. Uh

Mike Smith over there sitting for a picture. Good. Thanks again. Next up is Derek Knoffs from Consumers Energy. Derek, good evening. Thank you very much uh for allowing me to address you all this evening. um proud to announce Dantree Hempill Jr. as the winner of the 2026 Consumers Energy MLK Social Justice Youth Award. Dantree stands out as an exceptional young leader in our community, dedicating himself to important causes like restorative youth justice, serving the unhoused, and beautifying our community. His passion for these causes has led him to many leadership and volunteer roles within Bent Not Broken, an organization advocating for restorative justice for youth in the legal system. He's also been involved in the Lewis Walker Institute Youth Juvenile Justice Fellows for 5 years. His dedication to youth causes was duly recognized when he received the Dr. Charles Warfield Youth Community Service Award in 2025. Apart from his significant time advocating for youth justice, he takes his belief in building community even further, volunteering to serve the unhoused population in Kalazoo and taking care of vacant properties, beautifying the world around him. Nominated by Sherah Hawkins from Bent Not Broken for his dedication to making Cal Mazoo a more just and vibrant place. We at Consumers Energy are proud to recognize him with the 2026 MLK Social Justice Youth Award. Congratulations.

Um, I really just want to give all glory to God and thanks to my family for supporting me in everything I did. Thank you, Nandre Hil, and thank you, Derek. Next, please welcome Victor Ledbeter II and Dr. Dvita Gardner from the Douglas Community Association.

Welcome. Good evening, council. Thank you for having us. My name is Victor Led Better I am the director of program and strategic partners uh partnerships at the Douglas Community Association, joined here by Dr. Dr. Dvita Gardner, the chair of our board, and Kiwan Green Henfield. He is the recipient of the 2026 Douglas Community Association Social Justice Youth Award. Kiwan is an intelligent, selfless leader who is deeply committed to giving back to his community. Whether in the classroom or through the many community serving organizations that he works with, Kiwan consistently demonstrates strong leadership, a passion for learning, and a desire to stay actively involved. Kiwan loves sports, basketball in particular, and fashion. Putting it on, as the kids say these days, al as well as traveling. One of Kiwan's favorite memories to date is a 12-day trip to Tanzania with Inner City Youth for Change, a local organization that empowers teens to learn, lead, and serve in their community around the world. The trip was an eye-opening experience as Kiwan was exposed to a different culture and a new way of living. One moment that stood out to him was visiting a local school and also an orphanage where he volunteered and played with local children. This humbling experience taught Kiwan the importance of empathy and reinforced his passion for giving back, reminding him that you never know what somebody else may be going through. Kiwan gives back to his community by working with multiple organizations such as Juvenile Justice Fellows, Inner City Youth for Change, and Bent Not Broken. He volunteers multiple times a week as a tutor with Bent Not Broke Bent Not Broken, a local nonprofit that supports youth navigating the legal system. As the eldest of three brothers, Kiwan does everything he can to support his mother, Liia Green, looking out for his siblings. He sets a positive example for them and others by maintaining a 3.94 GPA average at Kazoo Central High School. Yes, sir. In addition to his community involvement, Kiwan is a proud member of

Mount Zion Baptist Church and a member of the National Honor Society where he organize and run blood drives and other fundraising efforts. After high school, Kiwan plans to continue his education by attending a university and pursuing a degree in business. Last summer with the juvenile justice fellows, he uh he participated in a college tour that greatly increased his excitement for the next steps in his educational journey. This experience exposed him to v to a variety of opportunities including attending an H.B.CU, which is a historic black college. Um, Tennessee State in particular stood out to Kiwan as unlike anything he's ever seen before. Um, nominated by leadership at Bent Not Broken is our honor to present Kiwan with the 20 2026 uh Douglas Social Justice Youth Award. I just want to say thank you to Mr. Vic for introducing me to everybody in this room along with all the commissioners. And most importantly, I just want to thank God and thank my family for supporting me throughout my journey.

Amen. Thank you, Kiwan Green Hempill and Victor Led Better and Dr. Gardner. Next, please welcome Steve Pudwell, vice president, commercial relationship manager at Fifth Third Bank. Good evening, mayor and council. Fifth Third Bank is proud to recognize Yodura Sandival with the Fifth Third Bank social justice youth award. Your dear was nominated by Jessica Cortez, the director of programs at Elconilio. She is a remarkably gifted young woman who uses her time and talents to uplift her community, foster inclusivity, and inspire her peers. She truly embodies the spirit of this award. Through her work with Il Canonilio, she mentors elementary students in their afterchool program, offers guidance, encouragement, and academic support. She also shares her cultural heritage as a dedicated member of ballet for Lyrico, helping preserve and celebrate Latinx traditions. at Lloyd Norex High School. She actively participates in the Key Club, the Latinx club, link crew, and the varsity cheer team. So, on behalf of Fifth Third Bank, we commend and congratulate Yadira on her achievements and look forward to being witness to the impact she continues to make on our community. Thank you.

Good afternoon. I am truly grateful to have received this award and being nominated by Jessica Cortez. To begin with, I would like to thank God and my parents for always encouraging me to keep on going and giving me strengths to never give up on my goals. I would also like to thank Jessica Elonilio and Fifth Third Bank for opening new opportunities that helped shaped shaped me to be the person I am today. Thank you.

Thank you. THANK YOU AGAIN, MISS Synindovville and Steve Pudwell from Fifth Third Bank. Next we move to Kazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War Social Justice Youth Award and welcome the presenter of this award, Eno. Thank you, mayor and commissioners. Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War has been standing and speaking for peace and justice in the US and around the world since September of 2002. We are pleased to award the KO scholarship to Miss Miley Garcia from Kazoo Lorex High School for the 2026 social justice youth award. Smiley has served over 10,000 hours volunteering with organizations in the community including the Red Cross, El Consilio, Boys and Girls Club, and Girls on the Run. She is also active as a member of Jeter's Leaders, the Turn Two Foundation. She works with students at both Milwood and Comtock elementary schools. In addition to Miley's activities locally, she also has been involved in service programs in Washington, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Tennessee.

Miley has also been active with groups at Loorex, including Key Club, Green School, Link Crew, and the Latinx Club. Her volunteer time through Latinas with a purpose includes welcoming and mentoring students of all cultures. An important area of leadership for Miley has been her work through Elconilio where she tutors younger children in the organization's afterchool program. She also supports her family with translation and helping in their family business. As demonstrated by Miley's activities and involvements, she has a committee commitment to embracing diversity and equality. One of Miley's two nominators, Miss Marie Rodriguez, a mentor with the Latinas with Purpose at Lorics, stated that Miley led a presentation in Nashville on gender inequality and another one on sexual assault, highlighting how men are often overlooked and reminding others that sexual assault is not a one gender issue, but something that can affect anyone. Another of Miley's nominators, Miss Jessica Cortez, director of programs at El Consilio, stated that Miley challenges assumptions and supports those who might feel overlooked. Miss Cortez's nomination was supported by endorsements from Miss Marta Mahia and Miss Eva Ramirez. KN is honored to award Miss Miley Garcia a 2026 social justice youth award. Thank you.

Good evening all. I'd like to start off by thanking the Kamazoo City of Commission and those who nominated me. Thank you for being there to support my challenges and my commitment to my community. I hope in the future to be able to make a better um impact within my community, but for now I'm very grateful to be given the opportunities I am given today. I hope that my recognition is recognized with the others who have not been um who have been overlooked just like ones I have. And I hope that this helps the students I tutor, the people that I support and I stand with to recognize that they are also worthy and that they have a place here in the city of Kazoo as we are a community.

Thank you. Thank you again my Garcia and Eno away from No. Next we welcome the director of south operations for life EMS John Pinkster. Welcome John. Thank you Mr. Mayor commissioners. I have the privilege this evening to introduce to you Renzel Aoyal. Rinszel is a compassionate young leader committed to expanding diversity and inclusion throughout the greater Kazoo community. He has an outstanding focus on embracing and improving our region through his enthusiasm and a clearly articulated goal, which in his words is to allow people like him to thrive in the same light as everyone else. A naturally high achiever, Renzel has been able to let his light shine through his co-leadership of the Kalazu Area Math and Science Center or CAMC multicultural student organization or MSO. Having spent three years organizing various meetings, potlucks, and field trips including outings to both the Chicago Cultural Center and Wright Museum of African-American History. During MSO meetings, Rinszel ensures students of all backgrounds feel welcome, making it clear to attendees that the environment there is one that is safe and supportive, allowing for open discussions. Often, Renzel looks to the memoirs and poems of Dr. Maya Angelou for inspiration in ways to build equality, also finding inspiration through his love of music. As a principal violist of the Kazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, Rinszel has engaged many through both paid and volunteer performances in the community. One such opportunity worth highlighting was a performance at the communitywide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Beyond his music, Renzel is also the

event and outreach coordinator for the CAMSY Health Occupation Students of America or HOSA Group, which is a global student-ledd organization recognized by the US Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. HOSA's mission is to empower future health professionals to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. HOSA actively promotes career opportunities in the health industry to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. Renzel, as part of his work at the local HOSA chapter, organized a fundraiser and secured donations of first aid kits for distribution throughout our community. Renzo is also an active student researcher who presented an AP biology project at the 2025 regional science fair and is currently working on a biology research project in conjunction with a mentor at Western Michigan University. A member and secretary of the National Honors Society at Vixsburg High School, Renzel embraces his half African-American, half Filipino cultural backgrounds by bringing Filipino foods to the cultural potlucks, learning about his black ancestry, and promoting other students to share their unique cultures through short presentations. When given opportunities to speak, Rinszel educates students in their multicultural roles while instilling in his peers the need to embrace their own cultures and heritage. Nominated by CAMC teacher Rebecca Joyce and a student at both Vixsburg High School and the Kazu Area Math and Science Center. I have the privilege of presenting this year's Life EMS social justice youth award to Renzel Aoyo. Before I thank all the people here tonight, I would like to quote one of my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quotes, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Thank you to Life EMS for selecting me as the recipient of the Social Justice Youth Award. I'm

truly thankful to accept this award tonight. This award serves as a reminder of my work in healthc care advocation and social equality through my community. I would also like to give thanks to my parents for their endless life and love and support. Finally, I would like to thank my nominator, Miss Rebecca Joyce, for her immense support and collaboration through my four years of high school. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you again, Renzel Aoyo and John Pinkster. Next, please welcome Dr. Betty Dennis. Good evening, Mr. Mayor, city commissioners. Welcome, Mr. Henkins, to our community. My husband Tony and I are honored to sponsor this scholarship. We continue to be inspired by the love we have for our children, Immani, Amir, and Tony, who all graduated from Kalamazoo Public Schools and Ly Norcs High School. Our daughter, Amir, won this scholarship like in 2013, 2012, something like that. And while they're all grown up, we are still inspired by the wonderful young people who are committed to social justice. Because of our love for our city, this scholarship is a small token of our commitment to encourage young people to keep speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves. So on behalf of my family, I am pleased to present the Lodge Dennis Scholarship to Miss Savannah Robert. Nominated by her principal at Lloyd Norex High School, Mr. Christopher Aenaga. Savannah cares deeply about supporting other students. For the last four years, she has been an active member of the Ly Noric student

senate. The goal of the student senate is to improve the student experience at Lloyd Norex's high school. And as the president of the class of 2026 and the co-chair of the student senate, Savannah has been committed to that mission. In addition, Savannah is the president of Ly Nor's chapter of the National Honor Society. In almost every aspect of interaction with school life at Lloyd Nors, Savannah takes leader takes a leadership role and pours into younger people to help them develop their their own leadership skills. She is the founding member of the students demand action Lory Nor's chapter. She has led peaceful student walkouts to protest school gun violence. She's also a leader with the inner city youth for change. Savannah helped lead a student diversity group at CAMY to promote greater inclusion for black indigenous people and other people of color in CAMY. She was also a co-leader of the Lyn Norex High School Black Student Union and has embraced the promotion of equity at Ly Norex as a leader in the student senate. In addition to all of this, Savannah was a delegate delegation leader of Michigan Youth in Government at the Congress alumni of the Michigan Youth Leadership Conference. She's a member of DECA, a member of the Green School Club, and a member of the Key Club. She is dedicated to improving so many aspects of the Lloyd Norex High School and the Kalamazoo community. We are so proud to present the Lodge Dennis social justice scholarship to Miss Savannah Robert.

Thank you so much for that perfect introduction. Um I would like to say be the change you wish to experience. I am so grateful to accept this award and this presentation from those around me who have recognized my work and um that I have chosen to dedicate my time to. In my position, all I do is for those that succeed myself for though for that is what enforces change. The verse and morals I've chosen to walk in life can be found in Proverbs 318 and 9. Open thy mouth for the dumb and the cause of all are such are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. This award not only represents myself, but all of the important and often overlooked subjects I stand for, especially those seen in media in recent days. Thank you for all of those who have shown me constant and sincere support. I would not be here without you all. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you again, Savannah Robert, Dr. Betty Dennis, and husband Tony. Next, please welcome Judy Wolsey, assistant to Mark Shupan of Shupan and Sons, who will present the next award tonight. Judy, it's okay. Good evening, mayor, commissioners, and honored guests. I'm really grateful to be here again tonight. I believe this is my 20th year on behalf of Shupan and Sons presenting this award and it's always inspiring and helps you realize there's so much good in the world and we need to keep young people and allow them to do the things that they were put on this earth to do. Um, tonight I want to recognize Davia McCoy. She is nominated by James Washington, her basketball coach. James has noticed during her four years on his team that she's a fantastic young woman in a number of different ways. She's been challenged during her school career in numerous ways, including losing her father as a freshman. She's an outstanding player on the court and in the community, too. She was chosen as the captain of the 17U national basketball team and showed leadership with other players, guiding them to make good life decisions by her own example. She helps emphasize how important good grades are, and the commitment to your

team and players helps everyone be a winner. She's mentored other players through rough times in their personal life and helps make sure they're all right. She helped with one particular student to make sure that she had food to eat, rides to games, and a friendly shoulder if it was needed. Her maturity level is exemplified with the way she offers support to anyone in need, both on the team, in her family, or in the community. She actively supports her community by being involved with Jeter's Leaders Turn to Foundation. She volunteers at local nursing homes. She volunteers at the child care center for the Kalazoo Promise and also at Boys and Girls Club. Shupan and Sons is proud to present Davia McCoy with this year's MLK social justice youth award. Thank you. I am truly honored and grateful to accept this social justice award. I would like to sincerely thank Jamie Washington for nominating me and Shupan for being my sponsor. Your support, guidance, and belief in me mean more than I can express. And God, who is the head of my life. This rec recognition is especially meaningful because social justice represents fairness, equality, and standing up for others even when it's not easy. I am truly grateful and blessed to receive this honor and I want to thank everyone who has encouraged and supported me along the way. This award motivates me to continue to use my voice and actions to make a positive difference in the future. Thank you.

Thank you.

Make us the same height. Thank you. Thank you again, Judy Wolie and Davia McCoy.

Well, we are especially honored this evening to have Dr. Lewis Walker here to present the award named in recognition of his work for racial justice in Kaloo. Please help me welcome Dr. Lewis Walker. You simply embarrass me every year. Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor, Commission. I'm delighted to be here again to share with you this evening a young woman who is has exhibited greatness at such a young age. I'm honored to be standing with Miss Hosanna Nadi Kumana who excels academically with a 3.93 GPA. And since her arrival on Western Michigan University campus in the fall of 2024, she has been actively engaged in service, leadership, and community building. This young woman has passion that shows through out in so many projects that she is able to touch. From writing uplifted cards for hospitalized children to preparing Thanksgiving dinners for individuals experiencing homelessness with Kalamazoo together volunteers.

Her leadership reflects maturity well beyond her years and is grounded in service, empathy, and justice. No matter the setting, Losana brings warmth, humility, and a genuine desire to make life better for everyone across the campus at Western within student organizations and throughout the Kalamazoo community. Hosana demonstrates leadership that is grounded in inclusion, initiative, and compassion. Her actions uplift her peers, create access for under representative students, and embodies the qualities of a servant leader. Excuse me. When I look at her background and the work that she does, I'm serious when I make this statement. She reminds me of someone who embodies the values and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I'm truly impressed and glad to be here representing this award. When it comes to leadership, Hosana brings empathy, reliability, and a deep sense of responsibility to every effort. Whether organizing fundraising, pre preparing meals for individuals, experiencing homelessness, creating blankets for hospitalized children or participating in service project with local organization.

Your leadership is always evident through her leadership service and everyday interaction. Hosanna models what it means to lift or uplift diversity in every direction. She listen, advocates, supports, and create the richness that come from people's unique identities and lived experiences. Your leadership is also evident in the way you show up for largecale organization and initiatives. In brief, I'm certainly grateful to two professors, Dr. Jim Pineer and Dr. Sunday Smear for bringing this outstanding young woman to our attention. And therefore, I'm extremely happy and honored to present this year's Dr. Lewis Walker Social Justice Youth Award to Miss Hosanna Andy Kumana.

I got it right. Congratulations. Congratulations. Thank you so much. Um, thank you so much for this incredible honor. Receiving the Dr. Lewis Walker Award for Social Justice means more to me than I can fully put into words. Dr. Walker's legacy, your legacy, reminds us that justice is not passive. It's something we choose every day through courage, compassion, and action. To be associated with that legacy is deeply humbling. This award does not belong to me alone. It belongs to the communities that inspire this work. To the mentors who guided me and to the friends, family, and colleagues who never stopped believing that change is possible even when it felt slow or uncomfortable. Social justice work can be challenging, but it is also filled with hope. This recognition renews my commitment to keep showing up, to keep listening, and to keep working toward a more just and equitable world for all. Thank you for seeing this work, for valuing it, and for continuing to carry forward the Dr. Dr. Walker's vision. I am truly grateful to be honored with this award. Yes.

Thank you. Okay. Good. Thank you.

Thank you again, Dr. Walker and Ms. Nadi Kumana. All recipients will receive a certificate, a cash award, and a one-year membership to the NAACP. And to speak about that membership and more, please welcome Dr. Harvey Meyers from the NAACP. Welcome, sir. First of all, I'd like to simply say congratulations to all of the social justice awardees tonight. I am membership chair of the Metropolitan Kalamazoo branch of the NAACP. It is the oldest civil rights organization in the United States at 117 years old. We were founded on February 12th, 1909 by a very diverse group of people who wanted equality for all, especially black people. We are a proud organization who stand on the shoulders of many who have gone before us. We would like to congratulate the youth recipients for participating and making an impact for social justice in our community and eventually throughout this country. We are awarding each youth recipient a one-year paid membership to the Metropolitan Kalamazoo NAACP

branch. Again, congratulations and welcome to our NAACP family. We invite all of the social justice awardees to attend a general membership meeting which will be held on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at the family health center at 6 pm social justice community to see others in action. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Myers. Please join me in congratulating our recipients once again. Thank you all who attended. Obviously, you are welcome to leave at this point. We do have one other uh one other action before we'll take a very short recess and then reconvene exactly at 7:00 for our regular business meeting. And this is pretty important 50 year anniversary. So, we'll jump right into that. This is a proclamation for the North Side Ministerial Alliance 50 year anniversary. And I think President uh Addis Moore is here to accept that. Maybe we'll wait just for a moment.

Thank you, Mayor. If you're thinking about leaving, maybe think about staying to hear this proclamation for the North Side Ministerial Alliance. While these are the youth social justice award, uh, Pastor Addis Moore is going to have an elder adult social justice award. if you would come forward. And and it strikes me before I read this, uh, it strikes me that so many of our young people thanked God for their awards and obviously are are getting it from so many of the leaders in our community, including you and all of those that are associated with the North Side Ministerial Alliance. So, this is a proclamation for the North Side Ministerial Alliance's 50year anniversary. 50 years ago, the North Side Ministerial Alliance or NMA brought together clergy and community leaders on Kalamazoo's north side to build bridges, break barriers, and foster unity addressing social issues like poverty, racism, and injustice. With a vision of a community living together in truth and righteousness and a mission of leading the change in the community through the unified church, NMA represents a strong enduring faith-based force for social justice and community support in Kalamazoo. The city of Kalamazoo proudly partners with NMA to strengthen our community and promote a better quality of life for all residents. The NMA enhances relations between clergy and community leaders by bringing together its members and the public for spiritual renewal, sharing and responding to community concerns and networking by working to eliminate poverty, racism, and injustice. The

alliance fosters unity, diversity, and equality in the greater Kalamazoo communities. NMA has been instrumental in leading change through the initiatives such as the formation of ercc or erase city leading annual celebrations of the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hosting an annual communitywide prayer breakfast, hosting an annual anti-gun violence carnival for families on the north side and beyond, and engaging many community members in special events. NMA is currently under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Addis Moore, pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church since 1995. Now, therefore, on behalf of the 56th City Commission and Mayor David F. Anderson I, Gene Hess, commissioner of the city of Kalamazoo, do hereby honor and celebrate the north side ministerial allianc's 50 years of leading change in the city of Kalamazoo. Congratulations, sir, and congratulations, NMA. Commissioner Hess, uh, Mr. Mayor, City Manager Henkins, Vice Mayor Duncan, thank you on behalf of the North Side Ministry Alliance. I want to extend our deepest gratitude for the to the Kalamazoo City Commission for this meaningful proclamation in recognition of 50 years of service and ministry in this community. On the behalf of the North Side Ministry Alliance, we've stood as a spiritual anchor, a moral voice, and a community partner committed

to the well-being of the people of Kalamazoo, especially those on the north side. This proclamation is not just an acknowledgement of our past, but it's an affirmation of the work as we continue to do every day. Our vision has always been clear to help build a community rooted in truth, grounded in righteousness, and strengthened in unity. A community where justice is pursued, families are supported, young people are empowered, and hope is not just preached, but practiced. We're grateful for the partnership of this city, leadership, civic organizations, and residents who labor alongside us. This proclamation reminds us that the work of transformation is a shared work and that together we can continue shaping Kazoo where every person has an opportunity to thrive. Thank you for honoring our history. Thank you for recognizing our impact. Thank you for standing with us as we step into the next 50 years with renewed purpose, renewed faith, and a renewed commitment to truth and righteousness. May God bless this city and may God bless the work we do together. Thank you.

So once again, as people leave, I'd like to thank everyone for showing up for this important part of our ceremony. And we will be taking a short recess here before we start our regular business meeting, which I would say maybe about 10 minutes. Does that work for folks? So we'll be back here. Can't see the clock. About 7:05 maybe. All right. Thank you very much.

We set colleagues all good.

All right. All right. Uh welcome back to my colleagues here and I am officially uh I guess uh taking us back out of recess which we had for a few moments and uh just want to remind people that at 6:00 when we started this evening uh we opened for special event youth social justice awards ceremony and that's what took place for the uh first 45 or 50 minutes here this evening. So once again, congratulations to all the young people that were awarded the youth so social justice awards and the presenters who participated in that. So yes, thank you. So if anyone has picked up an agenda here, here is where we are at on our agenda. We we finished the first opening ceremony events and now we are down to C adoption of the formal agenda. This is a standard agenda that we use for all our business meetings. Now due to the uh you know high degree of interest in our public hearing which is item F on our agenda, I I'm going to make a suggestion here before we approve the agenda. Commissioners, if anyone has any objections, we can talk about that. But we have a consent agenda which is item G. And those are items that we do not discuss individually as a commission. Those are items we vote on together. I'm suggesting that we move our consent agenda items up directly after our general public comment time, which is E on the agenda. We could act on that then before we go to F, which is the hearing, which I'm sure that most people are here for tonight. Is that acceptable? Commissioners,

Commissioner Slavyy, I have no objection, but could we just remind everyone that we have that public comments for general public comments?

I'm sure going in. Okay. So, thank you. So, obviously, uh, lot going on tonight. A lot of people here, heightened interest in in what's we're dealing with with our, uh, our public hearing. So, I just want to remind people just a little bit about all of this and when's the appropriate time to speak on a given topic. So, as with every other agenda, we always have a public comment time and that public comment time occurs before we take action on our consent agenda and that is an opportunity for people to speak of any item uh topic of interest or concern to them. It's not a time for dialogue, but it's a time to express your thoughts and feelings on on any item. And that is in our standard public comment period, which is item E on our agenda. And as a reminder, the opportunity to speak about the resoning will occur during our public hearing. So you may remember those of you who attended the public hearing here is very much like uh the way it ran at the planning commission which is there is a presentation from the uh the requesttor of the change. There's a presentation from the city and then there's an opportunity for questions from commissioners to the presenters. After that then there's an opportunity for public comment specifically on that item. So just to not be confusing about that, that would be the time to express your thoughts on the resoning is during uh our hearing which is F. So right now uh we don't have to take any action. Our formal agenda now will include moving the consent agenda to directly after our regular public comment time and before the public hearing. Did I miss anything at this point? Thank you uh colleagues. And then just a

reminder uh the way uh it's working now with our rules is that a public comment during the general public comments people are given four minutes. However, during your comments during the hearing time, each individual will have three minutes and I'll talk about that just a little bit before we get started there. So, at this time, uh is there anyone Oh, I'm sorry. Manager Henkins, do you have any communications? Not at this time.

Thank you, sir. Now is the time for public comment. Anyone who would like to take advantage of that, please come forward, state your name and whether you live in the city. And just a reminder once again here is that if you want your name to be recorded or for someone to get back in touch with you, there is a sign-in sheet that you can take advantage of before making your public comment. Welcome. Thank you.

I heard what you said, but it's all too confusing for me, so I'm going to do the best that I can. um about the I think it's the car wash. From my experience in life, you have people that may be good when they start a business and they have workers that may be good, then they move on and bad people move in. I would suggest no on reszoning it for the car wash because it wouldn't be good in the end. That's all I have to say. Thank you. Uh, one other thing I was reminded of is that one thing I think is very important to the commission here is this is a safe space to express your opinion on any topic, including the reasonzoning. And relative to that, just to help reinforce the fact that it's a safe place, I'm just going to ask people kindly to neither clap nor boo when someone expresses their comments, allowing people to safely express their feelings about a topic. Is there anyone else who wants to take advantage of this public comment time? Yes. Thank you.

Hi everyone again. Everybody knows me. It's been eight years. I've been coming here since December 8 December 18th was 8 years to ask you to do something about the flooding in my neighborhood cuz when it thaws we're in trouble again. Nobody should have to replace a furnace every 2 to four years when the city does nothing to help you. All you want to do is keep building in my neighborhood. You need to stop destroying natural green spaces. We are in a climate change. You see how the weather's doing now? It's getting worse and worse and worse. We need to stop destroying trees. We need to stop destroying green spaces. We need to stop destroying land. If you want to build, take the money that you spend on these posts and all this other stuff and use it to tear down these old raggedy burnt up condemned houses and use them to build on. Save all the natural spaces we have left for we need them to survive. All of them. I'm appreciate you guys actually opened up some shelters. Thank you so no one will freeze to death again this year. Hopefully no one has. Um and I see you actually have transportation besides my friends having to pick up everybody and take them to shelters because the shelters aren't in the area where they're at. So that was my topic. But I wish you would do something about your storm drains that flood out the streets and your sewers that back up in our basements and backs up into the groundwater. And everyone, that's where your drinking water comes from, the groundwater. So, I think this problem should be solved. No storm drains and no other neighborhoods flood everybody out. Only my neighborhood, just mine. Storm drains should absorb the water, not push it back up, not flood a street where no one can travel through. I mean, it's been eight years, guys. Come on. When you going to fix this problem? I know

I'm being ignored. I've been ignored for eight years. Some of you listen, some of you don't. But it's been eight years. It's time to fix the storm drains. Your storm drains are failing in my neighborhood. And all you want to do is destroy, destroy, destroy. shouldn't always be about Bill. Tear down these old houses. Build their Anderson. Stop leaving them up. A child can go in that house and play and be hurt. And it's on your conscience, not mine. Yours. It's time to tear down those old abandoned houses, not let them set for years and years. The one on Rose Street, right across from Lake Michigan Credit Union, the whole roof is caving in. What would happen if a child went in there? You know, children, they're nosy. They're going to snoop. We did when we were kids. You're going to go somewhere where you're not supposed to go. It's so dangerous to leave all these burnup houses laying around just sitting here for years. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening, commission. Um, thank you for being here. Uh, given recent or my name is Mitch Leto. I live in the Vine neighborhood in Kazoo. Um given recent events in Minneapolis and uh Minnesota, it's come to my attention that um possibly the city of Kazoo may be utilizing um a technology that's AI cloud-based called flack cameras that are um used by contract surveillance companies to cooperate with uh law enforcement and that these um with the community in Minneapolis that was uh cooperating with ICE agents did not prevent uh the violence that we have seen um this past week. And so I would um be very interested to know if the city is engaging um with these tools and I would encourage um folks to take a an official position on um not cooperating with ICE and not using these technologies that have been flagged by um civil rights agencies uh across the country. Um and that's all my comment. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Hi folks, my name is Jay Kan. I work in Kalamazoo and I love this city. Please know that I'm not representing my workplace for what I'm about to share next. The militarization we see in Minneapolis with ICE agents exists in Kalamazoo. We have had ICE agents enact courthouse arrests. This means arresting Kalamazoo residents who had all of their documentation and followed immigration law. And for those arrested, 48 out of 60 people detained in Kalamazoo were not convicted of a crime. ICE is already demonstrating that it does not respect the city of Kalamazoo and they are doing so in police vests that will certainly destroy trust with KDPS. I urge you to proactively protect Kalamazoo residents before ICE further concentrates in Michigan by implementing the following actions that you have direct power to enact tomorrow. Prohibit the city employees, including KDPS, from sharing information without a judicial warrant. sale or sharing of location data to ICE agents, use of facial recognition by ICE agents, and prohibit access to license plate readers, transit card data, utility records, and require warrants for all data access. Mandate written log justification for any contact with ICE and public reporting of all ICE interactions. Mandate visible identification and badge display for any ICE agent operating within city limits. Mandate uh prohibit ICE operations in city owned buildings, parking structures, transit hubs, city jails, and administrative facilities. Terminate

or refuse leases, permits, and access agreements to ICE. Find and close down ICE operations that do not have those proper lease, permit, or access agreements. require officers to intervene and protect Kalamazoo neighbors regardless of immigration status when encountering unlawful or masked ICE agents. Cancel contracts with private prison companies, transport vendors, and surveillance contractors that cooperate with ICE. If you cannot cancel these contracts, reissue them with ICE non-ooperation clauses. You can do all of this tomorrow. I am laying this out for you because ICE is a public safety threat. We are lucky to have the opportunity to learn from other cities mistakes. Please do not make the same mistakes. Be proactive and please make the choice to take care of Kalamazoo. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hey, Savano. You guys know me. I've been coming here asking you guys to be proactive in response to ICE for months and months and several commissions and um I think just echoing what he said but also I think we should take a moment of silence for the ones that are dead and we have people grieving in the park with candle lights and people in front of the city commission begging you guys to do something and be proactive. Now's the time for ordinance. It's not the time to sit on your hands. It's not the time to wait until they show up because it's if or it's not if, it's when they show up. And it it's going to be somebody in this room. It's going to be somebody your family that's going to get killed protecting our neighbors. So, please do something. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening to our mayor, our vice mayor, um our commissioners, city manager, city attorney. My name is Charlay Davis with Isaac. You all, the chamber is packed. There are many outside, wonderful community members, and I encourage you all, if you don't already feel the energizing collaboration, that you lean into it and what you have before you. You have so many community members who love and care about our beloved community just as you do. When we think about collaboration, that's a powerful place. Dr. King stated that the beloved community, while not devoid of conflict, is free of violence. So conflict can be a good thing. You all lean in with that. Thank you, Commissioner Wilson, for your words at the last meeting acknowledging community members seeing and hearing community and speaking of collaboration. Others who might have been here tonight who are may be at the visual. As I shared with others, there are over 33 precious and beloved individuals who have lost their lives just in the last year, January 23rd, 2025 to this Saturday, this past Saturday. I'm not going to go ahead and list all of their names because all of their names deserve to be lifted. Please do look look it up. Be informed. Those who have died at the hands of ICE and also while in ICE custody outside of cameras and also captured by cameras, all our valuable bipac family members and valuable white family members. May no one be forgotten. As we are moving forward, I ask that we not be afraid to use such words such as white supremacy, oppression, inequities, discrimination. The list goes on. You all have declared that the city would be an anti-racist institution. You all have

our support in that. We stand with you. Leila Sad, the author of Me and White supremacy, when she was with us, she stated about the beloved community. the beloved community. We want to live there and a lot of times we want to skip over the work that it takes to get there. The beloved community is not a destination that we are walking towards or arrive at. It's actually something that we must build within ourselves and then together collectively. I think that it happens a lot of times. It sounds wonderful. Can we go there now? But we want to skip over the work. It's a place where everyone gets to live into the dignity of their full humanity. Love is not a feeling. It's a practice of care, commitment, trust, and accountability. The beloved community cannot exist with white supremacy. That's an end quote. Now, so let's be honest. I was born and raised here. I love this place with all my heart. But not everybody in Kalamazoo yet is held as beloved. Not everybody yet is able to live into the dignity of their f full humanity. So you all, we have so much work ahead of us. You are not alone. We are in this with you. Please know that it is not always comfortable. I tell our Isaac family that all the time. It's not comfortable work and that's okay. It doesn't need to be comfortable, but it is work that we must do and we must lean in and we must do it with courage. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello everyone. My name is Wendy Fields and I'm a resident of the uh city of Kazoo. I honestly came here illprepared, but because of something that came up and um rested on my heart, I needed to make comments for it. But you know me, I shall return. Um so I just want to say that um nature is out of balance. It's just simply out of whack. I live in the midst of uh the north side across the street from Mount Zion Baptist Church. some of you may know down the street from Lincoln Elementary School and I'm in my yard um pruning my flowers and a deer comes in my yard. Uh a deer two deers were on the properties of Mount Zion. A deer was in the playground of Lincoln School. These were on different days. Um, and when I think about um all of the construction and work that has been done by graphic packaging, it is simple. They have disrupted the natural habitat. These animals have nowhere to go. They are just in disarray because we keep allowing all the destruction and the tearing up of our natural spaces. So when you think about that um car wash coming, it's the same thing. It's nothing but greed. We have a couple of mega uh car washes already in place. And what has happened? Bunka, a small car wash is out of business. The other ones are going to these small business people are going to lose their livelihoods because of this greed. And it's got to be no. How many car washes do we need in Little Calamazoo? I don't think another mega one. Leave

nature alone. Leave it where it is. It just does not need to happen. And so I just want to read what the Bible says. 1 Timothy 6:10. For the love of money, that is the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically, is the root of all sorts of evil. And some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves through and through with many sorrows. Then we have first John 2:15-17. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and pride of life, it is not from the father, it is from the world, and the world is passing along away along with its desires. But whosoever does the will of God abides forever. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Hello. Uh, my name is Lexi. I live on South Street. Um, and I would also like to use this public comment time to speak on the surmounting pressure for the city to take smart actions and policy regarding the federal government and the agents that are terrorizing our neighboring cities and across the nation. Um, we cannot solely rely on policy alone to protect us, but the city can take strong stances and be proactive and transparent about all police training and partnerships, ending any feigned ignorance, and allocate resources to support proven community-led safety initiatives. One of the immediate ways the city can take a preventative action is by cancelling all contracts with flock safety and swiftly removing the cameras from our city. The political whoop the political climate has shifted dramatically since these cameras were first installed and our city commission should exercise caution and be willing to revisit this decision under the Trump administration. The poorest and dangerous boundaries between local and federal surveillance means that this data once collected can be weaponized in ways never intended, putting our residents, businesses, and visitors at risk. This surveillance infrastructure threatens the privacy and civil liberties of every single person in Kamazoo. um and creates a digital figure fingerprint of each individual um without warrants and without residents consent or knowledge. Disabling the cameras from sharing with federal agents as the position of the sheriff and KDPS does not make them more secure, especially when they refuse to participate in transparency portals that gives insight through public audits of data into who and what this information is and how it is being accessed or used. Overwhelming evidence has shown that these cameras have been used as a tool for bad actors and agents within the federal government, including immigration, DHS, CBP, or people working

with them, have used the cameras as a tool to facilitate and accelerate their fascist agenda. While it is true that the city commission has few ways that they can fight the Trump admin or fascism, removing mass surveillance infrastructure is a powerful and simple step you can take to protect our community. Every camera in our community is a spy device which will be used to tear families apart. A danger to the welcoming inclusive city that we want to be. For these reasons, I will be one of the many tonight to draw your attention to our demands for the immediate removal of these cameras, a call for a full public audit of data sharing agreements, and finally reallocation of save funds towards critical community services. Anything less is complicit is comp complicit is complicit with the Trump administration and will be viewed as such by the community when inevitably this technology is used to brutalize, tear apart, and kill the people of Kazoo.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, I'm Ray Sweeney, resident of Kalamazoo. I'm honored to be here. Uh thank you for creating this space. Uh we're part of the democratic process and uh I pray that it will survive for many generations. Yet I have written a letter to our congressional de delegation and I wanted to read it to you. You cannot escape history. You and your colleagues in the Congress must rise to restrain the president or and save our democracy. You cannot depend on the courts to do this alone. The president must be restrained or removed just as our forefathers rose to the call to establish a republican democracy. You too must be courageous. A the president is increasingly making it clear that he sees the USA as a power that has little need of being in con concert with other nations. There is no national security issue involving Greenland that requires that we own it. They are an ally. NATO may not survive this covetousness. Due process has been put on the shelf. It is telling that prosecutors have resigned in protest. I might add to what I wrote then uh having the um uh a person quoted on the uh the news program all things considered this evening. Uh uh the idea that uh a person uh who was killed uh was there with a gun and was prepared to shoot uh was claimed to be fact. A jury trial will ra uh will determine that. Uh item C key federal programs have been

defunded or terminated. Expertise seems to be valued less than partisan politics. I understand that the president was elected president in 2024 and continues to have support. Pollsters suggest though that there has been a shift in support for the president. In November, voters will be able to choose a new House of Representatives. Although President Trump is not on the ballot, I and others will not forgive those who weren't more forceful in opposing the executive overreach. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, my name is Jeff Mitchell. Um, by now we've all seen what happened what's happened and continues to happen in Minneapolis. And it shouldn't take the murder of our citizens for anybody to realize that what's happening isn't right. This isn't safety. This isn't justice or peace. So, armed takeover by fascist thugs. We may not be the target yet, but rest assured that our time will come. The real question is what can we do between now and then? Groups in the community are already working on organizing their friends and neighbors. Every connection helps. We see people outside today doing just that. We see people in here as well. But what we're seeing happen in Minnesota is a failure of their local and state elected officials to back up their constituents, their own community members. We see strong words followed up by weak actions. Will the same happen to Kalamazoo? Or will our leaders be ready with a plan to support and protect our community? This isn't only a city matter. We need to coordinate with the county and with the state. We should be fighting back against ICE overreach with every tool available. local, county, state law enforcement need to be tasked with ensuring when, not if, ICE is in our community that they're not allowed to run rampant on our on our streets, brutalizing and terrorizing our community. This must be backed up by attorney generals, prosecutors, and judges at every level, ready to enforce the laws of our state that they have sworn to uphold. I call on the city to establish a plan of action, including plans for how local police will be deployed to keep the peace in the event of an ICE invasion in Kalamazoo. There's no reason to be caught on our heels when we have the time to prepare and when we have the time to see what they're preparing. It is unacceptable to think that this wouldn't or couldn't happen here. We the people, we deserve to know whether our officials have our backs.

Strongly worded press conferences, thoughts, prayers, requests to remain peaceful while being pepper-sprayed, gassed, and shot dead in the street isn't enough. I urge our city leaders to work in coordination with local community groups as well as county and state leaders to come up with an action plan before it's too late. Use every tool available. Remove and bl bot cameras. They don't keep our community any safer and they feed data to ICE and DHS. End cooperation with ICE and DHS. Disallow ICE and DHS use of any city resources, facilities, etc. Use local, county, state, police resources to enforce our laws and keep our peace in the areas where ICE claims to be conducting operations. I grew up in Kalamazoo and I know the creativity that this city has. So, let's use some of it and see what we can do. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, I'm Kay. Um, I was just out there um at the protest and um there seems a lot to be a lot of topics to talk about today. Um I've been coming here um for about 5 years now. Um and the main theme has been urgency um and everything that I speak about housing um supporting um the the flooding um and everything. And um there's no more time to pretend like the house hasn't burnt down, that Trump has done a total takeover, that we're on World War II, and really realize how that impacts our communities. And I feel for a long time, we've been coming here and we've been told, "Oh, well, you should go to the county or well, you know, this is a state uh federal issue. It doesn't affect um us locally or there's a disconnect." And um I want to say that the time is now. The time is now to stand up to be to be loud with the community um to take the example of other um other uh mayors, other commissions who have stood up against ICE um because this is not going to get any better. And just like the housing crisis and I've been coming here and saying it's not going to get any better and I feel like the community really proved um this weekend that um we could come together and that we could do um what the city needs to be doing. Obviously, it's not sustainable for us as community members to be doing this and um the vice mayor supporting this, right? Because he has a lot of different roles, right? And he doesn't have a magic wand. And originally, this was going to be about that ma magic wand comment, right? Because you're just missing the hard work. You're just missing um the the at least the intention to work with community. That's that's it. You know what I mean? Like that's at the bare minimum. So, he does not have a magic wand. And if you were to come out here and be humble and be in community, I would see you just the same. Um, so we need to fund a 24-hour

shelter with mental health care, right? That's something we don't talk when we talk about the housing crisis. The unhoused people out here are just like the face of it, the excuse, right? Oh my god, look, they they're in they're in the streets and they're not well and stuff, but there's a lot of people living in their cars. There's a lot of people couch surfing. There's a lot of housing instability um that that is not getting addressed um because we're not putting the mental health focus on it. and also like just the realities of the of of wages in Kalamazoo. That's a whole another topic. Um we need transparency um about officers and um we need transparency about we need or like specific ordinance that speak that um KDPS is not going to um work with ICE. Um we denounce 287G is important because um even if we don't have that agreement, having that agreement around us creates a culture. It it impacts our community, right? right? Cuz it creates a culture against immigrant communities. Um, no flock cameras. Um, we really like need to like y'all really need to see that it's not just like, oh well, should we decide to do this? Do that now. Do everything that the community has been saying. Do it now because we are running out of time. We've already ran out of time. I feel like I've been coming here saying we we're going to run out of time. We've ran out of time. You know, um, our taxes support genocide and bombs instead of housing and healthcare. And um you know, we see the same here. We see the priors here with the arena. We see the priors here with trying to destroy the mature green spaces. And and I'm so glad like I'm not a religious person, but I'm so glad that you know even the Bible spoke about the greedy. Even the Bible spoke about the rich, right? Who who inherits the the heavens? It's the needy. It's the poor. It's the people out here. It's the destitute. The people who get judged, right? And we have to be conscious about this because right now even even like I'm not even going to get into that. white nationalism BS. Thank you. But just saying it, if you are silent, we know where you stand. If you are inactive, we know where you stand. And um hard work,

hard work is where it's at. Being humble and acknowledging your faults and doing better is what matters. Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening, commissioners. My name is David. I am a Kazoo resident. Uh I want to say that tonight and across this country, we stand at a crossroads as one crisis compounds another. This community is asking for bold action to confirm the dignity and safety of its residents and our neighbors. Amidst this immense concentration of federal law and military power in other cities in our nation, I also ask you to imagine how tonight's comments around this immense struggle of immigrant and citizen rights connects even to this discussion on resoning and to my later comment on the unhoused Because I also want to say that all of these struggles and I know you can imagine connect to the all-consuming capitalism and its sibling white supremacy that powers and propels all of these crises. Others will and have more eloquently spoken to why we must divest from flot cameras and other tools of surveillance that make our community unsafe. Others will greatly expound upon why we must deny this zoning request and its connection to the injustices around us. But I wish to concentrate my comments towards the freezing temperatures we are once again experiencing and that we as a community must demand and make radical changes to housing in housing and the unhoused. Over the last year, I have seen the population of the unhoused steadily increase in our community. I realize there are projects underway and that

there is funding available. However, as many have said tonight, I ask the commission to use their imagination and work towards radical change in housing in our community. We need public housing. We need eminent domain to clear the way for new development. We need restrictive zoning removed to create more avenues for housing. But these are only the beginnings. We have to center to the demands of the unhoused and what they need. I witnessed and was here as this city violently rejected the demands of the unhoused years ago. The crisis did not go away through force. It has only multiplied. And I ask to use this opportunity now as so many crisis swirl around us to move move to a new direction. One that centers autonomy and care. Solving the housing crisis is not an opportunity for profit, but one to elevate human dignity. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Next, please. My name is Ally. I'm here for a few simple demands. We need to get rid of the flat cameras. Others have said it. It's being used for tracking people in an unconstitutional way. It's not making us safe. We're actually more so in danger more than anything. And not just us, but even you. It's being used by bad actors of the state. They're using that to terrorize citizens just like what we saw in Minneapolis. Therefore, we demand that you refuse to cooperate with ICE with actual policy, not just words. Stand with the people here of Kazoo, not with flock, not with ice slave catchers. Get them out. And then lastly, just vote no on the Asylum Lake resoning. I don't know how many times we have to just stand here and say no to it and then just dance around the issue. We don't need more car washes. We don't need more commercial property. It's not doing anything but enriching a bunch of billionaires who are just going to take that money and run with it. It's not doing anything for the people here. In closing, be for the people, not for the shady tech companies like Ike and definitely not for the fascist ICE. And that's all I have to say.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening. My name is Amanda Miller. It's the first time I've been to one of these meetings. Um, probably like a lot of people in the audience, I and in America and in the world, I'm just feeling pretty devastated about the state of our country. Um, and especially like the other speakers have said, our city. We need to do something now. We need to make sure we do not anything you can do within your power, please start acting on it now. We cannot cooperate with ICE. I'm not going to list all the ways. They've already been listed. Um, we need to just make sure people are safe. Imagine if something happened to one of our community members. We're as sad as we are now. If something happens to somebody that we care about, we love a child like we've been seeing of one of our community members, that's just going to be a whole another level of devastation. I've lived and worked in Kalamazoo for over 30 years. Uh it's it's a place that you know you all know is special and we have to we have to protect everybody that lives here. I've heard uh I've been watching some of the meetings online recently and I just want to make sure that it's respectful to one another. Uh some of the dialogue was not that respectful. There was a call to action tonight that the mayor, you did not have a magic wand to fix things. I made one for you. Um, and I hope that you'll take this now that you have the magic wand. You know, maybe we can move forward and do some things that need to be done. Thank you.

Thank Thank you. Next, please. Hi, my name is Shauna Espinosa. You all need to take this serious. Like, we cannot afford to lose anybody else. It's so cold outside. Like, I don't even want to be outside, but I'm out here because I care. I give a damn. We need you, Mayor Anderson, to come out here knocking on these doors, asking these churches, are they going to open their doors overnight? Help them, show them. It's to my understanding, the commission has a list of churches and places that they can use for emergency shelters. If that's true, then that's something we should be doing. All of us. It takes a community, a whole every single one of us should be standing up and fighting for what's right. Our house deserve better in so many type of ways. There's more than just adults out there. There's children. There's babies out there. There's people that are pregnant and giving birth out there. That's not right. It's cold. It's freezing cold out here. No one deserves to be outside for any amount of time. I'm pretty sure that you guys are all covered. Hat, gloves, coat, boots. Can you just imagine being out on the street and not having those things with the temperature that it is right now? And there's not nothing for them overnight. Yes, there's two overnight. One is only adults. The other one is the mission, which is extremely harmful to some people. You can't force your religion on somebody. We see Trump doing that every single day. And so why should Kazoo be doing that? I do want to thank those that reached out and made sure the sidewalk was good for my babies this morning at Hillside. Mr. McKisik from Hillside, the principal, he said

thank you. He really appreciates that. So his babies didn't have to walk in the street and be put in harm's way because that sidewalk don't be shoveled. And our babies walk. A big percentage of our kids walk. So he wants to say thank you. He really appreciates that. So just imagine that's something little, that's something small that people appreciate. Instead of building and continuing to building things that we don't need, we should be making sure that there's enough housing, enough apartments, enough housing in some type of way that can that can house our own house. They're it's growing. It's getting bigger and bigger and bigger as we see. So the time is now. The time is now to do something because it's to the point that Mayor Anderson, you need to step down, move out of the way. So those that want to lead and are serious about leading Kamazoo to a new beginning, to a better place should be sitting in that seat, not someone that only cares about dollars, landlords, those that look like you. Because everybody in this community deserves the right treatment. mental health, housing, people that give a damn about them that sit on this commission. You hear us time and time again to ask you the same thing. I've been coming here for years and the problem has only gotten worse under your leadership. That just shows that you should step down, not go on a 22minute rant. Nobody wants to hear about what you claim that you have done in the you claim that you have done but it's caused this community more harm than you could think of. You sit on many many boards, housing boards, look at interfaith. It should not look at like that. That's not somewhere you want to go home to.

And I'm sure my babies don't want to go home to there either. Do better. If you're not going to do better, step down. Move out the way for somebody that's going to take lead. and make sure that Kamazoo is making the strive and setting a a better example than you have. Thank you. Next, please.

Hanib, good evening everyone, commissioners, mayor. Um, first of all, like everybody is saying and we all looking at the news, no ICE. The people will respond if you make agreements. if KDPS assists ICE. Um, you guys are aware of there being uh detention centers that they're being kept in in our areas, Calhoun County. Um, yeah. No, no. The inhumity that we're seeing right now is having a direct effect on the well-being of the people that are observing that. It is a form of secondary trauma to see those types of things happening to people. uh knowing that any of us could be next as black and brown people. Um it's important to understand that ICE uh is just a reiteration of those that has plagued black and indigenous people in this country before white people got here or when white people got here cuz that's when it started. Um so descending from slave catchers, descending from Indian killers, these are the same people that are doing these types of things to our black and brown siblings. Um, and so yeah, no, this is indigenous land built by black labor. My condolences to all of those who are not named that have been killed by ICE. Keith Porter is one of them who was killed by an offduty ICE agent. Convict and sentence Brian Palasios who killed him. We know the names of those who have been shot recently and their lives have been taken, but there are so many that we don't know um because they died in ICE custody or their names are not lifted up. So, please take a moment and look at those things. Um you can look those up on Instagram if you type in ICE deaths 2026. No building by Asylum Lake designate green space for our community to recover from the toxic waste that's in our air that impacts and disproportionately impacts our poor

communities that are filled with BIPO because that is environmental racism. The lady that came up was sitting out came up here and I sitting out there and said she's been coming here for eight years asking y'all to take care of this water. Poor people cannot afford to be fixing their houses because of things that could be taken care of by all of this money that I know y'all could be allocating in a better way. Stop making people come here and beg you for scraps. At the end of the day, fix the storm drains. We got an arena out there. I know that cost however much more than it costs to fix them storm drains so people can have clean water and access in their homes. I know some of y'all been sitting up here uh uh parts of social justice movements or proximities to them. Come on. Don't make people beg for scraps. The unhoused are human. The sweeps you guys have been doing from 2021 when I got caught up until what they're probably still going on right now are inhumane. Calamazoo is a colony. You guys are doing the work of a colony. Decolonize this colony. Don't participate in that. Stand against that. Don't make us come out here and have to do that work and then what? we go before the citizens review board so that the city manager can just excuse all the work that the actions that the police do. So the police can go and uh terrorize activists, point assault rifles at activists from the times that people have been out here uh protesting since 2020 up until now and it's messed up. It's hard to get up here and talk about this stuff because the is traumatizing. You guys have the power to do things to change that. Do it. Don't put the people through this. You see what's going on over in Minneapolis. We all got phones. You see what's been going on around this nation. Give land back to Nishnab people. You're sitting on original unseated land that was never paid for. Right here where we sitting right now where those people are having that vigil, the land was never paid for. Give this. Give some land back. Stop the surveillance on activists. We're being surveiled to my community

and our people targeted by police and ICE violence. You have the right to protection. You have the right to peace. You have the right to breathe. Many of us are here to Thank you. Sorry. Hello. Power to the people. Please feel that. Lean on that. Stand on it.

Thank you. Next. Next. Please. Power to the people. So, I have seen fast food restaurants erected in less than a week. I have seen businesses bailed out from bad debts. Uh, I have seen a man struggle on the street trying to work with his case manager at ISK to finally get an apartment and tell me, "I can't do another winter." There are some things that seem to move so quickly and then some things that seem to move at a crawl. There is no reason that we should still be experiencing the BS that we're experiencing. And not only that, it's getting worse. And so the proximity of you, each of you, to the situation that our neighbors are experiencing, that is growing smaller and smaller. I am on a daily basis concerned about whether or not my mother is going to be on the street, right? I'm concerned about, okay, if I'm getting this job, how much of my money do I need to be putting aside for my mother? That should not be what I'm thinking about, right? We wanted to create this environment, right, where our youth could feel like they could do anything, but this is what we're thinking about. Housing is too high. People who are working more than one job are on the street. We have all of this space, but somebody has to own it, right? It can't just be free and open space. Why can't we just give that land back to the people?

It was never ours to begin with. So, constantly favoring capitalism over the things that people actually need. That's not okay. So, I can hear you when you say, "Well, we're working on it. Well, it's going to take some time. Well, our hands are tied. Well, this well this." We've created this structure, so we need to uncreate it. Like she said, it is time to decolonize. We are still operating with this white supremacist mindset, and we don't need to do that anymore. So, let's not waste our time trying to figure out, well, how can we silence folks and actually get out and do the work? One of the other things that I want to say is that Black Lives Matter 100% feels like ICE, this ICE situation is a Black Lives Matter issue. That is a global issue. We are all impacted. It doesn't matter what you look like, where you come from. We are all impacted. Our mental health is impacted. The safety of our family and friends are impacted. whether or not we know we're going to survive in a single day is impacted. And nobody should have to experience that just for speaking out for what is right. So when ICE comes to Kalamazoo, oh maybe they already here. Let's not let them do whatever they want to do. They're not trained. These these institutions were not put into place to protect us. They were put into place to keep us in our place. This is my country whether I wanted it to be or not. I am a descendant of slaves. And so I'm here and you all sit

there because of my ancestors, right? The work of black and brown people built this city, built this country. And so we have an obligation to our people. Thank you. Next, please.

Caring out loud is not a weakness. Community is not marketing. It's a practice. It's survival. It's a daily act of choosing care over extraction, proximity over isolation, relationship over individual escape to see humanity and our others and ourselves. What you continue to hear and witness are folks not just naming feelings and responses to unjust actions and ways of being. It is not just a call. It it's a it's a reckoning that and it that cannot and will not go away. Safety is not the absence of discomfort. It is the presence of care, consent, and capacity to return to repair. And sometimes safety means naming harm. It's about truthtelling. A leader is not one that is just elected. It is someone who courageously stands in care, stands for humanity, stands for truthtelling. It is not safe here and will never be if you cannot lead with value of humanity. You have a job. You have a position because of the people. People will figure it out without you. Like generations of the diaspora have and continue to. People will figure it out without you. Caring out loud is not a weakness. Marinate on why you are here. Why are you here? If you cannot and will not stand for safety, this is a reckoning and it will not go away. Caring out loud is not a weakness. Sustaining values that seek to kill, destroy, remove, silence, and erase is a weakness. And I really push that you follow and have listened to everyone here and very specific direction named from Jay Kion and Dr. Charlotte Davis. I really hope that you listen. I hope that you marinate on what care actually looks like, what safety actually looks like.

Cuz what has been named is safe is not safety. That's harm. that's hurting people and is only going to continue to. People will figure it out without you and I hope you can sit with that at night. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Hello there. My name is Tate Weera. I'm a city resident in Kazoo. I'm a student at Western Michigan University. I'm studying Spanish, political science, and economics. Um, we talked about community need in regards to Asylum Lake. There's a developer that has no specific community needs that they hope to address. Um, does the community need more miscellaneous Oh, um, commercial real estate. You can drive any direction out of downtown, whether it be G Road or Main Street or West Nedge or Stadium. You can find plenty and plenty of commercial real estate still with empty buildings that get filled with spirit Halloweens every year. It's like there is space to do that. But what the community needs is protected green spaces. We have a river that goes through downtown that's buried more than it's beautified and we have a rare preserve of Asylum Lake. And we have to come up here every couple months and argue for that it's worth defending. Um, I've been lucky enough to see some of you on campus at Western. Um, at dinner with the delegates last year, I think it was you, Commissioner Hes, you came and you wanted to hear from students and you wanted to to learn about what the city could do to keep young people here. You said you wanted this to be an opportunity city. Um, and I asked, what kind of opportunity is it? An opportunity to get kidnapped by ICE. Is it the opportunity to get gunned down in the streets, assassinated? They killed a nurse. They killed a teacher. They killed a black man enjoying New Year's Eve. Do we need to wait until it's a nurse at Borgis or Bronson or a teacher at Western or El Soul or We're lucky. No, we're not lucky. But um because there are already people here. I have friends. I have students that I have class with. I have friends and family that have already been detained

by ICE. And um it's past time to act. I'm asking you to the same demands as me you've heard before. Stop the flock cameras. Don't comply with ICE. Stand with your community on the front lines. Show up in the streets. Tell us, communicate with us directly what you are doing to protect us. That is what we need. That is what the city needs. That is what these our people need. So I ask, what kind of city do you want to promise? Do you want to promise one that will run over green space for commercial resident real estate that we don't need and one that will allow secret police to assassinate us and kidnap us in the streets? Are you promising a city that will stand up for the residents inside of it? I implore you to do something. Um, everyone here has made time out of their days. We don't work for the city largely. Um, I'm lucky enough to work on campus. I'm a full-time student. Um, we're tired, we're busy. This is your guys's job. You need to show up. You need to do things and you need to be proactive about it. You don't don't wait for us to tell you. You guys have the same eyes and ears we all have. Use them and make action with it. Go Broncos. Buck ice. Do something. Thank you. So, so I'll just kindly ask again, just a reminder that we we try to maintain this as a safe space for people to express their opinions. To that end, I just kindly request no clapping or booing, please, so people feel comfortable uh expressing their concerns uh here to the commission. Next, please.

Hi, my name is Abby. I live in the city of Kazoo and I've spoken here a couple times and my comment today is about comments. Um, I literally cannot describe how much I hate coming up here with these bright lights and these cameras and all of this, but that's how much I care about the things that I'm speaking about. And I have emailed you guys 15 times since the last meeting, which was three weeks ago because of the holiday last week. And I heard from three of you. So, every time we start public comment, you make sure to remind everybody there's no dialogue. We don't ask questions or if we do, they're rhetorical or just getting stared at. Hi. Um, so I guess I'm not really sure as to how someone in this community would be able to go about, you know, having a conversation with any one of you. I do want to say thank you to the three people that responded to my emails or reached out in person. Um, but I just want to reiterate a lot of the things that have already been said tonight. I don't claim to be an expert in any of it, but I also um have been emailing about um housing for um our unhoused community members with pets. Um that is something that I'm super passionate about and that I have talked to a couple different people about. Um, and you know, we we all know we obviously have a serious issue with this in our community. Um, and I think just I want to add that I don't think pets are something that we always think about. Um, there's one daytime shelter that I only just recently found out um, allows pets during the day, but nothing overnight and no other um, organizations that are doing any accessible programs like that. Um, I wasn't able to find any information. Um, so pretty frustrating for someone in the community who is

privileged enough to have housing and be able to care for my pets. Um, so I just wanted to mention that and reiterate that um, you should have at least 15 emails for me in your inbox. Thank you. Next, please.

Thank you. My name is Taylor. I live in the vine. I would like to mirror all of the requests and demands that have been listed tonight. Uh specifically to remove flot cameras and cancel any contracts with vendors or agencies that provide surveillance data used by law enforcement or federal agencies, including ICE. I'd like you to publicly commit that the city will refuse to assist or cooperate with ICE operations in any form, direct or indirect, including data sharing, detainer requests, enforcement support, or use of any city resources. Our Department of Public Safety must live up to their name. Commit to stand to the on the front lines with our community when federal agents enter our city. I don't want to be afraid that we are doing more than you. That the lives of the most vulnerable in this city, are placed in harm's way when this could be prevented, and that you all have the power to do so now before it's too late. I would also like to say I am not in favor of the stadium drive resoning. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello to the city commission. My name is Violet. I'm a community member here in Kazoo from the Vine. And I come to you all tonight not with a script or a prepared speech, but rather with a genuine desire to build camaraderie with my city and to get help. As we have seen over the past year and especially over the past few months, immigration and custom enforcement has become increasingly violent and dangerous to the average person. This includes both the undocument both the undocumented and those who are US citizens. This includes people with visas who have had them stripped away with few days notice. And I come with a genuine question that as we've seen over the past few years, many people have become increasingly violent towards the people in power. And this has included the kinds of people who end up joining ICE. And I'd ask while we ourselves, the people are afraid, genuinely, what makes the people in power wonder? I'm sorry. Do you not think that you are in danger too? I ask you to stand with us and we will stand with you. Please. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, commission. My name is Fletcher. I'm a resident. Uh I go to Kazoo College. Uh I don't think there's anything I can say tonight that hasn't been said already or won't be said later. I think the thing that I want to highlight while I'm here is just to see that it's pretty clear what we want. This room is full. The community room is full. The there are people in the streets. This is maybe the biggest gathering of Kalamazoo residents I've seen maybe ever. The will of the people is very clear. The what we want is very clear. Uh we want to be protected from ICE. We want to protect our unhoused neighbors. And we want um as a side note, stadium drive to not the property on stadium drive to not be redistricted, not be redistricted. Uh you recently have been doing Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 and other programs to ask the people what city they want. And we're being clear about what kind of city we want. We want the kind of city that people feel safe in. We want a city that serves all of our neighbors. And we want a city that has green space, somewhere that feels good to be. We love, we are here because we love the city of Kalamazoo and we love our neighbors and we just want you to live up to those ideals as well. We want you as our commission, as our leaders who we elected to represent us and to support us uh to do the same. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, I am Albert. have been living in Kalamazoo for about 2 years and I really appreciate that people live here and as of my memory we already dealt with the asylum lake reszoning. It was rejected and why are we dealing with it again? Are you aware that no means no? Perhaps you need to ask the women in your life about that because no means no. We already dealt with that and right now we have much bigger issues at hand. I know people who are terrified and already making plans to hide in friends houses in case I arrived. They are a criminal paramilitary gang who are disappearing. Our neighbors, everyone here is at risk and is incredibly afraid for their lives, their safety, and their families. I don't think there's a bigger issue in the present day than that. Why aren't we doing that? Why are we having asurances that ice will not be allowed in Kalamazoo at all? They should not be allowed. They should have no cooperation with local enforcement with flock with ring door cameras that now are also spyware for them. That's all. Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, my name is Will and I am a resident of Kazoo. I apologize in advance. This is a little a little off the cuff because I I didn't really know what I was walking into, but I figured I'd use this opportunity to speak because I'm here and I'd rather figure I'd take advantage of the time that I have. So, I'm privileged to be here and I I got to say the the time I've spent here so far, I really do love the city of Kalamazoo. Uh, I didn't grow up here, but my father went to Western and he went back to school during a time where the e economy was weak. He had a degree in philosophy and then he ended up going to Western because there were no jobs in the 70s. So we ended up get going to Western and getting a degree in teaching the blind blind assistance and uh you know he was an amazing person. One of the things that he instilled in me was uh great sense of empathy. Uh so my daughter and my wife and I moved here uh pretty much for the Kalazoo Promise, but um I know I guess I'm uh starting to ramble a bit here, but what I'd like to say is that sense of empathy that my father instilled in me. I I try to extend that to others as much as I can. And

everything that's been going on for the past year has just uh has hit me really hard. It's hit my family really hard. You know, we have a four-year-old daughter and I worry every day about her future because with this NPM7 memorandum, I mean, how are we how are any of us truly free if there's no no due process and these ICE and CBP agents have unlimited immunity? I don't understand how we can continue on this path. Uh there's so much violence and hatred and people talking past each other that uh I mean something needs to be done about it. We all we need to remember that we're all humans first and foremost. And and I think, you know, one of the good talking points perhaps would be to take into consideration some of the grievances from the the right, so to speak, and maybe take into consideration the fact that they are still holding a grudge over the CO 19 pandemic. And I think it's rather ironic because they consider that to be fascism in a way or authoritarianism

and yet they welcome more. So it's rather ironic. I think that perhaps we could use that talking point to get on the same page as them. I don't know if this is still up. No, your your time is up. Thank you. Yeah. Anyway,

thank you. I'm sorry your time is up. Next, please. Good morning, mayor. Good morning, commission. Thank you for your time today. Thank you for your service. Six years ago, I became a citizen of the Kamazoo County. And when I was three years old, I became a citizen of Michigan. In 2004, I became a citizen of the United States by joining the Michigan Air National Guard. I was older gentleman in my 20s, wanted to do something different. Fell for the advertisement of one week in a month, two weeks out of the year. My recruiter failed to mention one thing to me that those two weeks may end up being the greatest thing of my life. In 2007, I was sent to Romania as part of the civil engineering squadron. Her job is to build things in random places around the world. So the best way to train for that is to be sent strange places around the world. 2007 I went to Romania and was attached to a small team to build a soccer field for a local village. It was a pretty good day. We didn't know any Romanian. The Romanian villagers knew no English. But one day this lady, she comes up to us crying her head off. An elderly lady. We're thinking, "What's wrong with her? Is she okay?" local police officer who was assisting us, who did speak English, came over and began to talk with her in Romanian. Then he looks at us like, "Hey, this is what she's saying. She's saying, "Thank you. You thank you. You finally got here. You finally came. You Americans have finally came. 60 years I've waited." And that's why I realized I had found the end of this cold war. This lady had been waiting for us to

come there. She wanted us there. It's like that realization of what America was to the world. I served for 16 years in the mission Michigan Air National Guard and I to that oath that we all know of and we swear to to defend the constitution and with that I was ordered to learn and understand that constitution. One thing that came clear to me that that constitution was not written by anybody in the federal government. There was no federal government. It was just us, the citizens of the states. That's why I'm a Michigan citizen. They wrote the Constitution. And as I read through the Constitution and even our state constitution, there is no mention of ICE. Not a single one. But there's a lot of mentions and references to the citizens. If the citizens say you go away, then you go. It's our constitution, not theirs. Thank you again for your time. Have a good night.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hi. Uh, my name is Anne Sweeney. I'm a resident of Kalamazoo. Um, I'm here because people have asked me to be here. people who are afraid to show up a at a public protest or people who are afraid to um say their own name and and be on camera because of the color of their skin, of their nationality, of their particular circumstances for being in this country. Um, and so I'm here because I can speak for them. Not that I can can exactly understand what they're going through, but I can empathize. As I've told one person, um, they are so afraid. And I am afraid. I am afraid eventually for myself, but I'm afraid for them. I I see my president and my government disregarding constitutional rights that we all have, whether we are citizens or residents of this country. We have rights for due process. We have rights for safety and and um rights for for um assembly, free assembly and free speech and I don't know how many different rights we've seen just just ignored in this past year uh specifically under the agencies of ICE and DHS and uh Border Patrol. Um I'm not sure how how many agencies are involved in immigration but there are quite a few. Um somebody um some of the

leaders are trying to say well it's just in an administrative department so therefore we don't have to worry about constitutionality. I don't quite understand that. Um it does not make sense. I hope as you plan for involvement um or or for meeting with ICE when they do come or if they are in in a larger presence than they are now that you that our safety is is a prime concern. Um I know that ICE has already been here. Um there was just a an article in the paper the other day um that there have been tw some 2,300 arrests in the state of Michigan. this past year. Um, and and that will only continue. Um, and many of these people are people who maybe sometime in the past did something that that they got arrested for, but not necessarily. They're just trying to quietly live their lives and be productive citizens, raise their families. people like my neighbors or people like somebody down the street or like my parents um just trying to do the best they can. And I hope that whatever how however you relate to the immigration agents that that you have to deal with that you do it in in a constructive way and try to protect the people as best you possibly can. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, I'm uh Nolan Cabraw. I'm a Western student. Originally, I was coming here to talk about the reasonzoning. Um stunning environmental science. My dad's a park ranger on Bell Isle. Uh and he grew me up with a appreciation for nature and the want to try and protect it. I thought it was ridiculous that we're hearing the same issue again about resoning, especially considering how many times it seems that the town has to come together and say no. But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the elephant in the room that everyone's talking about ICE. We keep talking and I'm not saying it to be funny. It feels like people are being iced out. We can say from the rooftops, we don't want cameras. We don't want people grabbed off the street by gangs who don't have to tell you who they are and then you're gone. You've been disappeared. But there's no feeling that it's actually being listened to. Part of why I'm here is I know plenty of people in these rooms watching as I speak who are terrified to come up here. Some of them are terrified because we are having an agency run a muck across the US where they can scan your face, where they can check everything you post. My dad served this country 22 years in the Navy. He was proud of that and he still is to this day. But something he taught me was that people fight for freedoms. And I would be remissed if I didn't stand up in the city that I love that I've been in the past few years and I didn't fight for those people, for the people who I know are not going to come up here and talk to you. So, Mayor Anderson, I will ask you directly to protect the people of Kamazoo and prioritize us over ICE. And please, for the love of God, can we stop with the resoning issue again and again and again?

My professor Lynn Heasley, an absolute saint of a woman. I'm sure she might be here today to talk to you guys about it. She's told us about how former classes of hers have had to come here and talk about the same issue. This is ridiculous. Am I going to be graduated and have students in the next coming classes come here and talk about how yes, we don't want a new car wash to take over our green spaces. I think that that kind of goes back to the whole thing about us being iced out. We can ask a thousand times. Say why we feel this way and it's not being listened to. Like what do we have left? What can we do to convince someone who's not listening to us? It's terrifying. People are terrified right now. Nothing else I can like point out but that. Please, for the love of God, fight for Kazoo. fight for us. Thank you. That's all.

Thank you. Next, please.

Thank you to my classmate Nolan. Um, my name is Nathan Doctor. I'm attending Western Michigan University and I'm a resident of Koo. Um, start off with the reasonzoning issue. I was here last time. Same consensus from the people. None of us want this. And by your logic, I tried to think about the argument in your logic. You guys are here to help the people and meet their needs. So, we must need a car wash there. There's one a minute away. We don't need one there. What's it going to do? Make your trip a minute quick quicker to get a car wash? Who cares? It's a minute. And it's just going to make the four-way intersection there that is already horrible even worse. There's going to be more crashes. There's going to be more people going in and out. It's just common sense. It doesn't make sense. And destroying the biggest nature preserve in our county for this. Like it just doesn't make any sense. And we know it doesn't make any sense. And then addressing ICE. These are three demands. Remove flock cameras. Cancel any contracts with vendors and agencies that provide surveillance data used by law enforcement or federal agencies, including ICE. publicly commit that the city will refuse to assist or cooperate with ICE operations in any form, direct or indirect, including data sharing, detainer requests, enforcement support, or any use of city city resources. Our Department of Public Safety must live up to that name. Commit to stand on the front lines of our community when federal agents enter our city. This is just another issue that politicians aren't caring about right now. Just like the issues of past, they don't care about it until it's convenient for them, till it gets them votes. Right now, it might not be 100% popular or 50% popular to say abolish ICE. In a couple decades or couple

years, everyone's going to see it for how it is. It's a organization that is terrorizing Americans and killing people for pretty much no not pretty much no reason. Killing people for no reason. Renee go good was doing nothing. Alex Prety was doing nothing. It's just stupid. and continuing to support this agency places you in the legacy of politicians who have continued to support Jim Crow, who continue to support um no rights for no vote for women, just any social progressive fight in this country that we take as just so common sense today that all people no matter your race are equal, no matter your gender is equal. This is just going to be another issue that we look back on and say, "What were we fighting about that for?" So, do you want to be a leader and say no to ICE now, or do you want to do it when it's convenient for you in a couple years and be a lagard and betray your community? Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Uh, good evening. Uh, my name is Caleb. I work in the city with Isaac and CCJT. I want to start with a quote that has been on my mind. Uh, those who shy away from addressing the elephant in the room are doomed to carry the weight of it. This past weekend, seeing what is happening in Minneapolis and hearing the rhetoric coming from our federal government, I felt that weight. I felt sadness, anger, and grief. And honestly, I felt hopeless. The elephant in the room right now is that there is a narrative being painted about our neighbors. A narrative rooted in white supremacy that points them as villains, as others, or as threats. And if we don't address that false narrative, if we don't offer a balance and truthtelling to that discourse, we are leaving our community to carry the weight of that fear alone. I tried to think about what I could do. I realize that more than anything, I just want to speak directly to our black, brown, and immigrant family members to let you know that despite what you hear on the news, you are loved. I'm so sorry that you feel unsafe and unwelcome. I realize that this fear isn't just about headlines. It's about the quiet moments in our community. It breaks my heart to think that right now, the simple things have become terrifying. I'm sorry if you are afraid to drive your children to school. I'm sorry if you are afraid to walk into a grocery store, a hospital, or a place of worship. No one should have to live looking over their shoulder just for existing. No one should have to treat their daily life like a risk assessment. I am so sorry that you have to worry about seeing your families and loved ones ripped apart. We have a federal government spending so much time and energy trying to convince us to fear you. It's up to us to ensure those voices do not ever represent the heart of this Kamazoo community. We need to be the balance. We need to be the voice that reminds you that you belong. So, I want the folks in this room and to those watching at home to

know I love you. We are family and we are here for you. This community is so much better with you in it. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

The job of elected officials is to represent the people who elected them. I think tonight your job is pretty easy. I think the people have made it very clear what they need and what they want. And I think it's equally clear what the right thing to do is. The right thing to do is not always easy. It is not always fast. But are we to believe that the gears of city government are so thickly greased they cannot be moved for this massive citizenry? It's been a long night and um it's going to get a little longer. Morning you that now. Mayor Anderson, you were last Wednesday around this time watching Dr. Cornell Lewis speak at Western Michigan. He spoke a lot about courage. That's an important thing when it comes to doing the right thing. Sometimes it takes a lot of courage. I just hope that everybody sitting behind those seats today has the same amount of courage as everybody who stood at this lect turn this evening under risk of being labeled by the federal government as a domestic terrorist. I hope you can find that courage within you and I hope you can see that it's time to do the right thing. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening, city council. My name is Payton Matro and I'm a Cal Mazoo resident and I also go to Western Michigan University. I'm speaking about ICE because this is an urgent issue that matters to me, to many people, and to this community and the values that we bring into con conservations about public policy and land use. ICE has caused harm ICE represents fear rather than safety. These impacts are not political talking points. They negatively affect people's lives, including people who live here. It is important to name these concerns out loud in public spaces, even when they are uncomfortable. It is part of our civic responsibility. It reflects whether we are willing to acknowledge harm, listen to those affected, and center human dignity in our decision-making. as a community. When is enough going to be enough? With that in mind, I want to speak about the resoning request. I became a Michigan resident two years ago because I fell in love with Kazoo. I grew up with a deep appreciation for nature. Spending my childhood in Alaska, where land is treated as something to respect and to protect. When I moved to Kamazoo, I found that same sense of grounding in places like Asylum Lake Preserve and its green spaces surrounding it. The reasonzoning request for 4301 Stadium Drive, which borders this preserve, risks permanent environmental damage through increased developmental pressure, runoff, and loss of habitat. Once land like that is compromised, it cannot be restored. Protecting natural spaces is a part of protecting our community and well-being. For these reasons, I urge you to vote no on reszoning request for 34301 Stadium Drive. And thank you for your time tonight.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, I'm Eric Stucky. I live on 317 West Cedar. Some of you know me. Um, I see some faces that I wanted to just say thank you. It's a long night and you're almost halfway there, I'd say. So, hang in there. Uh, this is where I wish I had that micro machine guy voice because there's so much to say. I'll give you guys a quick little win. I heard someone talking about shoveling sidewalks and she was right. We need to do better job of that. But at least in my neighborhood right downtown. There's been a huge improvement and that's been really helpful to me and my family and my dog. So, keep that up. I think the pressure on that needs to go on uh flat out. It's it's people who own businesses and people who own rental properties who just simply don't shovel or don't clear the sidewalk at all. But anyway, that was supposed to be positive for you guys. Um no to the cameras. No, we don't need cameras. Don't cooperate with ICE. Um, I mean, I I've been saying this all night. Our country, our state, our city, our community. Don't let the hate, don't let the don't cooperate and don't just resist. Fight it. Fight it with every tool you have, every ounce of your being. And I anybody who's listening and I can speak everybody in the room, same thing. Whatever you can do just like these these people. Yeah, it might be us that gets beat and it might be us that gets shot too. But hey, you got to do something. You can't just sit and talk a game. You got to act too. So, uh, I want to say

this is so emotional for me because it wasn't that long ago, uh, we were protesting here in the first election. It wasn't that long ago ICE came to town and our city did nothing. We sat our police department in the basement and didn't come out and do anything while they blocked streets illegally, while they assaulted people. I mean, this is what's happening. and and we need to do everything we can to make it difficult. Hey, I'm not saying concealed weapon, this or that, open carry, but I am saying this. When those guys come to our city, let's go up there. Let's say, "Hey, do you have your permit? Let's shake them down. Let's make them show that they're following the rules. Make it hard. Write parking tickets. Make it difficult. Do not cooperate." So, uh, that's that's basically it, you know. I mean, I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said, but thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

My name is Zen. I didn't come here tonight to speak. I didn't know I'd have the opportunity. Um, so I don't have prepared remarks. What I do have is concerns, outrage, a sickness in the pit of my stomach. First of all, I live close to downtown and there's homeless people. We know that. But in the last few months, the number of homeless people I have witnessed has risen to a staggering amount. I don't know what's happening, but I feel that we have as a community some responsibility to these people. People are going to die in in the next few months if people haven't already died. People are going to die. People can't be outside in weather like this. What are we doing? The Gospel Mission, the only game in town, they have changed the way they want to do things. It's up to Kalamazoo to step up and do something for people. Um, a lady earlier was talking about people with pets needing shelter. I worked in Hurricane Katrina. Do you want to know why the death toll was so high? Because people would not leave their animals. No shelter in Louisiana offered space for people with their animals. people decided that they would rather die than leave their animals. Don't make that decision here. The second thing that I want to talk about is why in the name of all that is holy are we continually revisiting this asylum lake thing. As children of this earth, green space is our right. And you would sell our birthright for a car

wash. That is madness. Madness. We don't need a car wash. We don't need any other commercial thing in Kalamazoo. We need Asylum Lake. Don't be on the wrong side of history. And don't be on the wrong side of history as far as ICE. What is happening now is unconscionable. I can't even believe what I am seeing. and being told that I'm not seeing by our administration. We were sold a bill of lies by Trump. He said, "We're going after the worst of the worst. The gang members, the criminals." Um, I'm sorry, a 5-year-old boy is not the worst of the worst. Grandpa taking a nap is not the worst of the worst. Alex Prey was not the worst of the worst. Renee Good was not the worst of the worst. That's not what's happening. We're being lied to. Your job is to protect us from these people. I have a little brown family down the road from me. If ICE comes to our town, I will protect them. If I get hurt or killed protecting that family, my blood is on your hands for letting ice into our town. Did the hobbits stop defending the Shire because Sauron told them to back down because they were making things worse? That's what they're telling them. in Minnesota. Don't protest. You're making things worse. No, we are the hobbits. This is our shire. It is your job to protect us and protect the shire. Speak truth to power.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, my name is Bird. Um, I was born and raised in Kazoo. My um my grandparents came here from India in the 60s to Detroit um and spent the rest of their lives there. Um my partner also was not born in the United States and um I'm afraid every day. Uh, my four-year-old has heard a little bit about ICE on the radio in the car. Uh, and he made me promise that if Ice comes in our house, I'm going to kick them in the face for him. Um, and he knows that they're coming after people like my grandparents and people like his dad. Uh, we don't want the flat cameras. We don't want data centers that are going to be used to provide AI surveillance against us. And we also don't want the resoning of Asylum Lake. Again, we're on this again. We don't want the reszoning of that parcel near Asylum Lake. Um there's a really good book called Crossings by Ben Goldfarb. It's about road ecology. I recommend everyone read it. It's about how light pollution and noise pollution can literally change the uh evolution of animals. So, check that out. Think about it. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. If if you guys didn't get just kind of introduce myself. Um, my name is Manot Singh. I live just back here in the vine. And you wouldn't have known if I was a citizen or not if I hadn't spoken or if I hadn't had a passport, which I do carry with me often because um I thought that you know I would be safe being a citizen even with ICE coming and all this and all that. I was confident that um my government would protect me and uh I am young. I am only 20. I have yet to see the world the way many of my friends and families Yeah. No, friends and family who have seen this. It's grandparents who've seen civil rights. It's everybody who's here now seeing the protests. It's everybody on the street out here right now. And all it feels like is the walls are closing in. It's as if the safeties that I thought that kept me safe, that kept my family safe, are slowly going away. Both my parents are citizens. Both my grandparents are citizens. We came to this country in the 60 to do music in New York and California. We've gone around since. And I always had the confidence that I would be safe. I traveled frequently. I go to India. I go to Bali. I go to New York. I go wherever I want to. And I travel with this passport. Knowing that if I want to, I can say 90 days in Hong Kong, no questions asked. I can do this, I can do that because I am an American. Freedom and safety is something that I

believe was promised to me in school. I remember reading the pledge of allegiance and meaning it through my chest because I'm an American. And now I am 20. It is only my second year being no my first year actually being outside of my parents home and it's as if I'm scared that my doors will be kicked in. I haven't done anything wrong. There's nothing that like I should be worried about. I have followed the law. I haven't stepped away from my responsibilities, my duties. I have paid my taxes. I've done everything in my power to be the citizen that I was told to be, to be free, and it's as if everything is being pulled away. I wanted to go to Bali in April, but I don't know what's going to happen in April. I don't know if my passport's going to hold me there or if I'm going to be detained in the airport. I don't know if I'm going to come back from an airport safe. That's big scheme. I'm talking in the city now. It's as if people don't know if they're going to go outside their homes and be safe. People don't know if they're going to drop their kids off and be safe. I'm a My mom used to drop me off at school. I can't imagine anything happening to her. I genuinely can't imagine anything happening to her. And my sister goes to school. She's 16. I graduated from Gull Lake High School. I went to Calville Central for two years. But you wouldn't have known that just by looking at me. My sister's going to high school right now, dude. You know, I don't mean to be unprofessional. I apologize for speaking out of term, but this is terrifying. I want to be American. I want to be a part of this country. I want to live here. I want to thrive here. This is a land of opportunity, and I want to grasp it.

But at the cost of my life, at the cost of my mother's life, who's starting her own business here, my sister who's going to grow up here, go to Western probably with her college I chose. It is terrifying. And I think that's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you. Next. Next, please.

Hello, my name is Justin Suarez. I live on the north side. It was back in August when I first came up here to the city commission to um uh let the residents or this this the residents of the city know that uh uh Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety was running around wearing masks like ice. Um and they um they changed that policy 2 days later. Um but I'm going to say something. On the 7th, uh Renee Good was murdered in Minneapolis uh in the middle of the workday when I found out. And by the 8th, um, we had about 400, maybe 500 people show up to the courthouse to protest, um, the next day. That was, uh, Thursday. Uh, it wasn't the greatest weather out there. We ended up marching up here to city hall. Um, and there was an incident with, um, an agitator. Um, Kalazoo Department of Public Safety showed up and took care of the um, the person that was um, committing some offenses and agitating things. Um there were some things that happened during their encount that I had with uh my encounter with them. Um they were on bicycles. They uh immediately pulled out bear spray and pointed it at the crowd. Uh we weren't we were out there peacefully assembling. There was no threat to them at all. Um I want to make something very clear to the city of Kazoo and the residents and uh of the of the city. Uh Kazoo department safety is not going to protect you from ICE. They are not going to protect you. You need to protect yourself. The news, Channel 3, Sinclair Media, they're going to lie to you. They're not going to tell you the real deal. Um, so you can't even trust the news. Um, the flock cameras are garbage. They track people. Um, when you go by them, they they they do a lot more than just take your license plate. They look at who's driving the car, what their sex is, what their race is. Um, they associate people with vehicles. Um, they they can track where you're going. These cameras are all over our city and

like with the way the government is overreaching right now in Minneapolis, it's time to take those down. Um that um you know the I don't know what you guys are going to do. Um I think a statement would be helpful. Uh maybe if the commission would come together and just make a statement. Um the mayor certainly could make a statement. Um, but I'm just warning the people here uh of Kalamazoo, don't no one's going to protect you but yourself. We all have to be in this together. And I think the people of Kalazoo will. We're not going to put up with that crap here. We We're not My last name's Suarez. I'm on their list. My kids are scared. You know, they come in my house, there's going to It ain't going to end well. Not for them. Not if they come in trying to grab my kids. So, I I just came to warn everybody um to to watch out for yourself. We have to protect ourselves. We have to look out for our neighbors. Um I don't know that the city's going to be able to do much for us. And I wouldn't trust the police department or the news or anybody else. Um we all have to be in this together. This this the the uh turnout outside for the protest today was amazing. Um, it just blows my mind every time these things pop up. The amount of people that show up and care and like, you know, I was in tears on the ETH down there at the court at the courthouse in tears. I was crying until I talked to the news and I start, you know, this is awful what's going on. It's scary as hell. And I'm sorry to take up so much time. I know this is a very important meeting. I'm against the Asylum Lake uh development as well. Um, that's for later. But I appreciate your time. And I just wanted to come out and let the city know like we all are in this together and we all have to start looking out for ourselves because there ain't nobody that's going to come to protect us. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening everybody. My name is Willow Sipling and I am a citizen of Kalamazoo, a resident here. I would like to make an appeal to virtue. It's not a word that we always use. Maybe it sounds a little bit old school. But what I mean by virtue is doing good and doing justice. And by justice, I'm going to use a classic definition of that as well. To give to one what they are owed, to give it at the right time, in the right place. Justice comes to us often in very big ways. We think of things that are memorable when we think of justice, civil rights marches and things like that. But the mundaness of bureaucracy can sometimes hide the fact that the lack of justice that happens has actual prices to be paid. paperwork can cover blood and frostbite and a lack of shelter. All of you are here because you believe in virtue. All of you have something to say for the city. Whether that's for your kids, whether that's for your legacy, you believe in doing something virtuous for the people here. Now, with justice, it's a little hard to say what that looks like in some situations, but I think it is a little bit more clear what we've been seeing recently in the vast scary overreaches of violence. Violence is to coersse other people, force them against their will for one's

own ends. That is not justice and that is not virtue. Those things are incompatible with the missions that you all have signed up for, that you have sworn that you would be a part of. I know that there are many things that could be said about what needs to happen through the proper channels for doing things just the right way to ensure that justice gets carried out. But I do want to point to one thing with bureaucracy. Bureaucracy can cause us to so easily take the human and the personal and turn it into matters of governance, of compliance. But we need to keep the human. Governance and compliance are to serve people, to do virtuous things, to do just things. Violence in our current era takes place in many forms. It could be through the violence of ICE or it could be through other types of coercion such as not giving the listening ear to our residents. There's a kind of coercion that one might do against themselves, which is to say, if your goal is to be virtuous and to do justice, not standing against this kind of violence is a violence against you. And a violence of why you are doing what you are doing. We can't let these cycles of violence

continue. We must be virtuous. We must be just. And I know that is why you all are doing what you are doing here. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

The last one. Spooky. Hi, my name is Laura Satino. I live in the Vine neighborhood in Kalamazoo. Um, I initially came here to speak specifically about the resoning, but what I have to say applies to so many of the issues that my comrades have brought up tonight. It feels obvious to me and clearly to many people here that we should not reszone a parcel of land next to a beloved local green space for unknown intent to make a bunch of money for folks who don't even live here. Please vote against the request for the zoning change at 4301 Stadium Drive. It is becoming a state of fact that I believe most of us can no longer ignore that we live in a society ruled by a capitalist ideology, one that requires total feelalty to its extractive, destructive requirements. It is more the depressing norm than the exception that the powers that be put money above both the law and the will of the people. I know this. We all know this. But we here in Kalamazoo in this community have a unique opportunity to do things differently. The resoning is not called for. It has no discernable or direct benefits for the people of this city and it is in direct conflict with the imagine Kalamazoo plan. We also all know this. I am a teacher and so I spend a lot of my time helping young people understand and unpack the systems and institutions that govern our daily lives. As with my students, I would like to remind you and all of us here tonight that those systems, institutions, and seemingly inexurable forces of money, power, and quote unquote laws are actually all humanmade. They are not divine. They are not immovable or beyond revision. And they certainly do not need to be abided by just because a bad faith actor found a loophole in a system that wasn't very well designed to begin with. All of us here are seeking a sign that the will of the people as expressed by both traditional and non-traditional

means of civic civic engagement can and actually will be honored by those with the power to do so both in Kalamazoo and beyond. And I really hope we all get that tonight. Thank you.

Thank you. this. We seemingly have come to the end of our first opportunity for public comment specifically uh on any item and not necessarily on the reszoning request. There will be additional public comment opportunity when we get to that item, item F, the public hearing on the zoning request. So, I want to presuming that there is no one else who wants to take advantage of this public comment period, I'll be closing this public comment period. And I do want to thank everyone that took the time and made the effort to come here and express their feelings uh to anyone who is here in the chambers, to the commission, and to anyone who watches online. We're going to move on with our agenda right now. And our agenda was changed. So, if you picked up a copy of the agenda, just a reminder that we are to taking the consent agenda, which is G, and we are moving it to right now after public comments before we get to public hearing. So, here we are at G consent agenda. Manager Henkins. Thank you, Mayor. The following items are presented for approval. One, approval of a 2026 support services agreement with the Foundation for Excellence in the amount of $55,000. Number two, approval of a contract supplemental and change order with LD Doa Associates, Inc. for water systems corrosion control improvements in the amount of $125,18.3. Three, approval of a contract with Salesforce for 311 customer relationship management CRM software through My Deal Cooperative Purchasing Program in the amount of $210,6146. Four, approval of a three-year term

contract with Besco Water Treatment, Inc. for water filters in the amount of $372,540. Five, approval of the 2026 and 2027 renewal with ASU Group for excess workers compensation premium in the amount of $475,338. Six, adoption of a resolution designating polling facilities to be used for the city's voting precincts during the election on May 5th, 2026 and for each election thereafter. Seven, it is recommended that the city's commission accept a recommendation by the regional bridge council to include Reed Street Bridge in a three-year bridge plan providing $126,350, 95% of funding for preventative maintenance and committing $6,650 as city match funding for this project. Eight, approval of the appointment and assignment of city commissioners to various committees, boards, and commissions. Nine. Approval approval of the following reappointments to the parks and recreation advisory board. The appointment of Isabella Bayz for a term expiring in January 1st on January 1st, 2029. The appointment of Casmira Herburgger for a term expiring on January 1st, 2029. Thank you very much, Madam Chair Henkins. I appreciate it. So, commissioners, the requested action is a motion to approve items 1 through nine and authorize the city manager to sign all related documents on behalf of the city. Is there a motion?

So moved. Motion made by Commissioner Hess. Second. Supported by Commissioner Slayby. Kirk Boring, please call the role. Commissioner Hoffman, yes. Commissioner Pradle, yes. Commissioner Slayby, yes. Commissioner Wilson, yes. Vice Mayor Duncan, yes. Mayor Anderson, yes. Commissioner Hess, yes.

Thank you, commissioners. The items on the consent agenda are approved. Next on our agenda is the item F, which is the public hearing. So, I'm going to say something pro possibly a little disappointing right now is that the commission has been sitting here for 2 and a/4 hours and I'm going to suggest before we get into the public hearing we take a little bio break and uh 10 minutesish should that do it. Commissioners, I'm sorry for the additional weight, but that will hopefully re-energize us and focus our attention on this work instead of what we might need to do uh outside of this room. So, 10 15 minutes, we'll be back and we'll get started again. Thank you so much for your patience.

I don't think there's any support. There's also the option of reducing public hearing time from 3 minutes to 2 minutes. Yeah. I mean, with 115, I mean, do you have a justification to speak? You want everybody to speak? I do. I could bring up

Museum of

Well, my friends and neighbors, the clock is ticking away. Colleagues, are we set? All right. Thank you. So we are coming back to order here uh for this meeting this evening and I mean obviously there is a great deal of interest uh in our public hearing. Uh we all understand that and I I I just want to remind people that their staff are around. There's all kinds of effort to facilitate this to be as workable as possible for everyone that wants to make a comment during the public hearing. So, uh, it I I hope you will feel that way. You know, I know people are in various other rooms here, uh, watching on the live stream, but we we want to make sure that everyone has a chance. It's orderly, fair, accessible, and that sort of thing. So, that said, just before we do get to f the public hearing, I just wanted to uh give our manager Henkins just a moment for a couple topics.

Uh, thank you, Mayor. just while it's fresh on on our thoughts, uh there are a few comments I wanted to to respond to to give you some clarity about what's offered and what's available for folks who need shelter. Uh we do have shelter availability for people who have pets overnight and that is available at a number of current shelters. So uh ministry with community allows pets overnight at this time. uh KGM under circumstances with uh animals uh service animals dignity in motion and hope and health and heads and beds programs are allowing animals for shelter. So I wanted that to be a point of clarity. Uh there's also uh a point regarding camera usage. I I do want to clarify that there's not a camera use that our public saf public safety office uses that allows access by anyone other than those that the department allows and they are not under any circumstances allowing immigration services uh to access our cameras. So I I did want to make that point clear while people were here and we're still available to hear those comments for clarification.

Thank you.

Thank you manager. Appreciate that. So, here we go. Next on the agenda is item F1, public hearing. I would now like to open a public hearing to receive comments on an ordinance to reszone the property at 4301 Stadium Drive from residential multi-dwelling RM15 and residential single dwelling RS5 to community commercial. And just before we get uh to our next step on this, I just uh another comment I wanted to remind people of is that this issue has never been to the Kazoo City Commission before. There's been some comments that has been here over and over and over again. This is the first time that this zoning request has been to the CalU Kalazoo City Commission. Uh some years ago this issue went to the planning commission which is a volunteer body here at the city and uh that at that time the planning commission uh did not approve the zoning request and the applicant determined not to go on. And why was that is because the planning commission is an advisory body. The planning commission advises the city commission. the planning commission does not make the independent zoning decisions. So the reason we're now with the city commission is because that's the process. So this has been to the planning commission the first time never went on. Second time it went to the planning commission was just recently in the last few months. And the current applicant has determined that even though the planning commission did not vote to support the zoning change that they still wanted to bring it to the city commission because it's the city commission that ultimately has

authority on this. So it may seem like multiple times but this is the first time this issue has been to any Kazoo city commission. Just a reminder on that. So, back to our hearing here. Uh, is there a staff presentation on this item? Uh, yes, there is. Mr. Derky, welcome. Thank you, Mayor. I'll just give a moment for Clerk Porley to get the presentation up. Good evening, commissioners. Everyone in the public. All right. Would you remind people what your title is? Thank you,

Bobby Derky. My name is Bobby Derky. I'm the assistant city planner for the planning commission. I also serve as liaison to the planning commission. Thank you, sir. All right. Well, I will get started. Here is aerial of the photograph. Uh I think a lot of people are really familiar with the property. Uh you can see Stadium Drive up the top there, the property line along the back there, Drake to the left side, uh for the request for the resoning from RS5 and RM15 to CC at 4301 Stadium Drive. So to start with, I wanted to uh give the commission um a high level of the the context of the competing land uses here. um 4301 Stadium Drive in this image is now at the bottom of the page or the the image and you can see Drake Road over there on the left which is also the the western border of the city limits. Um you can uh through Stadium Drive it reflects the uh um commercial design there. You can see the up to the north are more residential uh housing and to the west over there in Ashimo there's a large commercial shopping center and the US 131 and stadium drive interchange and this next slide is to provide the other land use context that is occurring at this site and this is uh to the south we're immediately adjacent you can see Asylum Lake there the large um at the corner there of Park View and Drake is the Asylum Lake preserve um to The south there is BTR Park 1 and then BTR Park 2 between 131 and Drake. And uh I I thought these two images really helped highlight the uh different competing land uses uh as part of this request and this parcel at this location. To get down to the the zoning request itself, this slide is a zoning map. And the zoning has RM15 is a strip of land there along the portion on stadium and

the vast majority of it the yellow color is RS5 the single family and you can notice the hatching there on the parcels there on the bottom that is the natural feature protection overlay um that is called NFP or other times it'll be called NFPO um which is the way it's worded in the ordinance and as a point of clarification um by the city's uh code the majority of the land area of a parcel is what the zoning is treated as. So for um land use development, the property would be viewed as residential single family. The next slide here is uh an example of what what are the difference between these two zones. Um the existing residential single family is primarily intended to uh encourage single family homes on individual lots. Uh there are options in the RS5. uh byite as a term means there's no special approval um where two or four unit clustered housing developments could be developed by right on the RS5 and then residential zones um such as RS5 permit some more intensive more intensive uses oftentimes of the special use permit or they're permitted um such as church parks schools um beyond just the housing uses of RS5 and as I mentioned the RM15 doesn't apply uh since it's such a little amount of the Now the proposed zoning here is the community commercial. Community commercial promotes uh encourages a wide range of commercial uses from retail service offices and uh many other uses and special uses. It also permits uh mixed uses that is uh commercial use with residential. So the the site could support residential uses. Um once you have a commercial component, you can you can have residential. And then uh the CC zoning district provides flexible development standards.

And by flexible um that could be small setbacks, uh encourage um compact building design and um parking standards uh encouraged uh where they're at on the property. uh CC isn't one of our form codes, but it's uh yeah, the uh and then lastly, I wanted to highlight again that the property is in the NFP overlay and it's currently mapped and this request does not um propose changing the NFP on this. So, with that high level, to bring back down to some of your comments, uh mayor, here is the the process to reszone. Um, first there is a notice uh before the planning commission meeting that staff sends and then applicants when they reszone by the city's public participation plan um will utilize a form of engagement and uh that applicant did that as well um on October 30th. I'll mention a little more of that later in the presentation. Then on November 6 was the planning commission and public hearing and that is the recommendation that was provided in November. And then earlier this month, the city commission had a first reading and setting of the public hearing. So the item was on the agenda before and that's where this body set today's public hearing. And number four is the moment we're at the last part of the resoning process. Um the public hearing for the vote by city commission. Um the public participation plan was hosted at the Anna Whitten Hall downtown. It was um set up as an informational meeting. Uh a developer from Grand Rapids named David Rap um indicated that he uh was looking to develop the property and answered various questions from the public and provided any information that he could there. And then a week later that we had the public hearing at the November 6th meeting. That was a very well- attended

meeting. Went very late in the night. Had 150 to 250 people present at that meeting. And the planning commission at that meeting um voted unanimously to uh um not recommend the reszoning of this request to the city commission. So the city commission's review of the request. Um what is the question? The question is, is the proposed zoning district in this case CC appropriate for this property in this location and tools, you know, as part of uh the ordinance and the staff report. Um what what are the what is the commission the commission has the following information when considering their decision. There's the staff report um presented and the in this presentation. So the staff report provided uh they had the minutes to the planning commission meeting and background um as staff um understood it. Then there is the planning commission recommendation. The applicant will present after me as well and obviously there is the public comments. Letters were put in the packet and collected and all of those have been provided and the public comment of this evening and the review criteria. my presentation. Uh I will go in here to those review criteria. Um there's five review criteria and these come from the zoning ordinance of the city and it spells out these are the considerations when an applicant whether that's the city or any individual interested property owner uh petitions to reszone. And I will uh read these as I go into them from here. So here are the the five criteria um from the ordinance and the next slides will be um explaining those further. So the first one is is this change consistent with the master plan and strategic vision. Uh in

the master plan is a future land use map and here is a clip from that future land use map and uh you can see the key there. Stadium drive is the white line going up there and you can see the Drake Road there at the city limits. The blue line is 4301 stadium and it shows it in the future land use map as a recommended for a commercial zone. And the black hash line there, a little different from the other one. Um it that's the NFP um overlay as shown in the uh future land use in the master plan. So the uh parcel to the south is designated as open space and parks. And then this parcel and the the rest along Stadium Drive there we're showing as commercial criteria two. Um and there's a couple sub questions in this one on the next slide. Have the CR have the conditions changed that support or require the amendment? Yes, the conditions have changed and um those sub questions that get into this. Can the property be the first one is can this property be reasonably used as reszoned as sorry let me rephrase that can the property be reasonably used as currently zoned so under that residential single family zoning lowdensity single family homes is uh what could be developed on this site um to the CC zoning district and our zoning districts in our uh zoning code in support of the the uh master plan. The zones work directly with the the roads and and types of streets connected to it. Drake and Stadium are both community connector streets. Those are high volume, hight traffic, highcapacity road classifications. And so CC is intended to support those autooriented land uses um through supporting the in addition to the land but also our road network

and then with that is you know additional with have the conditions changed to support or require an amendment have the zoning designations and land use of the area changed. Um this is a similar aerial uh to the earlier ones but just with 4301 Stadium Drive. um the the future land use map and earlier um predictions of the city foresaw the development um extending out to this way of the city and even beyond our city limits into the into the metropolitan area. So over the years the character of this property is a former farm changed all around it. Have the land use patterns in the area changed? Um yes and it's uh competing whether the stadium drive is a completely commercial corridor for the most part and then even the land use decisions uh around that whether it's the BTR park uh the 131 interchange and other um high intensity uh and high capacity commercial uses and then is the proposed district appropriate for how the area has changed and staff says yes it is appropriate for how use has changed um because the CC zone district permits the flexibility to develop u beyond in many ways supports mixed uses and the NFP uh overlay district helps be a spot to help uh manage the natural features on site and on adjacent sites. Does the amendment address a demonstrated community need? Yes, the community does address a community need uh as an entryway gateway into the city. Um the city doesn't have many large undeveloped parcels um that serve as an entry and a spot to the city. A lot of the western uh Michigan University, a lot of people's first impression of

Kalamazoo is that is that uh entrance into the city. Um there are not many large undeveloped vacant parcels along major corridors in the city. Um so there's not many development opportunities like this in this zone in the city. And then um with the as well I mentioned the roads. Um beyond that the utility capacities that exist along this corridor um there's higher capacity water lines, high-capacity sanitary lines and then there are transit lines um with ridership along Stadium Drive and Drake Road. The next criteria is is the change of use compatible with the surrounding land uses. Yes, with the commercial context of the Stadium Drive and Drake Road, uh between the road types and the commercial districts within the corridor, it it does match those. CC is the dominant district along ST along the stadium drive corridor. To the east is a RM zoned parcel, although the future land use map calls it commercial. And the vast majority uh in this part of Stadium Drive is is commercial. Now, I've talked a lot about the commercial component. Now the natural context for the other uses to the south and in this uh at this parcel the NFP overlay in place keeps the natural features in mind and provides protections to the features in there. Um the intent of the natural features was to work on across all zones. So the those standards protect and manage the features, not particularly the site and uh the between the the required setbacks or the ability

to do a zero setback, natural ridges and uh other features on site. Um those standards are compatible um to help provide an opportunity for protections between those land uses. And further to help highlight, you know, is the zoning district appropriate? Um is is the zoning district requested the appropriate district. This slide here is an example of I it's from before um some zoning changes, but it was a slide we used to help explain CC or CC2, which is another commercial district. Um CC along the high autoorient corridors where it's um less likely for um neighborhoods to be built in the context of the road. um this stretch of Stadium Drive um highlights that you can see the large lots. There are some neighborhoods but not consistent residential blocks built into it such as there are other areas of the city. The slide on the right or the image on the right there is Westnidge between uh that's Whites Road and Cork and then it goes down towards Kilgore. And each of those purple arrows is a residential street and it's probably hard to see. there's a bunch of little residential lots and then the pink is the commercial zones where those uh are much smaller and that was an area that saw a lot of CC2 zoning or you know to residential where the residential uses were and the last criteria is will the development um result in a logical pattern of development. Yes, the reasonzoning would result in a logical pattern of development. The CC supports the existing autooriented development along stadium drive and then we have the uh NFP uh consideration for the natural features on the other side where in this case you know between

these two conflicting land uses um staff finds that the CC zoning with the NFP um together provide a balance between development economic factors and the existing natural features including the existing preserve. And with that, you know, with those with the land uses and all of that, that's where staff doesn't believe that uh single family honing single family zoning is not the appropriate zoning in this site at this location. And here is the the last slide, you know, a little bit into the the order of steps. This last slide is meant to highlight again the red is where um that we are at tonight with the request for this public hearing. And after um the public hearing and I'll stress regardless of the decision, an applicant looking to develop the property, they will usually start out by reaching out to the city of Kazoo, they'll get to hold the CPED and they develop a plan. Project review is typically when somebody is bringing their first idea to CPED. And then after that um step, any development in this location would need the NFP board review for any sort of scalable development besides a house, single house and um and the zoning review that that occurs if it needed a special use permit. some a lot of uses in the CC zone need a special use permit or uh so that would be another opportunity and then after any board approvals any development has to go through the city site plan review process that is a two meeting uh development process to code to make sure everything across the site meets code and then the last step after that before anything can start to work on the site is building permits and so I wanted to highlight that as the the decision tonight is to change the zoning on the property but to also highlight for the

commission and anybody watching, there's many steps before any development takes place on the property. So whether the no matter what the decision is, whether it is uh zone CC or zoned RS5, somebody looking to develop this property would have to initiate steps 5 through 9 before work began. And that is the conclusion of the presentation. And uh the applicant has a presentation as well. Uh thank you assistant planner. Should we wait for questions till after the applicant's presentation for you? Yes. Okay. Yep. Great. I prefer.

Hello. Uh my name is Emily Pelatius. I represent the land owner and the applicant in this uh resoning request. Um before I get into some of the particulars of the request, I just want to make it very clear, this request is not about getting a car wash approved. Um, we've listened to the community over a several year period in trying to evaluate what the site could be used for and what the right combination of zoning and approvals would be. Um, which relates back to the uh process that we've followed in in trying to evaluate the resoning and and and and come forward with resoning proposals um for the city's uh consideration. But I just wanted to make clear this is uh the request is for the reszoning of the land to allow a collection of uses that will then allow the uh property owner or a developer of the property to better assess what can actually be achieved on the land. Right now with the zoning that's in place, the residential zoning in place, there's just not a path forward to figuring out how this land can be used for any real particular purpose other than um the uh undeveloped vacant space that exists today. Uh the staff correctly points out that it's almost a 20 acre parcel. So it's a sizable parcel notwithstanding the natural features that are present on it. Uh the staff correctly observes in their staff report that the very first resoning request that involved this property took the master plan literally and sought the CC resoning along with a lifting of the natural features overlay district because that it's not shown on the master plan. Uh the second resoning that was brought forward uh for consideration dropped the request to remove the natural features overlay.

That is very much a part of this request that that zoning remain in place um because we do think that it makes it more feasible for this property to be developed in a way that makes sense from a community p perspective. Um when we uh made the resoning proposal in 2023, it remained pending for uh quite a while um without going before the the planning commission. And part of the reason it didn't advance to the planning commission is we had been uh contacted by members of the community who expressed an interest in us pausing so that the community could consider whether it might be able to fund raise enough funds to purchase the property so that it could be preserved as open space. And so we paused the resoning effort for probably five to six months while those community conversations happened. And unfortunately no one came forward with uh a plan or strategy and offer for um converting the land from private ownership into some sort of uh public or collective of ownership. So that is why we have returned again with the request to zone the property CC with keeping the NFPO uh designation in place. The CC zoning by right allows for a really nice mix of possible retail, office, and service uses. Um, car washes are a use that's allowed in the district, but only after receiving special land use approval. That is not something that the landowner or developer of this property could do by right. It would require um additional hearings. And we've heard loud and clear that a car wash isn't viewed as an appropriate land use for this location. What we'd like the opportunity to do is to begin to seriously evaluate the site for other types of commercial uses that would be compatible with the site and

the other land uses in the area. Uh the property has been marketed by calendar commercial for many years. I think you've probably seen the signs that are posted there. um they have received consistent interest in the potential for commercial opportunities on this site, but nobody wants to move forward with developing those um opportunities in earnest because it costs a lot of money and there's a lot of uncertainty obviously that's tied up in this resoning pro uh program. So that is why we're coming forward and asking for the resoning that is consistent with the land use land uses that are signaled by your master plan. Um those are really something that the development community relies upon in trying to direct its efforts. Your master plan is intended to reflect your community vision. Um the development community is responding to that vision as it's set forth in your master plan and believes also that commercial development is feasible on this property even with the natural features protection overlay in place. Um there's been no interest expressed in residential development, which is the present zoning of the property. And we would agree with the staff that this really isn't a location where you want to see additional single family development. And that's really the only use um that could be undertaken on this parcel. And it's just not economically um feasible. It's also not something that anybody is is demanding. So if there is if if market demand is a consideration of this resoning request, just know there is no market demand for single family on this property, which is pretty much the only land use that is presently allowed. Uh calendar commercial will tell you that uh in this part of Kamazoo County, the class A retail vacancy rate is extremely low. It's around 5% which represents that there is room for additional square footage to be built without displacing

existing businesses or creating uh vacancies. Um and really um I think consistent with the staff's report talking about all the infrastructure improvements that have been made to the stadium and Drake intersection over the the last uh decades is that Stadium and Drake has really become one of the most desirable retail areas in Kalamazoo County. Um, and that is again the view of calendar commercial being one of the leading commercial real estate brokerages operating here in the county. Um, so I I don't want to take up a great deal of your time. I just want to express that um the property is under contract. Um, obtaining this zoning is is critical to the due diligence process for the reasons that I explained. And that again I just like to close with this resoning is not about positioning this property to be developed as a car wash. It's about getting the basic zoning in place so that we can then begin to plan in earnest what might work on this property. I suspect uh this evening that you will hear that there are concerns about potential environmental impacts related to the development or potential development of this property. The city has rigorous regulations. They have rigorous engineering standards that are all written to protect the type of impacts that the community is expressing a concern about. Um, in fact, redevelopment or development of this property would be a path to solving an existing storm water problem that um exists in the uh stadium uh rightway that's controlled by by MDOT. It's something that was studied uh early on when the land was being considered for a car wash and determined that there is a storm water condition there that merits addressing. But until the properties developed, there isn't really a path for for addressing that storm water uh

situation. Um so with that, I will pause and I guess um ask if there are questions for me. Thank you so much. Appreciate you being here. Commissioners questions at this time. All right. Seeing Oh, yeah. Commissioner Pradle, thank you for for being here uh to answer some questions as well. Um I don't know if Bobby is back there as well. I Is this an appropriate time to ask Sure. both individuals questions? All right. And again, either one of you feel free to speak to this as well.

So, um we talked a little bit about the history. uh 2020 uh applicant moved forward and at the time was seeking to remove um NFP. 2023 came back with the application without the desire to remove NFP. Again, that's the case in this particular application as well. We know that in the future, as you laid out, uh a future would look like of the steps or hurdles that would still have to go through with the NFP. when we were here in 2020, um I can't remember who to attribute this quote to, but effectively um someone associated with the developer at the time said that with NFP, the property is effectively undevelopable. And I guess my question is is what's changed?

I can't speak to what was said at 2020. I wasn't present. I guess, you know, I guess like for me there must have been some kind of evolution in that thought process. But I just my question is is like, you know, how do we come from a point where we feel like we need to completely remove it to fast forward to 5 years later where we feel like now somehow we can uh entirely work around it. So I think what you may be seeing there is that the reasonzoning in 2020 was with the express intent to develop a car wash on that property. I believe at that time car washes may have still been a use permitted by right in the district. I think there was a change over time to move them into a special land use classification. So I believe at the time the car wash would have been a use permitted by Wright and it may may very well be true that the car wash site plan that was contemplated at the time was incompatible with um the natural features overlay district. But here we're looking at um not a car wash. We're looking at uh class A commercial buildings that could potentially house uh personal services, retail, offices, a mix of uses, even potentially adding in some some residential uses if that makes sense in more of a mixeduse environment. And I think we're probably here talking more about um building footprints and parking footprints that are um more easily broken up into small building blocks to work around natural features than may have been the consideration when it was being looked at for the car wash. So I I think it probably goes to the this type of development that's contemplated between the two applications, but I I will say I was not present in 2020.

Yeah. One one one item I will add to that. In 2020 at the time, there were three parcels that made up this 18.88 acres. Um, one of them being a former railroad right ofway, which created um, three awkwardly shaped parcels. And I believe the request was only to remove it from what was then a stadium drive-facing parcel, not the other two. So even that request was three parcels and it wasn't it was the NFP staying on ones that were to the east and south kind of led me to a segue to this next question. So uh in the slide deck in the presentation and what we heard is about the 5% class A uh commercial uh vacancy basically in in that area or in the area. Um, and I guess my question is is that when we're speaking to that, I I tried just myself in in the kind of preceding weeks to tonight just to drive around the area in different varying directions from 131 to uh, you know, north south direction. And there's an incredibly large number of vacant commercial properties right now. And you know, I'm always been under the impression that kind of a best practice of redevelopment is to find existing uh parcels that even if an existing building exists on it that you want to have an entirely different uh you know option available to you on it that that's generally a better best practice than you know effectively starting from a place that has I guess is is described as a um a transitional zone with a lot of complexity um you know slopes uh ridges those sort of things. I was just wondering if you could kind of speak to

that a little bit about why why it this is so critical when there's those those other options. Candidly, this is the piece of property that my client owns. He doesn't own those other properties. He's looking to be able to do something with his property. Presently, he can't do anything with the property because of how it's zoned. Um there are instances when the uh rehab of existing commercial structures makes sense but for a lot of businesses the rehab of existing commercial structures doesn't make sense because of the changing ways in which businesses need to operate the other businesses that they like to be colllocated with. And so sometimes what happens with older commercial structures at the they're they're obsolete in that it's very costly to go in and to be able to renovate them in a way that would work for the type of business that would be looking for class A retail space. And so yes, sometimes there is sort of that mismatch where you've got one set of unicers are looking for a certain building type and that existing building stock just isn't well suited to it. Sometimes those buildings can be reused and repurposed in ways that are not readily imagined for other types of commercial uses. Um but that takes some creativity and what what is being looked at here in response really to the very particular location of this property is that class A retail commercial services types of of buildings that would be appropriate to this entryway to to the city.

Thank you. Um one thing uh I think this was you Bobby uh at the uh planning commission meeting on November 6th. You explained that the property in the this quote property is unique because it sits in a transition zone or transitional zone something to that effect. And then you wanted to explain about the uniqueness I guess if you will of this when it comes to uh being so close across municipalities um between various land uses um and between even zoning on that site itself. Um can you can you speak to that a little bit? Um and uh talk about you know what you meant by that like transition zone and what makes this unique?

Great question. Uh and that word zone for the second one might have been uh make sure that isn't a zoning one. Um I think e those statements earlier were even beyond you know in my presentation the commercial land use and the more intense land uses to the north and to the west of this site and then more of the the passive or lower intensity zoning and uses directly to the south. Um also we have a border between another jurisdiction. my world zoning and planning management our authority stops along that line but the people of Ashimo none of us pay attention to that so it's a not only a um land use transitionary zone it is a transition zone between municipalities um which we're obviously all part of Kazoo County and I think you know it I wanted to highlight more than just the zoning there's dual zones on the property and then um you know the the higher up land flat configuration up along Stadium Drive compared to the undulated ridges that lead back to uh the areas to the south. So I I through my planning commission presentation I was hoping to highlight uh beyond the more upfront obvious you know you could look at from the aerial or the maps that you know this is a little more challenging because there are um transitionary zones whether it's municipality a zoning map or the physical environment. um this is a site that has all of those um at or near it and I was hoping to highlight that.

So another good segue to my next question is that you eat, live and breathe this work with the city. Uh NFP is relatively new to the work that we do u as municipality uh in terms of like highintensity uh commercial zoning with NFP overlay. Uh can you think of any particular recent examples of uh similar I guess parcels or or properties that um have undergone uh a process like this successfully from vision to development.

Um the one that comes to mind and it it does have proximity uh is uh there was a marijuana retailer just down the street. Um I forget the exact address. Um the the name on the building was Gage. That was a new construction in the uh NFP overlay in CC commercial district standards. Um and on that site, you know, there's there's woods um and then additional flood plane standards. Uh that site is a recent one where you know there's that site somebody can visit and and see uh the results of NFP. And that one had uh you know the the features um were woods woodlands on that one.

Okay, this is my last question and I appreciate patience to answer these. Um so let's say it uh resoning passes tonight. Uh next step goes to NFP uh and examining those steps uh for moving forward. uh let's say that there are some gross violation uh or not related to respecting the NFP process. Uh I guess what redress uh would there be for ignoring or violating um the NFP and is there any precedence of how I guess any formal teeth have reacted to those issues?

There's multiple points. I guess I'll cover both as I see them. So, um, any property, let's say somebody wants to clear the land, um, usually there's some development requirement, even if you just want to clear it and that requires going through our development process. If someone were to start moving on the site, you know, we have code enforcement staff, something that drastic, we would put a stop work order. Um, we've put stop work orders in NFP before, um, and prevented, uh, trees being lost or, you know, people starting to use a use that maybe they didn't know they could do. In the development process that I highlighted there, um, we don't issue the construction or clearing permits, um, you know, such as, uh, clearing more than a certain small amount, um, requires site plan review. So, that can't happen until you get site plan approval and NFP approval. And obviously by that point a site is kind of in our team's queue. And similarly if it was something drastic you know we would have staff do a stop work order or if somebody would you know the plan wouldn't get approved is the remedy otherwise. Um where the the site plan review or all of the the NFP review all of those different boards and bodies look at it. And then during construction, the same thing. Although the difference is there's a lot more inspector visits from the city at that time, people seeing the site. And similarly, uh the other one is if it isn't an immediate one, um let's say there's not action on site, our office issues enforcement notices um that have cost recovery fees and you know, we would go to the you know, those are sent to the owner and if there's construction on site, we work with the people doing the work. So there's uh those are items. Those are kind of a broad range, but those I wanted to give examples of how uh in CPAD our code enforcement team um responds to these things that come up.

Cool. Thank you. All set. Commissioner Prle for now. Commissioner Slayby,

this is for staff. Uh we talked about how this has been presented to our planning commission uh a couple times previously. Hasn't come to the city commission until now. Um but I remember in 2023 we've also had discussion around this within the community uh based on staff's uh proposal on that mass commercial resoning. So sometime in 2023 the city put together a plan on resoning several thousand you know of properties commercially and there was a series of six community engagement meetings on that topic in general. Um, from what I recall, most of those, if not all, were heavily attended, specifically in regards to uh providing comment on one particular parcel or parcels uh that were planned to be reszoned commercial, which were these parcels in question. So based on at well after those committee meetings, city staff had made a decision to pull that change in resoning on those particular parcel parcels during that mass commercial resoning and then they went forward with the mass commercial resoning. Those got approved but that was pulled out. So staff made that decision after community feedback meetings. Maybe it wasn't because of community feedback, but it came after the six meetings. And so we are here a couple years later with staff recommending yes to the resoning. So, I'm just curious, what is that conversation or consideration staff had that went from pulling that, rescending that reszoning of those parcel parcels to now being back in favor of recommending that to be reszoned without seemingly nothing really much changed outside of the initial proposal is no longer a car wash, but could potentially be a car

wash just based on the resoning if this were to pass. What was that conversation? Well, the the the conversations of how or or why that would have been well beyond just me. I I can't speak to those facts. Um is that I'm sorry. Is that something our city planner who led the commercial resoning who's present can speak to?

Sure. Thanks for the question. uh staff when this came when this case was brought forth to plan commission the first time uh that staff report staff supported the zoning because we felt it met the criteria the same as we feel it meets the criteria today we did you are you are correct in your uh in your recall we did a very large resoning it was all the commercial properties in the city uh including some properties that were not zoned commercial but by master plan uh future land use plan should be zoned commercial. We had a number of engagement uh activities as you noted um and it became um uh obvious that uh the potential for this property being included in that larger resoning package could impact the work of that resoning which really needed to be done. Um it was we're dealing with pretty outdated codes. Uh we were dealing with properties that were um uh residential in nature but zone commercial. It had a lot of good uh good uh good work and change in it. Um it was pulled out to ensure that the the greater part the whole could move forward. Um so it was not a question of not supporting it as commercial. Um but as you know we took it out so the whole package could move forward and we could deal with this property uh at another time.

One one more thing I would add that the difference with this one is um this request the applicant made an application and the application they give their um reasoning and support why. and in reading the application to the criteria um staff you know found that uh the application you know the the applicant versus the staff reasoning were were close in line. So the difference here was this is one where an applicant petitioned and made the request um to our application.

Great. Thank you. Uh so from what I'm understanding is at that time while we're doing the mass commercial resoning, we didn't think that these determining factors that we are using today were strong enough a couple years ago to get us over the finish line. So much so that we need to pull that out in order to have that full proposal of the mass commercial resoning to pass. that that we knew that that was actually potentially going to make it so that that whole mass commercial reszoning of thousands of properties um wasn't going to pass and that these determining factors of the future land use designation etc was not strong enough at that time but we believe it's strong enough two years later

I'm not sure that's the right way of describing it um staff's opinion of what this property is most appropriate for has not changed. We made a strategic decision uh to remove it from the commercial resoning to allow the rest to move forward in a timely manner. Um and to ensure because there was general consensus on everything else. Staff's write up of this work from the first plan commission hearing to now has not changed.

Thank you, Commissioner. Yes. I would just add that the then city attorney contacted me and said, "Sorry, you guys are out of this planning process because you're just taking up too much of the the air in the room when that large commercial resoning went through." And so we regrettably um were left to go it alone and that's what we have done because we respected the fact that the city needed to move this other planning process forward and that the attention that was being given to this particular resoning was taking up too much energy, too much attention. People weren't able to focus on the other properties that were subject to it. We were very disappointed at the time because we felt like it felt a little bit like special treatment because everybody else was being carried through the process, but we accepted it and that's why you saw the 2023 resoning that came forward independently remained pending for a period of time eventually withdrawn as we tried to evaluate what the next step was, but it remained pending as I indicated earlier for about five six months because specifically to allow for community engagement around a potential acquisition. through a public source or through a collective source and um being open to that and it just never came to fruition. So, we're back.

Thank you, Commissioner Hes.

Sure. Given that that we were waiting for the community uh and and lately we have all been hearing from the community about why does it even need to be reszoned? Cannot what would it take for it to remain green space? uh and is that a viable option in the city plan? And um help me help the community understand why zoning and and I understand it's private property. I understand that it's private property and uh what would how would we be able to move forward given the uh stated environmental crisis in the city? given the fact that we have a sustainability plan in the city um that folks want to um uh keep this space a park is how how do we address that? So maintaining the the open space um is a burden for the current property owner because it is um subject to trespass. It has been subject to trespass. It is uh been an area where uh there has been camping occurring that has resulted in the city setting violation notices to the property owner and requiring the property owner to evict and clean up. And so it's just not feasible for a private property owner to be somehow operating this as a as a public park or public space. uh the property owner believes that if the property can be developed, he can manage it or a successor developer can manage it in a way where there won't be issues of trespass, uh issues of illegal camping. Um that's some of the problems that this resoning

from a property owner's perspective is is seeking to to achieve. Um, short of that, if it is the community's desire that this somehow remain open space, then the community needs to step forward and pay for those property rights. Other questions? I'm sorry. The only thing I I I wanted to add may to commissioner Hessa's question is um you know in in

in my position and you know what the property can be you know the a use like that is allowed in most if not all zones of the city of Kazoo. So the you know the zoning becomes what what that property owner could do with the property. So you know th that is an option where it it exists in in either uh scenario but how or why and the method one would use the property or preserve parts of the property that's where you know based off of the zoning the the request and some of the due diligence that uh Emily's been talking about here. That's part of that that weighing of it where us as the city on a private owned parcel, somebody has an idea, they come to CPAD and start to ask, hey, here's what I'm thinking. And then we start to go through that. Is is that possible? Here's what our codes say and and start that. So, from a broad that's that's kind of a a dry, but you know, that's how it is for every parcel. Um, where sometimes somebody might have an idea and sometimes the answer is under current zoning that just isn't possible.

Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner has other questions. Vice Mayor Duncan, are you able to tell us the listed price on the property? No, because those are commercial.

Just I just want to remind people, you know, this is this is a space to treat each other respectfully even if we disagree vehemently. So, I'm just going to ask that. Thank you. So, if the public were interested in entertaining purchasing the property, how would they go about doing that? It's would be a question of getting an appraisal and making an offer. So, this property is still in due diligence. Depending on how the due diligence turns out, that could affect the purchase price. That happens all the time. that that's why the p purchase price really isn't relevant and it's also, you know, a confidential matter at this point in time because it's not a final purchase price. When the property closes, papers will be filed to show what the purchase price was. But if if the community were interested in purchasing the property, then the, you know, first step is to obtain a appraisal and see what the fair market value is. But

more with all due respect, we did that and nobody came forward. Other follow-up questions. Commissioner Slate,

I just want to follow up on uh Commissioner Hess's comment regarding Park Greenspace. Um I think about uh Kleinstuck preserve and that there's a uh agreement and coordination among multiple owners including private own property owners uh to provide access uh for the public uh to be able to use that space recreationally. Um, the applicant just mentioned kind of the current state and how that would be unfeasible, but I think that Commissioner Hes was asking, was there actual have you've done the exploration of what it would look like to actually improve the property with the use of recreational or not? because that's a little bit different than when I don't think she was asking about it remaining the way it is. I think the question was actually transforming it into a publicly accessible use for green space which requires improvement to that property beyond what it is currently. Um, and so has that exploration been done to actually determine what would be required to be able to do that? I think the question would be what would that would require significant expenditures with what return to the private property owner if it's just going to be publicly usable green space. There's a lot of public private partnerships that exist out there, tons of grants that could potentially support this. Similarly to your your uh point about making this improved. I mean based on the geography of that land, you're going to have to put a some insurmountable investment to make that viable for commercial or or any other use. Um and as a realtor, you know, I

understand the market and market demand. And so I'm just I was just curious more. So have you or have you not already explored the feasibility of green space in a very intentional way? We have not explored it in an intentional way. That means we've done engineering studies. We need some zoning in place that allows us to understand what is the mix of uses that could be established on the property. And and right now the with the existing zoning, the only use of the property that's available is really no use of the property. And um that's that's that's a problem that we're trying to solve for by getting the property reszoned so that we can work through a a process with the city staff and likely back with the planning commission and and other boards and commissions to come up with a reasonable plan for use of this property that that balances the the varying interest. the the need to be able to have some income generated by the property to pay for the improvements that um you're you're proposing be um undertaken with respect to the property. Um there has to be some return in order to finance that kind of work. Commercial development with a tricky parcel like this is probably an important important component to making sure this property gets done right. So, just questions particular to this request. Any other questions for the applicant or city staff at this time? Commissioners,

particular not musing what could happen, right? But particular. Okay. Commissioner Slay.

Um, I just want to be clear. I'm not proposing green space. I was just curious to follow up Gene Commissioner Hessa's comment around whether or not you explored it. So, thank you for asking. My question goes back to the initial purchase and and maybe you're not willing to share, but um you know, part of real estate is is taking a certain amount of risk on the property. Uh even if it was zoned commercial, you could build it up and no one likes your coffee and boom, you go bankrupt, right? So, there's always a risk with that. And I'm just curious knowing that that was not initially uh zoned as commercial, which is why we're here today. Um, was the only decision like it sounds like the only determining factor of why this would be a good purchase uh to move forward as a commercial property is that we went off of the future land use map which designated as commercial. Was there anything else beyond that that encouraged the the the current owner, the buyer at the time of purchase why this this would make sense and that the risk was low enough to to pursue it even though knowing that it could potentially not be reszoned?

Uh I was not present at the time so I don't know the the exact thinking. I do a lot of work in the land use space. What a community's master plan says is the recommended future land use carries a lot of weight with the development community. The development community assumes that putting it on the map in the way in which you have is sending out a community about a a a communication a signal about how the community sees that piece of parcel that piece of property being developed within the fabric of the other land uses in the area. And then certainly with the extent of CC development that exists on on stadium, I I think it came as a surprise to uh the purchaser um that getting it resone to commercial has taken as much as it has.

All set commissioners. Okay. Any other questions commissioners at this time? Commissioner Ple, this might be a question. Uh well I suppose there could be any number of people answer this but this might be a city attorney question but just for the public's sake is a master plan and future land use map a legally binding obligation legal binding obligation in the sense that the developer is guaranteed that the reasonzoning would occur simply because that's the way it's in the master plan. Correct. No,

we set now commissioners for questions. All right. Thank you so much. I appreciate my appreciation and gratitude to the applicant and to city staff. Thank you. Yes. Thank you very much. Just want to say thank you.

Yes. So, uh before deliberations occur, then this is the opportunity for public comment on this item. So, I I know that there's going to be a little presentation here from uh assistant city planner Bobby Derky on on how that might work, but I just want to make a couple couple comments before we get to you uh planner Derky. And this is one uh at last I heard there were 115 folks that had signed up. Manager Hanken.

Uh yes, Mayor there were over a hundred. I think it was close to about 115 people. close to 115. So, so reflective of that, here's a couple here's a couple ideas. Uh, one is is that we could decide to limit the public comment time per person. That' be one thing that could happen.

Okay, fine. So then not desiring that then I would just make a humble request and that is this is that here's what could happen you know and everyone has a perfect right we we announced in advance that everyone have three minutes so everyone has a perfect right to take advantage of that but at some point uh I I do not feel that we're going to pull an allnighter here so that means at some point before we get too deep into the we hours this evening we will likely, and this is not guaranteed, uh take a break and reconvene. Now, that's something we've done before. We've uh had meetings where the the public comment has gone on till 1 or 2 in the morning and at some point uh you know, you're kind of losing your capacity to pay the kind of attention you'd like to pay. And so, uh there's there's a process for that. If it were to come to that, attorney Leo, what would that be?

To continue the public hearing for a future date. Is that what you're getting at, Mayor? Is there some time frame related to that future date? No. I mean, you can make for the next meeting or or a special meeting. Or a special meeting. That is correct.

Okay. So, no particular time limitation, but that is an option if it gets to a certain time that you know we could be back and finishing up. you know that that means no one is limited. You know, we don't say at some point, well, public comments are over. You know, as long as there's someone who wants to take advantage of a public comment, that's available. Just saying that the logistics and the time frame this evening could turn that into, you know, a second event. So, there's that. And then the other thing, just from a a voluntary perspective, I would just also request this if possible. I think that it's likely that there will be some similar uh perspectives expressed and if you feel that you can confirm that you are wholly in support of a set of perspectives that have been expressed just asking no one has to do this you could shorten your comments to say I agree with this speaker I agree with these items my name's on the record agreeing and not necessarily have to go through that. That said, everyone who wants to take full advantage of their three minutes, you you know have the right to do that. And that said, now there's a process for how we're going to do this. Assistant planner Derky. Thank you, Mayor. Um at the we we do have a process to cover um the other people watching tonight either at home or in the other city commission rooms. So, in addition to the city commission chambers, there are additional spaces. These spaces are the community room, which is to the left outside these doors, the atrium down below, and if those are full, there's even a thirdf floor conference room um with TVs and people listening. Starting here in the commission chambers, um I will call out ticket numbers and first I will ask

anyone in the front two rows that has accessibility or mobility challenges, um that those would be the first people to come up to speak. When your number is called by staff, we'll do these in series of 10. Please get in line along the side wall there and come to the podium when the mayor calls the next speaker. As the number of people is reduced in line, um additional ticket numbers will be called. Um we will call for the next 1 through 10, 20, uh 10 through 20 and so on within these chambers. At the conclusion of this, the mayor, you will ask for anyone in the room who has not spoken to please come forward for comment if for some reason they didn't have a ticket or lost it. If you are seated in another room of this building, staff there will coordinate with you so that uh no one is missed. Follow staff's directions when they call for the tickets to come speak at that time. Um I lost my spot here. moving to college.

The community room and then that I'm sorry. Thank you. The uh after the community room, that same process will take place in the atrium. Um we'll ask you, mayor, to call for the community room, anybody else that needs to speak that may have been missed. Then we would move on to the atrium room. And again, staff would ask um through a ticketing release anybody that come to speak. and staff is communicating with me on phone to let me know when anybody with a ticket has spoken and I will um inform you when everyone is out of that room. Um after the speakers in the rooms of city hall all have provided comment and before we move it on to phone call comments mayor I'll ask you to speak across the entire building to ensure anyone that didn't have a chance to speak has another chance to speak and then after that um we will move on to phone call comments. Um, and the phone number for that is 1888 382-9556. We will announce that number again when we get closer to the end of in-person comments to remind callers that we will be taking those comments soon. When callers call, they will be on hold and staff members will pick them up. Um, I would recommend you wait until further in the public hearing so you're not waiting on hold and we again will announce when we're closer. After the phone call comments have been received and before we close the public hearing, the mayor make will the mayor will make once again a final call for speakers across city hall to come and speak. And from there we will give a moment for people to come. And with that, we will begin coordinating now to start um releasing the numbers in the the city commission chambers. And with that, I would ask anybody in the front rows that maybe whether they have a number or not um with mobility accessibility challenge, they may come up to speak first. And speakers in that have a ticket in this room for the commission chambers 1 through 10, if you could start to um line up against the wall. Um then you can start to come

forward to speak. And as we get closer, we will announce the next series of numbers. Thank Thank you, Assistant Planner. I appreciate all that. So, let's get started. Please come to the podium, state your name, indicate whether you live in the city, and you'll have three minutes to make your comments. And there is a sign-in sheet as a reminder on the pedestal.

Edward Nickerson. I live in the city of Kalamazoo. I used to work for a museum and they wanted to build a new building. So in order to get the loan from the bank to build the building, the bank told them that they had to put in a turntable. That way they could count how many customers were coming in the doors. They shut bus loads after bus loads of people in let them go through the building for free and then they took this little ticket taker to the bank and said, "Well, we have enough to pay for the loan." Do you really think what somebody else is trying to do on this property? Maybe they are trying to do the right thing, but if they end up losing the property, selling the property, the next person may not be so nice. And can I bring my pizza inside downstairs and eat it because due to my medical conditions, I got to eat. Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, I've lived here in Kazoo 75 years and we elected you because you live here and you have our interest at heart. I want you to make a decision for us who live here. is commercial development on this property that could have run off into a precious green space. What is more important to our community? It's yours to decide and we trust in you.

Thank you. Next, please. Uh, hi, my name is Tresa Gresak. I was born and raised here. And although I was away for a bit, I've now moved here and uh have started my family. I also have my uh masters from the environment uh school for environment and sustainability at U of M. Um, what I want to start by saying is I I sympathize with your client. Truly, I do. But to Commissioner Slabby point, I think it was a bad bet. More homework should have been done. Um, I also believe that we have so many vacant buildings, not just in that space, but downtown on our mall. And if we really want to encourage people to come into our city and use our city, I would rather development happen downtown or have those businesses land downtown. I'm just not sure even setting aside the environmental questions of, you know, runoff and whatnot, which obviously are important. I'm just not sure it's worth developing this space right now. It was also mentioned that there's currently no use. I don't think that's accurate either. Clearly, people are using this space whether or not it's just to support another one. it's just not the use that the the developer had in mind and that stinks for him. Um, but you know, the vision of the community I think has been made clear as well. There's what you said 150 people who have signed up. I know of at least several more who didn't get a ticket. You know, that's that's only a portion of our community, but that's pretty substantial. Um, so I will leave it there in honor of time, but thank you so much.

Thank you. Next, please.

I'm going to try to keep it quick for you. Um, when I I've been involved with this project for a long time on and off when I was a city employee and now and I was reminded of the Supreme Court case, Penn Central Transportation versus the City of New York, 1978. The owners of Grand Central Station, Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central, wanted to build a 55story building over Grand Central Station. The New York City Landmarks Commission said, "No, we're not going to let you do that." And of course, it went all the way to the Supreme Court. Uh people such as um K Jaclyn Kennedy Onases and architect Philip Johnson marched in order to save the Grand Central. Um, the owners claimed that the landmarks commission decision was a taking of property rights. The owner wanted to make a larger profit on the property. They wanted the benefits of quote the highest and best use unquote. At the Supreme Court, Justice Brennan's opinion stated that quote, "Government could not go on if it did not have the power to regulate the use of private property." unquote. The 1978 ruling stated that a property owner had a right to expect a quote reasonable return on their property, but a restriction on use that prevented a highest and best property profit was not considered a taking. I am asking the city commission to vote against the request for a zoning change at 4301 Stadium Drive. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening, commissioners. My name is Stephanie Watkins and I'm president of the Oakland Drive Winchell Neighborhood Association. The ODWNA respectfully requests and urges you to deny this resoning request. This property is located within the Oakland Drive Winchell neighborhood and our positions are derived directly from our neighborhood plan which is adopted by the city. Our neighborhood plan very clearly supports protecting residential neighborhoods and natural areas from intense commercial development that would be permitted under CC zoning. As discussed in our position statement, this resoning application doesn't satisfy the standards in the city code. It's not consistent with the city's comprehensive plan when that plan is read as a whole, including its commitments to complete neighborhoods, environmental responsibility, and protection of open space. Our neighborhood plan, when read in full and in context, reinforces those same priorities. This property directly abuts a large residential community on one side and Asylum Lake Preserve on the other. No other commercially zoned parcel on Stadium Drive shares this combination of immediate residential and environmental proximity. Our neighborhood plan emphasizes protecting residential areas and sensitive natural resources from intense development, especially where those uses meet. Reszoning this land to the city's most intense commercial district would inevitably increase imperous surfaces, storm water runoff, road salt infiltration, noise, light, traffic, all directly impacting nearby residents and the preserve itself. Those impacts are foreseeable, long-term, and directly contrary to the neighborhood plan guidance regarding land use near homes and natural areas. There's also no change conditions that require this resoning. A similar request was reviewed and rejected in 2020 and the planning commission has again recommended denial. The surrounding conditions remain fundamentally the same. The existence of split zoning on this parcel is the result of the owner's own actions and don't doesn't compel the city to reszone upward, let alone to the most intense commercial classification available. The

applica applicant hasn't demonstrated any neighborhood need or community need for additional highintensity commercial zoning at this location. The stadium drive corridor already contains vacant commercially zoned properties and our neighborhood plan doesn't identify the site as appropriate for intense commercial use. To the contrary, our neighborhood plan explicitly calls for careful buffering and compatibility where homes and natural assets are at stake. Finally, both the application and the city staff report before you rely almost entirely on the future land use map rather than any objective data. Under Michigan law, as stated in the case attached to our position letter, a future land use map designation does not require reszoning. Making your decision based on the objective data before you, and following the city's adopted plans is not something the city should fear. A denial here would be well supported by the record, the planning commission's recommendation, the neighborhood plan, and Michigan law. For these reasons, and on behalf of the residents that we advocate for, the ODWA respectfully asks you to deny the resoning application. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening, commissioners. My name is Christopher Bovid, and I'm here tonight as the president of the Woods Lake Association. We're a nonprofit dedicated to the protection and long-term stewardship of Woods Lake and Kalamazoo, and we respectfully urge you to deny the request to reszone 4301 Stadium Drive from residential to community commercial. Our position comes not from theory, but from lived experience. For decades, Woods Lake has borne the downstream consequences of high-intensity commercial development. Leaking underground fuel tanks at an adjacent gas station, soil, and under groundwater contamination from a former dry cleaner, blowing trash, road salt, and polluted storm water from parking lots and roadways. These impacts don't stay neatly within property lines. They migrate into groundwater into lakes and into the surrounding neighborhood. Even today, remedi remediation efforts continue. And what we've learned the hard way is that once the damage is done, it's extraordinarily difficult and expensive to undo. Prevention is not just wiser, it is the only responsible option. That is why this zoning decision matters so much. Community commercial is the most intense commercial zoning district in the city's code. And this parcel is not like others along Stadium Drive. It does not directly border commercial uses. It does directly border a nature preserve and a residential apartment complex. That combination calls for zoning restraint, not intensification. At this point, I want to briefly address an issue that has come up repeatedly in this process. The idea that the city's future land use map somehow requires or compels this resoning. Just last year, the Michigan Court of Appeals addressed this exact issue in Tollbrook LLC versus City of Troy, as referenced by the ODWNA in its letter to the commission in the speech here tonight. In that case, the court made clear that a future land use map designation in a master plan does not obligate a city to reszone property and denying a resoning application premised on a future land use map does not constitute a taking. The Toll Brook case makes clear that municipalities are well within their authority to deny resoning requests even when the master plan imagines it as a different future

use. I mentioned this not to turn this into a legal argument, but to offer reassurance. I'm a licensed Michigan attorney and I practice extensively in the area of real estate law. I represent developers and Tolbrook confirms for me what many of you probably already know that you may deny this application with confidence regardless of the future land use map where the facts, context and public interest ways against resoning. That is exactly the case here. There are no change conditions, no demonstrated community need for additional highintensity commercial zoning at this location and no compatibility between CC zoning and the natural and residential uses immediately next door. The applicant claims there's no interest in residential development here, but artificially inflated the value of this property by overpaying for it initially and then insisting on a $10 million purchase price for vacant land. The Woodslake Association is not opposed to development. We're opposed to placing the city's most intense commercial zoning immediately adjacent to its most sensitive natural and residential areas because we know firsthand the negative long-term consequences of doing so. Please vote no. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Karen Larson. Um, our actions tonight will have effects far into the future. As you well know, I could address all the ecological concerns and changes that have happened to Asylum Preserve due to other developments around it. I could talk about the drastic decline of our song birds, our raptors, and our insects. But instead, I want to put it more personally. I was a privileged child. I grew up next to a 20 acre wood. That was a place of community and home. And that is what I found in Asylum Lake preserve. We would catch toads and gardener stakes and wear those bites from the gardener straits as a badge of honor. We would catch polywogs and watch them change. We watched frogs come to the edge of the ponds, fresh out of hibernation, so slow to come to the warmth that when you picked them up, they would start to slowly, almost like ET move from the warmth of your body. We would dam the streams just to see how the water would flow. Our winters were fun watching what we could see underneath the ice, skating and playing near the edge. It was a messy time. It was completely ours. We had battles to win. We had games to play, mysteries to reveal, and even a place where to confine very difficult emotions. There were no parents or adults directing our spontaneous activities or arranging playdates. We were in charge. And like a one room schoolhouse, we learned from each other. We learned the difference between the forest edge and the deep internal coolness of the darker places where the

bird song was constant. Black rabbit raspberries were our candy that stained our fingers and our lips. Playing blind man's bluff brought our sense of touch and hearing alive. We spied on animals within the woods, learning more about their behaviors than our science classes told us. our creativity and our imagination thrive and grew. It was here that we had a taste of biology, geology, physics, architecture. It was here where we learned collaboration and compromise. It is these things that I hope that we remember that our children need as much as we did and that's what Asylum Lake provides for us. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. My name is Robert Pelish. I'm a home owner at 2228 Springmont Avenue in the city of Kalazoo. I am speaking here today to express my strong opposition to the request to reszone 4301 Stadium Drive from residential to commercial and respectfully ask that you please deny the zoning change request. The request is not consistent with the 2025 2035 master plan and strategic vision. The changes do not address a community need. rather they stand in direct opposition to the needs of the community. These needs include green space, wetlands, environmental compatibility, and are being expressed by the thousands. One striking example of why there is no community need can be found by driving south on Oakland Drive or west on West Main M43 and witnessing the present deforest forestation going on to make room for more urban blight and malls and developments. The retail market in Kalamazoo is already highly saturated with several businesses fighting for pieces of limited markets. Existing buildings house commercial enterprises that come and go with regularity. The requesting zoning change is also inconsistent with the Winshell neighborhood plan. Quoting now, uses should not generate excessive traffic,

noxious, odor, or noise. Please recognize the cit the voice of the citizens of Kamazoo and vote no on the proposal. And I'd also like to remind the commission that this resoning has been unanimously rejected by your own planning committee. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Uh, good evening. Thank you. My name is John Cruiser and I am a citizen of City Kalamazoo. I'm also a member of Asylum Lake Preservation Association, member of the Asylum Lake Policy Management Council and the Kalamazoo Environmental Concerns Committee. I wish to underscore the community's strong and unified opposition to the proposed reszoning of 4301 Stadium Drive. The city has taken every opportunity to emphasize the importance of our communities, our neighborhoods in the process during the process of IK 2035. During public meetings, we hear community vision, communitydriven, and I quote, "This is what we've heard." In recognition of this communitydriven approach, you have the following. All of the neighborhood associations closest to 4301 Stadium Drive and the Asylum Lake Preserve. ODWNA, Parkwood, Park View, Oakwood, and Arcadia have submitted formal formal letters expressing clear opposition to this resoning. The stance is further supported by statements from the Asylum Lake Preservation Association, Asylum Lake Policy Management Council, Stewards of Kleintock, Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition, Stadium Drive Apartments, Institute of Public Scholarship, Westidge Hill Neighborhood Association, and the Vine Neighborhood Association. All of them. Collectively, these organizations represent a broad cross-section of the community, all voicing opposition to this resoning and the impact on the

Asylum Lake Preserve. In addition to these statements, you have hundreds of individual statements from our citizens that oppose this resoning and your own planning commission opposed this resoning. The community's concerns are rooted in a commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development. Recent actions such as the Friendship Village residents voting overwhelmingly to adopt ecological property management practices reflect a broader desire for land use. It is imperative that the commission respects the clear, consistent, and widespread opposition from its citizens and community organizations. Approving this resoning would disregard the collective vision and values of Kalamazoo's residences. The city's own strategic vision is stated in IK35 community process. The climate emergency resolution and their sustainability plan emphasize communitydriven action. environmental responsibility and a resilient future for all neighborhoods. The community's concerns are not only also city.

Thank you. Next, please. Here we go. Micah Winter, Hillrest Avenue. All statements and opinions are my own, not representative of an organization nor entity. Um, I appreciate the opportunity for dialogue this evening, especially around an issue that carries significant environmental, economic, and long-term planning implications for the city of Kalamazoo. We just spent an hour listening to the applicant's representation refused to speak with specificity and dance around the truth. Asylum Lake Preserve is one of the city's most sensitive natural assets, and even with modern commercial development systems, failures and storm event overflows are far from rare. I'll gladly defer to the experts here tonight on the science, but suffice it to say that once contaminants enter a lake like Asylum, remediation is extremely expensive and often time only partially effective. Cities across the Midwest have spent anywhere from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars on cleanup efforts after similar runoff issues. Preventing contamination is far more cost-effective than attempting to reverse it. But the impact doesn't stop there. It doesn't stop at the ecosystem. It starts. The neighborhoods surrounding Asylum Lake are among the most stable residential areas in the city and proximity to n natur excuse me, natural amenities is a major driver of that stability. National real estate analyses consistently show that homes near protected natural areas enjoy a 5 to 20% property value premium. Conversely, introducing hightraic commercial operations, especially those with pollution and chemical runoff risks, can erode that premium in an instant. If property tax values decline, the city's tax base declines with them. Even a modest 5% reduction in asset in assessed values across the surrounding neighborhoods would result in a meaningful loss of annual property tax revenue. That loss would far outweigh

the relatively meager commercial tax contribution of a single car wash commercial development. In other words, approving this project could likely create a ne negative fiscal impact for the city. There's also a broader strategic concern. Kalamazoo has invested heavily in branding itself as a community that values sustainability, natural spaces, and thoughtful development. Asylum Lake Preserve is a cornerstone of that identity. Allowing an industrial intense use directly adjacent to it sends a conflicting message. one that makes the area less attractive to prospective residents, particularly young professionals and families who prioritize access to green space. City planning decisions are ultimat ultimately about long-term vision. The question before you is not whether a car wash or a commercial development is inherently bad. It's whether this location is appropriate given the environmental sensitivity and the economic risks and the city's stated development priorities. The evidence suggests it is not. Protecting Asylum Lake Preserve protects property values. It protects the tax base and protects the city's reputation as a place that balances growth with stewardship. I urge you to be good stewards and deny this resoning request, choosing a path that aligns with Cal's long-term environmental and economic interests. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, I am Albert. I'm live in Kalamazoo and I live next to the Salomon preserve and I use it quite often. So it is a complete uh misstatement or straight up lie saying that that land is not being utilized because it is I every time I'm there there's people using it. It's it's one of the few peaceful green spaces that our neighbors can enjoy and sacrificing it in order to protect someone fail investment should not be our burden. That's a business that's the risk it takes and I will agree that that area does need reszoning but into a protected natural area. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please. Good evening. Mark Hoffman, Aberdine Drive in Kalamazoo. And part of the logic used to justify this resoning request points to the existing commercial land uses along Stadium Drive heading toward downtown. However, the results of establishing these commercial businesses have not been without persistent conflicts and complaints. Over the years, as a member of the city's planning commission, I was part of one of our comprehensive plan updates. Later, I helped the ODWNA develop our neighborhood plan for imagine Kalamazoo. And during these prolonged planning processes and sessions, complaints echoed from homeowners living in Winchell's Fair Oaks Circle, where numerous commercial buildings along Stadium Drive had been constructed during the 70s and 80s adjacent to their backyards. Today, these include a laundromat, Wild Bills Tobacco, Sweetwaters, Buffalo Wild Wings, Bilos, and many others. and there is absolutely no transitional development between the commercial and

residential zones along this stretch. This land use clash has precipitated numerous objections by residents, including late night noises and lighting, loud automobiles, fast food smoke, and nighttime music booming during Wayside West's operation, to name a few. The blanket commercial resoning requested tonight includes no consensus planning. There are no asurances to provide transitional levels of development or buffering to minimize similar negative effects of the commercial encroachment on the families whose homes are the Stadium Drive apartments for which the proponents always fail to recognize. Stadium Drive apartments. This incompatible reasonzoning would also introduce a commercial creep encroaching on the border of the Asylum Lake Preserve restricted parkland for over 50 years now. Variances to the NFP overlay are expected as the property owner has said at the very start of the resoning process six years ago. And the proposal in 2018 that went to the city planner and a committee that I was on included not only the car wash but several commercial businesses. So any NFP variances would absolutely be inexcusable at this location. Commercial zoning for this property is wrong as was expressed twice now by the city's planning commission and I'm asking you to vote no on this tonight as well. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Anyone with uh tickets numbers 11 through 20, you can get in line now, please.

Hello. Uh my name is Tom House from Mockingbird Drive. The next five speakers and I are presenting coordinated public comments uh addressing the five resoning criteria and urging you to vote no on resoning uh 4301 Stadium Drive. These comments summarize our 20page report that's included in your agenda packet. That report evaluates both the staff report and applicant submission under the criteria and assesses whether the burden of proof has been met. First, the staff report deeply mischaracterizes the Oakland Drive Winchill neighborhood plan with selective terms devoid of full context. In reality, the neighborhood plan specifically calls for development at this site to be quote be more neighborhood oriented in scale, supporting a transition from high density commercial to residential areas as quote bookends to the heavier commercial uses found along Stadium Drive. And furthermore, quote, development along the Stadium Drive corridor should be guided by natural features of the land. Still quoting especially at the southern end of the intersection at Draen Stadium. Next, the staff reports reliance on the natural features protection overlay uh lacks critical context. In 2020, the property owner and his attorney publicly stated that the planning commission that the NFPO across the entire property rendered this site effectively undevelopable uh and requested its removal. Here, the staff report relies on the NFPO uh to justify CC zoning without explaining why a new owner would not similarly seek NFPO removal or substantial uh variance relief. Although sub subsequent parcel consolidations changes how some requirements may be satisfied, it does not resolve the fundamental conflict between CC level intensity and and NFPO protections here. Nor does consolidation eliminate the doc documented risk of future variance requests particular particularly with

respect to protected slopes which happen to divine be the dominant feature on the property here. As a result, the NFPO is an unstable condition and therefore poor evidence for consistency. As for the applicant, they offer a single sentence about the future land use map for criteria one. That's just 21 words to establish a burden of proof in characters. That's less than half of a Twitter post. Both our ordinances burden of proof and our community expect more. In conclusion, the staff report substitutes selective and generalized plan language for sight specific policy, omits clear, adopted neighborhood plan language that constrains intensity at this location, and supplies numerous justifications that the applicant did not establish. For those reasons, the applicant fails the requirements for criterion one. Again, vote no to reszone, please. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, my name is Jimmy Lane and I live on Fair View Avenue. I'm continuing Alpha Statement and I'm now speaking to criterion 2, change conditions. The staff report makes an apples to oranges comparison when it says the Western Michigan University Technology Parks urbanization of the area around the preserve justifies the proposed resoning. The technology park obeys Ashimo's BRP zoning which explicitly advances quote public objectives for protection and preservation of the natural and built environment end quote. BRP zoning preserves 50% of open space. By contrast, as a mere zoning overlay, the NFPO that applies to 4301 only preserves 25% of Woodland, and even that is prone to being decreased. For example, at a different property, the NFP review board recently recommended to remove all slope protections and to cut the 25% woodland requirement nearly in half. The zoning board of appeals ended up approving full slope relief, which sets a dangerous precedent for removing slope protections at 4301. Therefore, the environmental protections for 4301 and the technology park are apples and oranges, and this undercuts the staff reports claim that the presence of the tech park justifies the highintensity commercial reszoning. In addition, despite the strength of BRP environmental protections, when the tech park was being constructed, soil erosion measures failed. This resulted in unlawful sediment discharge, which caused significant ecological harm to Asylum Lake. That event is documented site precedent and ignoring it with respect to this zoning reasonzoning request underscores the ordinance's requirement for heightened scrutiny of sight specific evidence. The staff report also admitted two change conditions that run contrary to to the reasonzoning. First, it didn't mention that in 2024 storm water treatment infrastructure was installed to protect Asylum Lake. This

expensive change conditions supports caution against more impervious surface area and traffic volume which harm Asylum Lake. Second, the staff report uh the staff report omitted the city's 2022 public participation policy. Hundreds of citizens have expressed consistent opposition for years of public meetings and even set record-breaking attendance at planning commission meetings. A flood of opposition emails and letters have been submitted and an online petition has gathered over 14,000 signatures. By omitting any discussion of the outcomes of this immense public participation, the staff report fails to apply the participation policies requirement that quote citizens should have influence over decisions that impact their lives. End quote. For these reasons, the applicant fails the change condition criterion. Please vote no on the resoning. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, my name is Wendy Denning and I am a resident of Kalazoo. Thank you guys for governing our awesome city. I am the third speaker um and I am here to speak to criterion three, the community need. Here the staff report discusses traffic conditions which is evidence of capacity, not need. The city further asserts that quote there are not many large undeveloped parcels in the city and fewer are located as this one is. End quote. First, this is not a description of community need. Second, we question the city's apparent role in promoting marketfriendly undeveloped parcels on behalf of any applicant. Third, this claim is undercut by our research which identifies 20 vacant or underused commercial properties along

Excuse me. I'm sorry. I I don't want it to block the view of other people in the chambers. Thank you.

Uh uh this is a poster that demonstrates the 20 vacant or underused commercial properties along the stadium corridor that together are roughly the same size as 4301. We also identified a 17 acre former mobile home park within the mi within a mile of the site which is also designated CC on the future use map. This level of unused commercial capacity demonstrates that the community's actual need is for reinvestment and occupancy within an existing surplus of commercial zoning, not an expansion of an already abundant supply. The applicant's evidence of community need is again a single vague reference to the future land use map. The remainder of their response describes the manner in which the commercial development might occur. These statements are simply not descriptions of community need. Instead, they ignored an actual community value expressed in the sustainability plan, which is quote, "7% of the survey respondents identified green space and trees as the community's most valuable natural features." The plan also references the economic, environmental, and cultural importance of our local water systems. Adopted plan language further defines sustain sustainability as quote meeting the social, economic, and environmental needs of today's generation while not jeopardizing future generations and its ability to meet its needs. The applicant also failed to describe their interaction with a community during their required public participation event at the Anna Whitten Hall. there. The attendees repeatedly questioned the community need, stressing that we do not need more commercial

development at this location. When pressed, the applicant pointed only to the ease of securing commercial.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening. My name is Judy Huxman and I live in the Oakwood neighborhood and I'm here continuing Alpa statement. I'm speaking to criterion 4 compatibility with surrounding area. The staff report claims that the current residential zoning is incompatible with the surrounding area. However, this claim is not supported by the city's own mapping framework. The master plan's description of the suburban corridor street type, which is how they classify Stadium Drive, notes that the street type makes single family housing less compatible, but it does not characterize this RS zoning as categorically not compatible. As the staff report states in the master plan, the future land development map shows multiple examples of RS districts that are directly next to the multifamily and commercial uses along other suburban corridors. These examples are routinely treated as acceptable rather than in conflict. In that context, the staff reports categorical finding of not compatible again exaggerates what adopted policy language and mapping evidence support. The staff report again cites the WMU technology park, but that property is separated from 4301 by Drake Road and does not share a property boundary. However, the staff report emits how highintensity commercial development could possibly be compatible with the quiet apartment complex to the east and the m the nature preserve to the south. Elevating these non-adjacent commercial uses over directly abuing residential and preserve uses improperly skews the compatibility claim. The staff report also cites the NFPO as a

compatible guide to development, but it's not that simple. Full context matters here. History matters here. Again, the current property owner stated in the 2020 that the NFPO would make his property commercially undevelopable unless numerous variances could be approved. With that in mind, we encourage you to listen closely to the expert testimony here tonight, which details why highintensity CC zoning is both incompatible with the surrounding area and why it would need numerous variances. The applicant's compatibility assessment with the surrounding area is only two sentences. These short two sentences, they omit the second and longest shared property boundary to the south, a nature preserve. And when it comes to acknowledging the compatibility with the Sylum Lake Preserve, their silence is deafening. For these reasons, the amendment fails the requirements for criterion 4, and I'm asking you to vote no on the resoning. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

I'm number five in the series, aka Katie Bloom. I live on Rambling Road, a mere few blocks from the preserve. I'm continuing Ela's statement and now addressing criterion five, the orderly pattern of development. Once again, the staff report appears determined to elevate traffic ccentric patterns of development over social and environmental ones in their briefcase for orderly patterns of development. They even describe marketdriven reasons for the amendment as opposed to communitydriven ones. We strongly oppose uh city planning recommendations driven by market considerations rather than community planning goals. Actual adopted plan language from the strategic vision states protect and improve the quality of our local natural environment and creates strong communities with targeted communitydriven investments. The staff report advances the recommendation with another mention of the NFP. The NFPO however does not regulate what the neighborhood plan which was developed by actual residents specifically seeks to prevent. Uses uses should not generate excessive traffic, noxious odors or noise. The nighttime lighting needs to be minimal and security oriented. The neighborhood plan identifies this intersection as a transition area calling for development intensity to step down towards nearby housing and the Asylum Lake preserve rather than continue highintensity corridor uses where the staff report emphasizes CC flexibility. It does so at this expense of the clear limits set out in the neighborhood plan which once again are not honestly communicated. This CC flexibility allows development to flex right onto land uses that fundamentally conflict with the

neighborhood residents designed to avoid uses like high parcel development coverage, high volume vehicle access, drive-thru operations, and largecale impervious parking areas. As for the applicant, they again exercised their burden of proof in just two sentences, one of which is their fifth reference to the future land use map. It would seem that their bud burden of proof can deliver little else. It's important to remember the master plan simply refers to the future land use plans as designations on a plan that provide guidance on appropriate land uses. It does not describe them as selfexecuting policy. 50 years ago when I imagined what I would do and when I could spend time long after my bedtime, this wasn't it. But since I'm here, I'm going to say I'll dance my way to the car if you vote no because I'm going to ask you to vote no on the resoning and then I can look back on it and say it was a fun night after all. Thank you. Next, please. Hello, my name is Doc Tail Stevens and I'm a homeowner at 213 Elm Street. I am concluding Alpa summary of our resoning report. As an aside, our assistant city planner just used the marijuana business called Gage as a successful example of new development on Stadium Drive. I'll remind him and the commission that Gage went out of business in 2025 and it remains vacant today. Both the applicant submission and staff report are not grounded in a complete or accurate application of the city's adopted plans and resoning criteria. They rely on generalized corridor characterizations,

treat the future land use map as determinative, and defer key unresolved questions to future regulatory processes. They omit clear language and adopted neighborhood plans. They omit relevant site history. They omit exhaustive public opposition. and they omit sightsp specific environmental constraints that are both substantial in scale and environmentally sensitive warranting higher heightened scrutiny under adopted policy. We remind everyone here tonight of section 9.3 of our ordinance regarding all public hearings for resoning. quote, "The burden of demonstrating that an application complies with applicable review and approval standards of this ordinance is on the applicant. The burden is not on the city or other parties to show that the standards have not been met." With confidence, we conclude that the applicant's total application, which couldn't be troubled to even manage one full page of plan-based evidence, has uniquely failed. We further conclude that the city staff has supplied substantially more justifications than the applicant in apparent violation of section 9.3. The Kalazoo zoning board also recommended that you do not approve this resoning request. All the reasons we have provided plus the violation of section 9.3. We urge you to vote no to reszone 4301 Stadium Drive. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Hi, good evening. My name is Chris Wills. I live in the Winshell neighborhood of Calamazoo. Um I'm here tonight um to present a petition I created on change.org. Um it has um gathered 14,585 signatures um from the community as of six o'clock tonight. Maybe it's higher now since we've been here five hours. Um I'm not sure who to give it to. Um this petition um which as I said was signed by 14 over 14,000 people um reflects colle collective support for protecting the preserve and upholding our city's dedication to natural areas and green spaces. Resoning this parcel to the most intensive commercial classification is inconsistent with the city's strategic vision of environmental responsibility and the master plan. A highintensity development bordering the preserve would endanger its expansive ecosystem, increase pollution runoff, create light and noise pollution which would affect birds and animals, and it would disrupt the the sanctity of this natural habitat. Once the damage is done, it'll be too late. and there's no reversing it. Um, I urge you to consider this petition and massive community feedback and please uphold the planning commission's recommendation to deny this resoning. Please uphold the policies and protections that safeguard Kalazoo's precious natural resources for current and future generations. Thank you for your time and service to our community.

Thank you. Next, please. If individuals with tickets uh 21 through 30 want to get in line, you can get in line now. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Sue Dennison. I born and raised here. Had me all 56 years of my life. Um, sorry, it's emotional. Woo! I told myself I wasn't going to cry. Damn it. Silent Lake is very important to our community. I walk there on my worst days, my best days, all the days in between. And I see so many people, different ages, different looking people, all different people, but one community, one beautiful community, all there for the same reasons. Fresh air, exercise, nature, peace of mind. You can't knock down a building on West or Stadium or anywhere and have that beautiful ecosystem that we have at Asylum Reserve. It's a very convenient location for a lot of people. I live in Oakwood. I can walk there. You know, when times are hard, you don't want to spend money on gas. Sorry. Please think of our community's health, our mental health, our physical health. Life can be really hard at times and we need a place to go. Um, with all due respect, somebody who doesn't live in this community might not know how important that preserve is for our community. Um we um I'm just asking please vote against the request for zoning change at 4301 Stadium Drive. We're counting on you to take care of this community. Uh and thank you for your time. It's been a long one. So thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Thank you. Good evening. My name is Aaron Fuller. I live in the Oakland Drive Winchell neighborhood and I'm the president of a nonprofit organization called the Stewards of Kleinstuck. We partner with Western Michigan University to care for Kleinstuck Preserve in the city of Kalamazoo. The Stewards of Kleinstuck are also the proud owners and stewards of Little Sister Preserve, which is 12 acres of undeveloped woodland adjacent to the Kleinstuck Preserve. In 2021, with the support of the very community you're hearing from today, $899 donors raised $650,000 in 18 months to protect those 12 acres from devel development. Some of you were were in the packed Kazoo school gym with us at the first meeting where we discussed this project project on a rainy October night in n uh 2019. Our property buffers Kleinstuck Preserve and will be a natural space open to the public for generations to come. This matters not just because we saved a piece of land, but because it shows something true about Kalamazoo. When a pa place is worth protecting, people show up. People show up. They show up in voice, as we are seeing tonight, but also in financial investment. One of the hard truths in moments like this is that a developer's timeline and nature's timeline are not the same. A strip mall might last a single generation, maybe less, but the loss of intact green space is measure measured in many generations. So, please listen to the voices you're hearing tonight, not as anti-development, but as long-term investors in Kazoo's public good and quality of life. Tonight you're making decisions for this budget cycle, but also for the generations of future Kalamazooans we'll never meet. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, my name is Mary Totus and I'm here to represent the uh Neighborhood Association of Parkview Hills. The neighborhood association of Parkview Hills strongly opposes the reszoning of the parcels at Stadium Drive and Drake Road. Asylum Lake Preserve is a true treasure to have within the city limits. As the city of Kalamazoo works to address climate change, natural areas like Asylum Lake are invaluable. The city of Kalamazoo's climate resolution states that climate change is an existential threat to quality of life. The city commission also designated March 2023 as climate emergency month, noting that quote, "We have precious little time to act," unquote. Commercial developments on these properties would increase the city's climate impacts and conflict with its own resolutions. Reszoning the two parcels on Stadium Drive, just north of Asylum Lake, to Communic. It would permit businesses directly adjacent to and on a slope above the preserve. Unspecified commercial use in this sensitive area risks environmental damage and contradicts the city of Kalamazoo's commitment to protecting its natural areas. Major zoning changes should not proceed without a formal development plan outlining potential impact. Because of the steep slope and this site's proximity to the water, the risk to the lake from runoff of accidents is not just high, it is unacceptable. Approving this reszoning would knowingly put Asylum Lake in harm's way. And the damage would not stop there. Asylum Lake

is part of a larger connected waterway system. Any contamination here will carry directly into the lakes and streams of the neighborhoods of Winchell and Parkview Hills, then into the for West Fork of Portage Creek onto the Kalamazoo River and ultimately into Lake Michigan. A single failure at this site could trigger a chain reaction of pollution through multiple communities and ecosystems. The impacts on the preserve would be egregious. Increased noise and light pollution and the risk of water contamination would harm wildlife and plant life, including bald eagles and other rare migrating birds and waterfall that depend on this habitat. More broadly, the changes in the zoning ordinance winter 23 document appear to roll back reasonable limits on development in Kalamazoo, putting remaining green spaces at risk. We strongly urge you.

Thank you. Next, please. Good evening. My name is Jeff Mitchell. Um, I'd like to focus on talking about the five uh the five points that need to be considered by the commission. Um, number one, is this uh request consistent with the master plan and strategic vision? One thing that hasn't been pointed out tonight or in any of the discussions is that this master plan that we're talking about that the the uh resoning plan was on is the 2025 master plan put together in 2017. We're in 2026 now. It's time to move past that and look at what the city is considering for the future. The city has emphasized a priority to preserve, restore, and mitigate damage to natural areas, including preserves, creeks, and rivers. Here's an opportunity to do just that. Um, there haven't been any changes to conditions that would support allowing this resoning request since that request was withdrawn. Um the petition has 14,579 signatures as of about lunchtime today. Um and we've not heard one person speak towards their desire, their demand for commercial property at this location. If there is such a demand from the residents, from the city, there should be somebody here besides someone that has a financial interest in that property speaking on it. But no one can speak to it because no one even knows what the plan is. And I think the cart's before the horse to tell us that we need to reszone this property in order for them to figure out what they can do with it. They know what's allowed under each zoning type. they know what they can do.

So, come up with a plan and sell that plan to the city. Tell us what you want to do and why it benefits us and let us say, "Yes, that sounds great. Let's put it there." But no one can even say what they want to do there. Um, I'd also like the the commission to keep in mind that this is one of the most dangerous intersections in Kalamazoo County. Uh since the planning board meeting, there's been 2024 traffic data that's come out and it was uh the fourth most dangerous intersection in the county. Uh resulting in 37 total crashes and four injuries. Uh that's ti uh that's about in line with where it was in 2023, the third most dangerous and significantly more dangerous than in the previous years. 10th place in 21, seventh place in 22. So, please reject this uh request and as a commission consider putting together a green zoning type, something that we can use to affirmatively zone our parks and green spaces so we don't have to come back and do this again and again. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Foreign This is a song that is like medicine to me. I lost my grandfather a couple years back to cancer and I just want to share this with those that have experienced loss. And I think what we're trying to communicate to you here is that we see this sacred space as relative. And we do not want to say goodbye. And if we allow something like this, it sets the precedence to devaluing these sacred spaces and allowing their death to begin. Mother nature is already having a hard time trying to kill herself. I want to address the developers. Um, I think my background is actually in architectural design and I know that we're one of the most um damaging industries um to our climate and my and within my professional community we have conversations as how we can try to reduce that risk. And so I ask um for respectfully for developers to reflect on how much money they get from grants and brownfield and all these elements that taxpayers have been actually giving

into and see if they have it in their portfolio to look at spaces like this as an opportunity to give back. I also um want to point out with a quick Google search the profit of this developer um last year was $5.7 million. And so I just would like to respectfully ask them to reconsider how they can look at this property as a way to build bridges with our community and I know their roots are in Portage um from an ownership standpoint and I ask if this something like this would be allowed from a significant impact to the lakes that they have there in their city. I chose Kalamazoo to be my home after um school because I believe in the motion that I see here after living in cities like Houston, Texas where a car is more valued in a planning standpoint than pedestrian. So I thank the city for its efforts and to continue bravely with decisions like today. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Sam Gman. I've been about a 10-year resident of the Winshell neighborhood, and I urge you to vote against reszoning this property. This preserve is a unique and important asset to the city, providing a wellutilized area for recreation and communing with nature unmatched with any other area in the city. Studies have already been shown uh that there's been damage to the preserve due to runoff facilitated by previous commercial development in the area. It should be obvious that further development given the location cannot help but do irreparable damage to the lake and its adjacent flora. In addition, because of this development, many trees will have to be removed, and the terrain so close to the preserve will almost assuredly have to be altered with some kind of back filling. Uh when I first heard of natural features protection, I assumed it was a pretty uh aggressive policy. I learned years ago that it doesn't really do that much protecting. And I wish the staff had spent a little more time telling you what is really involved with natural features protection. um removing any trees to any extent is obviously going to remove what is now a barrier to noise from Stadium Drive because I've spent a lot of time in that preserve and you can hear stadium noise uh stadium drive noise pretty readily. Removing any trees is going to worsen that and that's got to impact people's enjoyment of the preserve as well as naturally impacting the animal life that lives there. A major concern was just mentioned. Um there's already the once we develop that space, there's got to be worsening of what is now a terrible busy intersection in the city. And so with so many of the community members voting against this and coming out against this voting uh zoning change, I don't see any

justification for encouraging more commercial development in this site, especially since there are within about 5 minute drive other commercial properties that are empty, for example, at the corner of Oakland and Stadium Drive. I'm asking you to please preserve what is perhaps the most important green space within this city. Thousands of residents have already demonstrated that they value protecting this space more than they devour any further development in that area. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Mayor Anderson, commissioners, I'm Mary Jeene Gman. Uh, I am a Kalamazoo resident, fortunate enough to live halfway between Kleinstuck and Asylum Lake Preserve. I adamantly oppose the request to reszone Stadium Drive to commercial, not only because of the environmental devastation that will inevitably happen to the Asylum Lake Preserve, but also because it will heavily impact the already existing hazardous traffic congestion at the corner of Draken Stadium. This intersection has extremely heavy traffic and as was mentioned by a previous speaker the ha the traffic flow in all directions already has a high known accident rate. Invariably drivers impatient to make turns turn against red into uh turn against red into oncoming traffic. Added commercial development at this site requiring entrances and exits from either stadium or Drake will further congest the traffic patterns there. This will disrupt traffic flow and cause a greater probability of an increase in accidents. Furthermore, additional commercial development in that limited space will more likely be an unneeded duplication of the commercial businesses that already exist in that corridor. I appreciate your listening to my statements and as a nature photographer I can already see over 10 years environmental impact on Asylum Lake with a decrease in flora and fauna

and the wildlife and the beautiful environment that it does offer us there. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please. Hi. I would like to take 10 seconds of my time to let you guys stand up and stretch if you'd like it. It's okay. Go for it.

Okay. My name is Marcy Larson and I own an outdoor uh recreation business in Kalazoo called Wander Beyond. I take women backcountry camping and teach outdoor skills. Um, as you may be aware, threats to our wild places are increasing nationwide. May we never be the people. Is this still on? Yeah. May we never be the people who put profits over irreplaceable ecosystems. There are enough commercial locations for businesses in Kazoo. People move here for the promise and our easy access to outdoor spaces. I hear this all the time. We need these wild spaces more than ever now as we seek community and the peace of nature amidst this increasingly divided country. This parcel is part of a biological corridor. No one will remember another commercial retail business, but generations will be impacted by their access to nature. Reducing the size of the preserve comes at a price to all of us, not least the animals that are actively losing habitat everywhere. I'm asking the city commission to shut down the option to reszone permanently. Please think outside the box and consider protecting this parcel and legally adding it to the Asylum Lake Preserve. I understand the city would have to purchase the parcel to make this happen, but your values would be made clear. In the words of Joanie Mitchell, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot with a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot. And I would have sung it, but she's a lot better than me. So, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.

Next, please. Hello, I'm Iris Potter, Kalazoo with Protective Preserve, also representing Tom Dufffield. You have our detailed letter about the five unmet conditions for reasonzoning, and thank you to the commissioners who responded. I also sent the protest petition from corporate owner of Stadium Drive Apartments directly adjacent to 4301. He doesn't want the beautiful woods to be gone for his residents. So why wouldn't we support them? We heard the detailed report from Elba. The preserves policy management council letter said a no. The planning commission and the environmental concerns committee's no vote plus the kalazoo climate crisis coalition letter with the huge number of letters and emails from residents are the clear path to our strong opposition and request that you design deny zoning. The applicant developer has not met the burden of proof for resoning. We also have over 20 commercial vacancies in the vicinities, so no community need. From city policies and plans, IK 2035 strategic vision goals. A healthy environment sustains community well-being today and generations to come. The goal is to preserve, restore, and mitigate damage to the natural areas including preserves, creeks, and rivers. IK 2025 best practice for smart growth principle preserve open space farmland natural beauty and critical environmental areas from city's 2025 community sustainability plan. It is public participation guided acknowledging the interconnectedness of people in nature and Kazoo's strategic vision for a green and healthy city focused on the role of city government and that it can play to advance sustainability. Create opportunities for people to interact with nature and improve biodiversity.

Protect the natural environment for urban resilience. Using nature-based solutions provides benefits to both social well-being and biodiversity. Urban wildlife protection. Kazoo is already feeling the effects of climate change. A healthier natural environment will mitigate climate change and protect people and places. Our local system of rivers, lakes, and streams have tremendous economic, environmental, and cultural importance importance to our community's livability. These water ba bodies connect to the groundwater system which serves as a regional drinking water source. So these are all quotes from the plan. To close, the plan says to be sustainable, a community must use resources efficiently and fairly. We must build this equitable future focus into all our community systems and decision making. Therefore, the no vote is the only one for Kazoo. But I also want to add the master plan is aspirational. It's not law. And also to anybody out there listening, channel 3, anyone who has money, and you all know who you are, it really would be a good time for you to step up and buy this for the residents of Kazoo. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Hi, uh, Aaron Theal, 158 Imperial Street. I want to congratulate the young people for earlier this morning or earlier this evening uh their recognition in the pursuit of social justice and I just want to encourage you all to follow their examples by set making sure we all have a better world for us and our children and for ourselves and I would encourage the developer to build goodwill with the community by revitalizing some of our abandoned buildings and making lots. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Tammy Hibner. I'm a Kalamazoo resident. Um Iris said a lot of what I was going to say and there's been a lot of um well a few people talked about um that corner being probably the second most dangerous corner and that would only get worse with development. Um, the thing that struck me as I drove down Stadium Drive just the other day fighting the weather, I noticed so many businesses that are closed, large car lots, um, you know, of course, Wayside, and I saw another one, and it's just mind-boggling to me that developers can't look at that and okay, so it'll cost a little bit to demolish a building or, you know, do some aspestous or mold remediation. That's nothing compared to the damage that will be done to a beautiful place like Asylum Lake. I'm hoping and praying and I'm really quite optimistic that you will vote against this because it's not popular with any of the residents I talked to and you know you guys are going to be up for election again. So think about it because we will remember. Okay, have a great night. Let's go to bed.

Thank you. Next, please. Anybody in the commission chambers with a number 31 or higher? Um, you can get in line now, please.

Hi. Uh, I'm I'm Jack Urban, uh, former city commissioner. You guys know me, I think. Um, well, I'm going to present a little different point of view here. I think it needs to be, uh, put out there. Um, seems to me that keeping this parcel zoned residential says that the city does not want any development done on this property because the zone the uh uh uses that are permitted in this zone are not economically viable. We have a a a contrast between community values, environmental values and the economic system that we all live under and that there's a quite a disconnect here and I hope that we can find a way to bridge that. Uh, one way to do that is to reszone the property. uh commercial uh trust in the uh processes and the ordinances that you already have in place in terms of project reviews, NF uh NFP reviews, uh all the ordinances that are there and the creativity of your own staff and the developer to come up with something that is viable for that process for that uh property. uh chiefly it seems to me uh to keep the property zoned as it is means that you give up the chance of having any hope of doing anything about the runoff problem. If there's a developer who sees he can make some money on the property, he has a chance to do the things that you need to do, which is protect Asylum Lake. That is probably the most serious long

lasting environmental damage that could occur. And if it stays like it is, that runoff from Stadium Drive is going to continue. So it seems to me you have a choice to uh uh do nothing which is uh uh not a very fair way to treat uh a property owner in this country uh since uh he can expect uh a return on his investment and they can't get now. Now maybe he made a mistake when he bought that property. Uh that's a situation we all have to live with. He has to live with it and we have to live with it. Uh but so uh another solution is for all these 1400 advocates to get together, get the money up and buy the property. That that solves the thing for everybody. And I'm I'm waiting for that to happen. We've waited for six years for people to come forward to de develop their property. They have not done it yet. If you want to table the issue for for six months to see if that'll happen, uh that's not Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, my name's Linda Digby. Um, I've planted 1700 trees in my lifetime so far. Uh, I did a lot on our county forest preserves. I stopped a target project from being developed on a forest preserve that was adjacent to the senior home where they used to feed the animals, the deer and the bear bears and all sorts of stuff. And this is silly. It's time for nature to win. We I'm sick and tired of seeing companies win. Uh we're all air breathers. We need our lungs. Fresh air is important. What is the intrinsic value of trees? It provides clean air. Some of the cleanest air around on earth is around trees. And then if you ever saw Frozen, she's in a snowstorm. I used to run in snowstorms. And my asthma never acted up in a snowstorm because it takes all the junk in the air and puts it down to the ground. I love Kalamazoo. I wrote grants for public safety. Kesa um Head Start, did a Panera bread run uh and dropped off food, excess food from Panera, you know, sometimes 16 boxes, sometimes only five. And I did that in teaching my kids community service. And I want to thank each of you for your community service here. And um so the intrinsic value of trees is it cleans our air. It reduces climate change. When you plant in a grove of trees, they survive better. They need a community just like humans. They also cool the ground. There's five countries around the world now that had 120 degrees day

and night. They have to seek shade. So if you have a forest, uh the ground itself stays cooler. So plant trees around your house. Okay? And um uh they clean our air. And I also wrote uh I was in environmental law, took every class as a graduate. Taught outdoor ed, project wild and learning tree, DNR in three states in the Midwest. Uh was an ambassador for the state of Michigan on forestry, international forestry with Maine, the two biggest states. uh with um uh forest products that we export and you guys took a hexagon and measured the aquafer onto the groundwater. That surface water all goes to the aquifer. Um up John, I traced a chemical they released in the water and it went through aquifers all the way to the

So you got to protect. Thank you very much. Next, please.

Hello. I'm a resident and I believe the only people that benefit from a reszone and sale would be the seller, the buyer, and maybe their lawyer. I do not believe they understand how to follow the special protections, but I do believe they know how to pay fines and find loopholes. I live in the Oakwood neighborhood. For the past 5 years or so, our neighborhood has had an overpopulation of deer. the side effect of another development that was supposed to care about the environmental protections but instead chose to pay fines, the golf course. Kazoo has a lot of recent history where environmental protections have not stopped businesses. Punishments and fines will not protect Asylum Lake from the kind of people who are asking to develop near it. And the damage that can be done to this natural resource that the community loves is not worth a building for another commercial use that is not needed. another building that by the owner mission earlier from the lawyer will eventually become obsolete. The fact is that this property was overpaid for in a gamble and there is no right to that value that was gambled on with the asylum lake pos um with this asylum lake possibly becoming a ward of Kalamazoo soon. I'm asking that we just designated a park and buy these greedy people out for the land's actual worth as it is, not the commercial gamble that it was acquired for. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening, commissioners, or maybe good morning. I don't know. The clock should tell us behind me, but um my name is Josh Kaiser. I'm a city of Kalamazoo resident and I am here speaking on behalf of myself this evening to strongly oppose the request to reszone 4301 Stadium Drive. Um I have submitted a statement as well as a colleague of mine submitted a presentation um regarding the um water quality uh impacts that are currently affecting uh the Asylum Lake and the Asylum Lake preserve uh from its relatively small contributing area. So, Asylum Lake is a groundwater fed lake. It's fed by springs that uh occur west of Drake Road and flow into the lake at the bottom of Drake Road Hill there and around the lake itself through Riparian Springs. 4301 Stadium Drive is a groundwater contributing property because it's a natural property where the water absorbs into the ground and flows in and contributes through the ground uh filtered through that beautiful Kazoo sand into Asylum Lake. Now, uh the developers have for years tried to claim that um that storm water uh that this quote storm water problem would be fixed by developing this pro property on the corner with uh storm water controls. However, uh this is a misnomer. A vast majority of the storm water that's impacting Asylum Lake is coming from the contributing land areas which are consisting of though US 131 highway um Drake Road itself, Stadium Drive itself and from the existing commercial areas north of Stadium Drive. These are known to contribute extreme excessive uh pollution in storm water uh that is way above our water quality standards set by the state. So much so that uh a 2020 study uh led to the enactment of the storm water treatment system at the bottom of the hill there at the cost of

the preserve and the state not at the cost of the existing commercial ownership. Uh now there is a small storm water discharge impacting the subject property. It's up on that northeast corner of the property. It comes from that existing commercial development. Uh small parking lot. It's the McDonald's, I think. and uh it runs down on that property. It creates a little ravine and settles down at the bottom of that property. That water soaks into the ground in that natural land and then is contributed to Asylum Lake. Now, there is opportunities to uh address that storm water. However, commercial more commercial development is not the way to do that. More commercial development will create more storm water which will impact the groundwater. Even with Kazoo's strict stringent uh storm water standards, it still infiltrates into the groundwater carrying chlorides which are particularly uh a problem for Asylum Lake causing an enoxic condition, low oxygen uh delay of turnover. So for all these reasons and many many more, please deny the reasonzoning. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next, please.

My name is Lori Lang and I live here in Kalamazoo. Thank you for the taking the time to listen to us, especially when your eyelids are as heavy as the mood in the room. I wish to be put on record for requesting the denial of this um property as CC commercial. There is no concrete plan in place by the applicant. It is nebulous at best with a previous request having been protested by this good community twice already. There are 83 commercial sites in sale on for sale in Kamazoo County right now. Let's say at least 45 of those are within city limits. There's at least 20 of them currently on Stadium Drive. So, there are many other choices for an enterprising venture. Nor has the client given any dollar amount to potentially entertain an offer to the city or an investor to purchase it for green space use. If greed is the determining factor in re in creating the reszone request for additional commercial properties, then it is clear that we our community demand our green too by keeping the space green and our pay dirt the dirt paths that we have as hiking trails within Asylum Lake Preserve. The community here has spoken tonight has done so repeatedly and we request that you deny the zoning request. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hi there, Mitch Letole, 528 Village Street. I just want to go on record uh encouraging you to vote against the resoning request. With all with all due respect to city staff, I completely disagree. Um I do not believe this parcel meets any of the five requirements for resoning. Um staff mentioned a development could show an impression of what the city uh represents at its boundary as someone coming in with a new development. What does it say right now? There's a calendar commercial sign on it says nature is for sale and we don't value nature. And tonight's uh showing shows that nothing could be further from the truth. The site does have NFP. NFP is great and I'm so glad we have it, but it cannot do everything. Um I was on the NFP board for 5 years, so I'm very familiar about the balance that it tries to strike between developers. Um but to get through the variances, developers do promise a lot of things. one of which was the Country Club who purchased the parcel um bordering Whites Lake and Oakland Drive and they promised that an uh existing prairie would be preserved under their plan and last time I checked there was a giant pile of fill dirt on top of it. So the NFP guidelines do get pushed. Um, I believe the reasonzoning is inconsistent with this overwhelming community position as well as the sustainability plan um that states it seeks to meet the social, environmental, and economic needs of its residents. Uh, resoning does not certainly meet an environmental or social need or even an economic one with the many commercial parcels um vacant within the city that could be developed. While there is a shortage of housing and a high demand for green space, the word green space and tree show up in the community sustainability plan 28 times. Trees are natural cost-free options to achieve the city's goal, which includes carbon uh emissions reductions and preserve the livability for city residents who contribute their tax dollars. The city has thrown millions of dollars at street trees, which is fabulous, but it will never replace the natural value of uh

intact parcels like this one. Um, in my 20 plus years working professionally in conservation, I've been to dozens of places across the country in our region, but none more um, and has given me greater value than Asylum Lake because it is closest to me. And that is the point. Nature is most valuable to people when it is close to where they are. I work with dozens of municipalities in the region and having a 274 acre natural area like Asylum Lake within the city limits is almost unheard of. Kazoo is so lucky in that regard. This parcel is part of a functional system that keeps the preserve whole, protecting water quality, noise, air pollution, property value, and corridors for wildlife. In all my years of conservation, I've never seen an area go back to green space once it's developed. The act is final. Zoning may go from commercial to residential to industrial, but it will never go back. The environmental crisis we're in, um, which the city has publicly declared, is death by a thousand cuts, and I urge you to see that this would be a very large cut to these support systems and the community. and I urge you to deny the zoning request. Thank you for your time and attention.

Thank you. Next, please.

Ruth Prince Boris, mental health social worker and Oakwood resident for 38 years. I also contend that resoning would not meet a community need. What the community does need is developing vacant plots such as the substantial stretches on the north side of Stadium Drive that look blighted or semillighted. As far as trees goes, um Kazoo will be losing dozens or hundreds of silver maples in the near future. and the country club already destroyed acres of habitat and a number of grand old trees. I urge you to vote against the reszoning.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, I'm Eric Stucky. Hello again and thank you again for your time. Resident downtown Kazoo. In case I run out of time, I'm going to try to keep it short, but uh a resounding no to the resoning changes. And we've heard it I don't know how many times you have to hear it to know that it's wrong. It's not right. Uh let's talk about the the plan, the Imagine Kazoo plan. This isn't locked in stone. These are ideas and these do need to kind of change and adapt. And as was mentioned, we're building off these proposals are off outdated plan. Uh so bear that in mind. Uh when you're making choices in the future environmental, you can hear it. Our community is hugely important to to I'm just I guess I'm just as tired as you guys are at this point. Making decisions environmentally and developments are crucial to this city's growth and well-being. Uh, let me just point out a couple things real quick. They're talking about they flat out mistruth with they're going to fix the runoff with development. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I do your own research. It's easy to figure that one out. Why in the world if this is a problem and we know we had Stadium Drive ripped up, why did we not do some permaculture then? I thought, wow, I saw you got it dug down so deep. It's going to be great. We're going to put in trees. They're going to be able to grow. We're going to get shade. going to get run off. It's going to what? No, none of that happened. They filled that

back and compacted it. Why? Because the developers make money. This is all about making money. It's all about people with money making more money. Uh I heard the words fabric fabric of the development. Well, this is client. This is a a fabric of our community. This is a very important piece. And you don't need to hear you heard enough people talk about how important it is. how much they use it. Ask those developers if they've ever even set foot on that and use that space the way it should be used. I got a little bit of time real quick and thank you Bobby for pointing out the five points. But although I will agree with some of what was said, there's a hund times more disagreeing with that. And this is a problem in particular. I'm throwing stones. Zoning does this. They look at things from a very narrow perspective, but we're talking about a broad thing here. There's many other options for people to

Thank you very much. Next, please.

Hi. Uh, my name is Jake. I live in the city of Kalamazoo. Uh this is ostensibly another attempt uh to reszone 4301 Stadium Drive to a zone which would permit the applicant to build a car wash on that lot. Uh the pending sale of this property is contingent on the reszoning uh to community commercial. The prospective developer from Grand Rapids said on camera during the planned commission meeting, uh the planning commission meeting, excuse me, that if the land failed to pass his company's undefined due diligence activities, that ownership would revert back uh to the applicant. If that happened, uh 4301 Stadium Drive would still be zoned CC. Um isn't it true then that at that point it would mean that nothing could legally be done uh to prevent Mr. Terania from building another drive and shine there if he still wanted to. Uh, circumventing Kalamazoo's abundantly expressed public opposition. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

John Foster, 905 West Levelvel Street. I've hiked Asylum Lake for over 50 years. I'm I'm sure these people have hiked it. I hope all of you have hiked it. Uh, it it's a treasure. I don't need to say more about that. I just want to say it would be bad strategy for the city to change the zoning. Uh the reason being when I see the the plan and the explanation about the processes you would change the zoning they would come back they would make their proposal and then we would be safe there because we could still control the situation and say no we don't have any interest in that. The whole reason that we have zoning laws is to protect the public interest against the overuse of the private interest. There are times when it is appropriate to reszone. I don't think this is one of them. I don't think anybody except one person in this room thinks that it is. Please protect it. If they want to come back with a plan, fine. Let's see it. So, I'll drop that point and I'll just get to the last point. I was shocked when I saw the map, that corner. There's that MFP there. Obviously, it was put there from the city's perspective of trying to protect the the natural beauty of Asylum Lake. It's not big enough. I've hiked there for 50 years. I know what that corner looks like. I'm probably one of the only people in the city, there probably handfuls, have actually hiked the entire perimeter of the lake. That area is kind of thin. It's not the thickly wooded area that's just a little bit to the uh would be the east of there. That that NFP by itself is insufficient. It seems like the best plan is for somehow the community whether we raise money

publicly where there I don't know if there could be a millage uh uh but some way that that the city gets control of that property if they want to invest money in Kazoo which is great you know we like investment in Kazoo maybe there could be a property trade or some other deal done thank you thank you next Please.

Hi, my name is Ashley Yoner and I've been a resident here for over 50 years. I also left my elderly mother an hour and a half away who's not doing well because I felt it was so important to be here. I've never spoken at a commission meeting before. Um, I'm also a 41-year realtor in the community and I make my money by selling and helping people buy properties, houses, and land. But this is not the time for that to happen. Um, I want to say first of all that I am kind of surprised to hear that when they talk about the master plan and the planning department, um, was there ever a point where the impact of Asylum Lake and the wildlife is taken into account when they're doing those? Because I don't hear it. I don't hear anything about it at all, which is really disturbing to me. I also want to say that if there's no legal obligation for you to approve this and the only one that's going to benefit by this is the developer, I would ask that you listen to your traumatized community and they are. You can hear it. Everybody is traumatized by this potential reszoning. I'm asking that you do the right thing and you do not approve the zoning. And furthermore, you try to do something to help this community acquire this property so it becomes a permanent res permanent part of Asylum Lake and this doesn't have to happen again. Thank you for doing that. Thank you for doing your jobs.

Thank you, Sister Planner Derky. Where are we at here? That we've called every number in the commission chambers. If you want to call any other speakers, there's only um individuals in the community room now. So, that would be the only room after this. Okay. Are there is there anyone else in the chambers right now that want to take advantage of this opportunity to speak? Who has not already?

I guess I got here too early to pick a number up.

All right. My name is Simon Dunham. I live in the South Wage neighborhood. Uh, so I moved here several years ago and at first thought you might think that it's because Kamoo has some of the most friendly people, beautiful natural spaces, good local food. Uh, but no, actually, I went to the Burger King on Stadium Drive and I had the best Whopper meal of my life and that's why I moved here. I just had to. It's the best Burger King, right? So, I have some concerns about this property, specifically concerning Stadium Drive. Um, and it's just a bunch of trees, right? I I don't really see much of the value in that. The people here are trying to stop development of the site and that land is essentially being wasted, right? There's a lot of opportunity here. So, I went and counted earlier along Stadium Drive that about the mile from 4031 or 4301 up to about Rambling Road. There's 1,200 parking spaces or so. That's about as high as I can count. There's probably more. Um, but like only 1,200, you know. Um, there's only seven car dealerships. That kind of shocked me. Uh, there's like six auto parts stores. That didn't seem like quite enough to me. Um, the food selection is terrible. So, I mean, I went and I looked. I was kind of hungry for like a sub earlier. And there's maybe a sandwich. I could go to Arby's. I could go to potbellies. I could go to Jimmy John's. I could go to Jersey Giants. But like, what if I want Subway, right? So, I think this more than demonstrates the community need. Uh, in criterion 3, there's basically a desert there, right? Like, what are we going to do without a fourth drive-through bank or a third gas station? Um, and it all boils down to this for me. like is Asylum Lake really that special? Are these trees really that important? You know, every city's got an Asylum Lake, right? Probably. Um but not every city has a Harbor Freight or a double lane

McDonald's drive-thru, probably. Um so yeah, I if you guys have read the book A Silent Spring, I like that book a lot. Probably not for the reasons that you think, though. Sounds pretty nice to me. Anyway, please disregard all of that and vote against reszoning 4301 Stadium Drive while I have a little bit of time left. I work for MDOT. I don't represent any of them with my opinions here. Uh, but I have significant concerns about sediment erosion or sorry, soil erosion and sedimentation control. Asylum Lake is a very small body of water, which means that it would not take a lot of sedimentation to permanently uh alter the like fish and water fowl ecosystem there and the beavers and such. Let's see. I mentioned I live in South Witch. I understand what it's like not having a park or green space anywhere near you. I have to bike like two and a half miles to get to Blanchole Park and that's about it. Um, and then another thing I had to say really quickly was originally Tani said that he could envision a car wash here. Uh, but the developers told us they can't tell us what we need here until they figure out the zoning. So, that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Please vote no.

Thank you. Next, please. My name is Zachary Lar. I live in the city. Um, I'd like to point out our last person was wrong. Uh, we we already have enough McDonald's. In fact, the taxpayers spent $9 million to buy a double drive-through McDonald's downtown a couple months ago. Um, vote no on this. There's no reason that we need to encroach on asylum like we we the taxpayers and the community should not be responsible for bad due diligence by a real estate purchaser. Uh the next thing I'm going to talk about is uh Mr. Henkins made a comment that uh flock isn't used to surveil people. So Zach, this is particular to immigration.

This isn't a back and forth time. This is time for me to speak and you guys listen. That's that's quoting you. Um, I'm the one that got into the camera system a couple months ago, found the logs of Grand Rapids Police allowed a federal agency access to its flock login, and we're searching our cameras for the quote of deportation warrant. It's happening. It's happened before. It's going to still happen. It was in the news. You can find it just searching on the news. This what happen is happening tonight is an illustration of a larger picture that has been happening in the city for a while. City staff doing what it wants irregardless of what the community wants and you're seeing that firsthand and it needs to stop. Thank you, Zach. Anyone else in the chambers wants to comment specifically on this zoning change request? All right. Thank you. Seeing no one then uh I guess we'll go to the community room. Is that correct? And is there

That is correct. Staff is ready to start releasing people at this time.

Okay. Thank you. While we wait, um I would mention anybody interested in providing um phone call comments. If you are not on already calling on hold and you are watching, um this would probably be a good time to uh call as we go through these uh the last speakers in the in the building tonight. That phone number is 1888 3829556. Again, the phone number for call and comments is 1888 3829556.

Thank you, Assistant Planner Derky. Yes, please go ahead.

Okay. Hi there. My name is McKenna Bojanowski. I'm a resident of Kazoo, born and raised. I'm also a student at Western Michigan University and specifically I am a member of the students for sustainable earth. Um I'm here to like represent our voice. There's not much more to be said that hasn't already be been said that we don't agree with. Um so we I just wanted to explain more about SSC or Students for Sustainable Earth and our relationship with Asylum Lake. We um do lots of like meetings at Asylum Lake every semester just to be a part of like the nature and like talk about it and also it's just a very important part of our um organization and um we are obviously very concerned about the environmental impacts that have been mentioned before um do this resoning um and I was just going to say um a community member left earlier but they asked me to speak on the rusty patch bumblebee which was a species that was originally thought to be extinct that was found in the Asylum Lake preserve and now it's a federally endangered species and that's something that is to be concerned about and to look into. And finally, just to end it off, I'm just asking for you all to vote no on the resoning request. So, thank you very much.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good morning. Um, my name is Moren Cartmill. I am a long-term resident of Kazoo. Um, I was very impressed with uh the presidents of both Winell and Woods Lake um neighborhood association. The research was done on the five um criteria was compelling. The the work that's been done um not just for their behalf but also for yours um it was very very impressive. So, having said that, um, green space within our city, as valuable and unique as that is, once it's gone, it's gone. So, I urge you to vote no, please. Thank you. Next, please.

Hello. I am Lauren Hines. I'm a Kazoo resident, born and raised, and I live in the Vine. And I, you know, everybody has said amazing points all night about why this park should be preserved and protected. And I want to go at it with a more personal angle that I have grown up going to this place. And I have so many like memories and just stuff that's like irreplaceable and so immensely valuable mentally and nostalgia wise for me at this location that I really urge you guys to say no. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Oh, Bill Cartell, West Main Hill neighborhood. I think I voted for all of you. Please vote no on this. Thanks. Thank you. Next, please.

Hi, my name is Sophia Schmidt and I live in the Oakland Windchill neighborhood on Amherst. I was here November 6, spoke for the first time, cried outside afterwards cuz it was emotional. Um, and I just got to say that I moved from Papa in order to be close to that lake because I grew up on 40 acres and it means a lot to me. And I know maybe trees don't mean much to you, Mayor Anderson, but I love Kazoo. Show me you love Kal Mazoo, too. You post about it, act on it. I'll remember each one of your votes and if you do the right thing, I'll honor that and continue to support you. But if you do the later then I'll honor that and be your opposition. Have a good night.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good evening. My name is Alyssa Khan and I live in the Windshell neighborhood and um Asylum Lake uh is one of my most treasured places. Actually, it is my most treasured place in Kalamazoo outside of my own house. Um, I'm an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast and I hike in Asylum Lake multiple times per week, even during the winter. Um, and I've gotten immense physical and mental health benefits from hiking the trails there. I'm really concerned about the environmental degradation to the land if it were reszoned. Um, and so I urge you to protect this beautiful resource in our city and vote no to reson. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next, please.

Hello, Benjamin Aer. Winchell neighborhood. Um, Asylum Lake is part of why I live in the Winshell neighborhood. It's a big part of why I'm where I am in Kalamazoo. And you've heard from other people or it's a big part of why they come to this neighborhood. So, I guess I'm one of many who mean mean it person mean take it personally, mean it personally when we when I say listen to what you've heard tonight. Listen to what our neighborhood associations have told you. Listen to what the planning commission has said after having heard all the proposals, everything that the applicants have said and voted unanimously to reject the zoning change. And I urge you to do the same. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Nolan Cabraw, Western student, uh, studying environmental science. Let me be clear. Car wash or no car wash? Because seemingly that was a stipulation earlier. We don't want the area reszoned. full stop period. Absolutely. Under no circumstances should it change into a commercial zoning or commercial zoning type A. There was a lot of debate earlier and whether or not it's a McDonald's, a Walmart, if it stays forest, we're happy. Your community has come out to say this. Please listen to them. And on a second note, we talked a lot earlier. You should have heard us in the other room. We were laughing hysterically when you guys were trying to spin a ball yarn that the Asylum Lake Preserve is unused and people never go there. No, it's full of life. People go there all the time. And I'm rather interested in how seemingly they never put in an audit. They never look to see how much it would cost for the Kalazoo community. I mean, we have a massive turnout for this. Let the community like come together to try and make it a park. If that could be something that is in the cards, it's more in line with community interests than making another commercial zone. Sorry, I'm very tired. I love horror, but it feels like I'm living in a bad horror movie where the villain just won't stay dead. We watched multiple different groups shut down this plan over multiple different years and we've had record turnouts of people saying we do not want this resoning period. People talking about how we'd rather turn it into a park than not. And since I got a minute left, it really bothered me that we talk about campers and trespassers. I remember your comments last time about the homeless population. Homeless people who I will remind you are Cal Mazoo residents who

you represent, not someone from Grand Rapids, not some business owner out of state, Kalamazoo residents. They have a right to be in Kalamazoo as much as anyone else. And that is their right to be represented. Like it's our right to be heard. If we say we don't want a rezoning into a commercial zone, that has to be respected. You've had enough people tell you this. I'm hopeful that you'll listen to our judgment. Please do not reszone the Asylum Lake Preserve. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

We all know this resoning isn't about serving the needs of the community. As the community members who have spoke before me have shown, we the people of Kazoo are strongly against this resoning. What this resoning is really about is someone who made a bad bet and is trying to take down the whole city of Kazoo with him. For more than half a decade, this investor has brought this issue to the city planning commission just to get the same response of a unanimous no from the people of Kazoo and the city planning commission. If you do refuse to listen to your voters, I ask you to listen to the joyful birds which sing in the Asylum Lake preserve. I ask you to listen to the ribbiting frogs which hop around the lake. I ask you to listen to Mother Nature herself, a woman who has never once asked for new car wash, gas station, or fast food place. Now, I ask you as a city commission of Kazoo to respect the wishes of your citizens and animals and please vote no. To the investors, if you do get to build your commercial property and it negatively impacts the environment of the Asylum Lake Preserve, I want you to know that the community is going to sue, fine, and boycott the hell out of you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hey, good morning y'all. What's up, AJ? Uh, my name is Jeremy Krunk. I've lived in Kalazoo for 30 of the 35 years that I've been alive. Uh, I live in the West Chill neighborhood. I am within biking distance of Asylum Lake and uh I love it. I grew up biking there. I wrote a really elaborate thing earlier, but in the um hope of getting everybody home, but because it's pretty late, I I changed it up a little bit and I wanted to build off the Lord of the Rings comparison from earlier. Huge fan. It's the 25th year anniversary in case y'all didn't know. Go see it. I think it's still in theaters. Um, so redeveloping the the property in question, uh, 4301 stadium is in line with selling out Fangorn Forest to Sorommon and the Urukai. Except the Urukai are way less cool and shame our unhoused community for some reason. Uh, you have the opportunity to leave the forest in the care of the ants. If you do not know how things worked out for Sauron and the orcs when they started cutting down Fangor forest, I would encourage you to go home whenever we get to go home and watch the extended edition of Two Towers. Uh, please vote against the resoning. It's a bad idea. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Hi, my name is Aaron and I live in the Westwood neighborhood. And I was really concerned with the tenor of the staff report when I read it, which seemed to take for granted that commercial use should be prioritized, that it is necessarily something good for the community. But this commercial resoning request is not welcomed nor wanted by the community for all of the reasons that my neighbors have shared tonight. And I urge you to vote no. Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Hi. Uh my name is Mike Ryder. I've lived in the uh Vine neighborhood about 15 years, and it's uh been said better by others. Uh but I'm hoping you all will uh deny the reasonzoning request. Um, I think it seems uh very bad for the environment, very bad for the community, and honestly, if uh the plans to run commercial space have as much foresight as buying non-commercial land for commerce, it's actually probably a bad idea for the development advocates. So, uh, we can stop them from doubling down on that blunder, uh, the sunken costs and dubious entrepreneurial instincts. Save them from themselves. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

I'm JT. I've lived in Kalamazoo for 20 years. I'm not much of a public speaker. Uh certainly not as good as Steve Harvey, so forgive me. Uh Steve Harvey used to talk about Bernie Mack loving to smoke cigars. And he would smoke them indoors after his shows and he would get fined and they would tell him to stop doing it, but he didn't care because he loves cigars. And then famously once uh the fire marshall had to come to stop him and he said I already paid the fine because he just sent a check pre ahead. And I think that is kind of what the NFP overlay uh could turn out to be in a situation where a developer doesn't necessarily care about paying a fine. Uh Mr. Derky mentioned the uh various fines, the cost uh fee, I believe, and um it sounded like this is something that happens all the time. Uh inspector doing a stop work order. Uh when I was listening, it seemed to me like this is something that happens very often. Uh thank you for listening to me. My gift to you the rest of this time.

Thank you. Are there any other individuals in the community room who wouldn't want to take advantage nor in the atrium? The atrium and the is vacant and the third floor conference room is vacant.

Is vacant. All right. So, one last call. Is there anyone here in the chambers or in the community room who would like to take advantage of this comment period? Hello, I am Sharon. I am a city of Kazoo resident. I hope you all have been paying attention to all of the wellressearched points that the community has been pointing out as well as as to why this resoning request is not good fit for this community. Please vote no to the resoning following these educated points, the advisement of the planning commission and the lack of proven need for the community and give us the imagine Kalazoo 2035 chance to reimagine this space for a rational price for protection. Thank you.

Thank you. Then at this point we are going to go to callin comments. Assistant planner Derky, do we have anyone that has called in? I will check. We'll hear ringing if anyone's here. All right. In this space. Good evening, caller. You are on live with the city commission for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes.

Hi, this is Valerie. This is Valerie Burnside. Kalamazoo resident and voter living in the Vine neighborhood. I'm asking you to vote no on reszoning 4301 Stadium Drive. I find it interesting that we are here arguing over land that was originally stolen from the Podawatami tribe and the Machu Nashuish Band of the Podawatami tribe specifically. In case we need reminding, this land was once stewarded by the original people of the historic ThreeFires Confederacy, an alliance of the Padawatami, Ottawa, and Chipoa people. people that were pushed off this land and given neither payment nor land in exchange for their suffering and their displacement. This history makes me even less sympathetic to the owner's concerns over development prospects and profits. To make matters worse, the owner's representative tonight mocks this community by declaring that they waited for us to buy the land and no one stepped up to purchase it. Land that she also has stated has no public price. In a world where people are fighting and dying for their rights this very moment, I find it embarrassing that both the owner and his representative continue to waste this community's time and resources requesting permission to build more mixeduse commercial areas that will no doubt end up vacant just like the abandoned gauge dispensary down the street. As if any of us can afford groceries, let alone more mixeduse shopping areas. So, thank you for your time and vote no.

Thank you. Good evening, caller. You are on with the city of Kazoo City Commission for the public hearing for 43 4301 Stadium Drive and you have three minutes. Okay.

My name is Dan Salvage. I've been a resident of Paloo for since 1995. Um, and I guess I want to express my strong opposition to the proposed reszoning of the pro of this parcel um, directly bordering asylum lake preserve that is one of Kalamazoo's most important natural areas, if not the most important, in a cherished public green space used daily by residents and visitors alike. Uh, I have a whole thing. I won't go through why this thing doesn't why this plan doesn't meet the uh five um criteria. I would like to point out that the imagine Kalamazoo 2025 2020 2035 master plan uh specifically says uh environment protect restore individual stewardship and more green spaces. So not less more. Um, and then the proposal fails to meet any of the five criteria the planning commission uses to evaluate zoning requests, is inconsistent with the master plan, unsupported by chari by change conditions or community need, incompatible with surrounding areas, and disruptive to orderly development. Most importantly, it contradicts the city's publicly stated commitment to protect and restore natural environment and to expand, not diminish, green space. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the planning commission to deny the resoning request for 4301 Stadium Drive and to uphold the community's clear vision for a greener, healthier Kalazoo. Thank you and thank you all for your service.

Thank you. got a DM. Good evening, caller. You are on live with the Kalamazoo City Commission for the to provide comment for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes. Yes. Yes, that is what I'm calling about. I just wanted to quickly call and say that my name is Katherine Perkins. I'm a resident of the city of Kalamazoo and I'm asking you please to vote no on the resoning request for the 431 stadium. I'm just calling to ask you to please vote no. That's all. Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening caller. You are on live with the city commission of Kalazoo for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes. Hello, my name is Lisa Arn. I'm a resident of Cal Mazoo. Um, I live over off of 12 Street and I am calling in to um oppose the resoning of the Savian Drive parcel. I like many other people who have talked today found it very insulting and interesting that further consideration was given to the already existing residential development on the at Stadium Drive Apartments. The city's assertion and the developers assertion that residential just simply won't work there, I'm sure would come as a surprise to people who actively live and make their homes in that area and would probably not appreciate a car wash, another credit union or another gas station within eyesight of where they live. Again, also no consideration was given to existing endangered wildlife, plant life, or just general enjoyment and green space that already exists there. I found many aspects of the developer plan insulting and repetitive from previous ones that have been shot down repeatedly by the community and I would encourage the commission to think about how long they've been here today. Think about what additional reasoning requests would mean for their time and to take steps to make sure that this pro this parcel is protected for the future. Thank you.

Thank you. Good, good evening, caller. You're on live with the Kazoo City Commission for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes.

Hi, my name is Jensen Sparrow. I'm a graduate of Kazoo College. I currently live in the Winchill neighborhood. I just would like to say thank you first of all to all of my neighbors who have spoken so thoughtfully tonight and thank you to each of you on the commission for listening with the intent to be changed by our testimony. At this point it should be abundantly clear that this land does not belong to one person. It belongs to all of us. That is why we have witnessed hundreds if not thousands of accounts over residents over many years clearly saying no. No to releasing this land into the stewardship of someone who cannot demonstrate listening skills, trust or respect. These advances over the years have been non-consensual clearly to the people. They have passed the points of annoyance. They are offensive. They are wasteful and frankly harmful. The people of Kazoo deserve to steward this land. This includes the original people of this land, the people of the Three Fires Confederacy. I beg you to please end this assault on the flora and fauna who live and visit this place. The last thing I'd like to share, an ending seed thought I'd like to plant. Eventually, this property will be valued and assessed again by by financial professionals. Please ensure that the professionals selected understand that people will never seed. Seriously, it needs to be abundantly clear that we will never stop protecting this land. Never. Because it doesn't belong to us. Thank you.

Thank you. Good evening, caller. You're on live with the Kazoo City Commission for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes.

Thank you. My name is Rachel McGuffin. I live in Milwood. I've been in Kazoo since 2011. I'm asking you to vote no on reszoning. Um the land currently serves a purpose. Um it is a buffer. Um there is no commercial use of the land that is appropriate. Um the petitioner is fueled only by greed. Um, and I ask that the city do its best to protect the space and protect the wishes of its people. Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening, caller. You're on live with the Kamazoo City Commission for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes.

Hey, good evening, commissioners. My name is uh Keegan Bennett and I am a um city rec or Kamoo city resident. Mayor Anderson, um it's great to see some familiar faces. Commissioner Slayby, Commissioner Hoffman, Commissioner Wilson, I believe I've met you a couple times and Mayor Anderson, I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak today. Um I uh grew up just off of Stadium Drive myself from since childhood. Um, I've watched this area transform over the last couple of decades. And as someone who's always cherished the natural beauty of Asylum Lake, um, it's been disheartening to see it become increasingly commercialized. Um, I will say that, um, Asylum Lake isn't just a place. It's a sanctuary for many, including myself. Um, I've walked its trails countless times, finding peace and and mental clarity. Uh it's also a valuable educational resource that we've heard here um since it started here. It's educational resource for our local schools and obviously Western Michigan University and its ecology and biology programs. Um protecting asylum link from further commercial development is crucial. Uh it's a unique natural asset that benefits the community not just economically but also socially and environmentally. Uh therefore, I urge the commission to consider the long-term benefits of uh preserving uh preserving Asylum Lakes's natural state, and I respectfully request that you guys uh vote against any proposal that would further commercialize the area. Thanks for your guys' consideration.

That sounds fantastic. It's clear, heartfelt, and covers all the important points. I think it'll really Thank you. Thank you for calling the Kazoo City Commissioner on live for the public hearing for the resoning for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes to speak.

Hi. Um, my name is Katie Hunt and I am a current resident of Kalamazoo as well as a Western student and I'm asking you to vote no on the resoning request for 431 stadium and thank you for listening and taking your time to hear us out today. Thank you. Good evening caller. You're on live at the Kazoo City Commission for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes.

Hello. I'm a student at Western and live one block away from the preserve. The development permitted under CC zoning directly conflicts with the mandates of the NFP overlay. The city code states that if conflict arises between zoning standards and the NFP overlay regulations, the NFP regulations take precedence. The overlay is intended to protect habitat corridors. Developing this parcel would eliminate a significant wooded area that currently serves as a transition zone for wildlife. The site contains steep wooded slopes that drain directly into the preserve. developing would require significant grading and retaining walls to match the level of stadium drive, creating high risk of erosion that could directly impact the lake water's quality and environment, which the master plan seeks to preserve. Many edge nesting birds that build their nests in transition zones face higher predation and nesting failure as their habitat is fragmented by commercial infrastructure. A master plan emphasizes neighborhood driven visions and thousands of citizens have spoken out against this vision. There's no need for more commercial space in a saturated retail area. Market demand can be driven by launch trends or clever marketing rather than community need. Worsening congestion and safety contradicts the plan's focus on a connected and accessible community. Nature preserves function as a peaceful escape from the loud noise of surrounding commercial hub. Current site illustrates how rare and valuable this lower noise zone is compared to other parks. green spaces in Kalamazoo have been reducing due to the rapid development with over 40% of wetlands lost um replaced by commercial and condominium. Um keeping what makes Kalamazoo so attractive to residents and tourists will continue to attract businesses which can thrive and populate the many commercial lots available for sale in

the area. Kalamazoo offers a unique balance between quiet serenity and urban density which defines the identity of this community. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good evening, caller. You're on live with the Kalamazoo City Commission for the public hearing for 4301 Stadium Drive. You have three minutes.

Hi, thank you. My name is Elizabeth. I am a Kalamazoo ren resident and I back in 2021 my father passed away when I was 17 and I used Asylum Lake almost every single day for about 6 months and just being out there helped me heal so much. And I really really think that you guys understand that you should not be voting yes for this. Please vote no. Thank you. Thank you.

That appears to be the last call. Thank you very much for managing that. Assistant Planner Derky. I appreciate that. And now I will issue one last call for anyone who might be here in the chambers. I don't know if anyone is still in the community room at this time. If there is anyone who hasn't had a chance to comment on this item, this public hearing, now is your opportunity.

I understand the community room is down to one or two people, so there's no one else.

Okay. So, first of all, I I want to thank everybody who called in and came and attended and worked with us to provide public comments on this hearing this evening. Thank you so much. It's also very impressive all the pre-work that people did uh relative to the five uh conditions that were listed uh and other details. So, thank you so much for all your effort and your work and for coming here and sharing that with the commission. With the end of public comment, the hearing is now closed. So, I'm closing the public hearing. The next thing that will occur is an opportunity for deliberation and a vote by members of the commission. And in order for there to be deliberation, there needs to be a motion. And that motion needs to be supported and then there can be deliberation. So, commissioners, at this point, with the public hearing closed, the recommended action is a motion to adopt. Is there a motion? Okay, seeing none, I will ask a different question then. Uh, is there a motion to be the best way to phrase it, Attorney Leel? to uh can you help me with that?

Motion to deny the motion to deny. Is there a motion to deny? Motion to deny. Motion made by Vice Mayor Duncan. Support. Supported by Commissioner Pradle. Discussion Commissioners, Commissioner Slaybe. Um I do have a comment but point of clarification because of the way it's been phrased as deny I understood that if it let's say we uh voted in affirmation of that so it would be denied uh that that doesn't officially deny the reasoning that it would have to be made in the positive affirmation and then be denied first.

I'm not understanding your question. I apologize. motion since the original motion. No, there was no motion of that made. So, you could do the opposite and make the motion to deny uh the request. Right. I I was just I've I talked with Charlie about this earlier. So, my question was if it's made in the negative affirmation right now, the motion to deny, if we were all to vote positively to that, we all did eyes. the majority that would then be the end of it or does that allow an opportunity for us to have to rehear it? Here's attorney

Charles Bear, assistant city attorney and uh Miss Ley and I did discuss earlier as she was asking about procedures. Um, I mentioned to her that typically, uh, a motion, uh, you would make it positive in in favor of whatever the matter was, which doesn't reflect how you're going to vote. Um, a motion to deny, if that fails, then there is no action essentially. Uh, that doesn't mean that the the matter passes. If you reject a motion to deny. So if you have a motion in favor of something and that fails then it is denied.

Um that was the basis of our discussion. That's where she's coming attorney. Doesn't mean you can't have a motion to deny. You would just have to follow that up with another motion if that fails. Thank you attorney Bear. Any thoughts on that? Attorney Leo. No, I I will go with what attorney uh Bearer has just explained to the commission. It's different what I'm used to, but it's it is acceptable. Well, we do have a motion that was supported to deny at this point. Uh

I think my point was clarified. I just wanted to confirm what was said. I I guess for myself, I I'm not 100% clear on what the actual difference is between a motion deny, which you vote yes on, and a motion to approve, which you vote no on. I mean, I'm not I I not quite clear on why that would make a difference. I'm asking for attorney help on this, I guess, not commissioner help. I I think the way you phrase that there would be no difference.

If you have a motion to deny and you vote yes on it, every uh same thing as a motion to approve and voting no. Yes. Okay. The problem would arise if you have a motion to deny and you vote no on that. Then you're back to the other motion. Then you're back to needing a motion to take any action. You've taken no action at that point. I see. Okay. In other words, if the motion to deny fails, yes, back to correct square one. The motion to deny fails.

It doesn't mean that you've approved anything or taken any action at that time. Okay. I think that's clear enough. Okay. Is it?

I I I think if if they're making a motion to let's say if you're making a motion to deny, you would make that motion. I do also recommend that the person who is making the motion also include factual findings to support the in connection with the denial to justify or to to actually support the motion because that's um typically on these reasonzoning matters if if you're approving you're taking everything that the way the staff presentation has has come forward. If you're denying it um and it's and it's um contrary to the staff recommendation, you're going to need some factual findings to support that denial.

Appreciate that. Attorney Leal are Vice Mayor Duncan, are you comfortable with that? I think we've heard enough testimony to uh speak to uh the motion why why I am motioning to deny. So, yeah. Commissioner Sllayy. Yeah. Um, so can we deliberate? Sure. Okay.

So, I want to echo Mayor's comments about uh thanking everyone in the audience and who have called in and everyone who's watched and stuck with us. I also want to thank the staff for the presentation on the process of resoning at our last meeting and for walking us through the applicable criteria of those five points. In previous discussions, city planner Christina Anderson was very explicit with us that community opinion, I'd like to assume both for Oregon's this resoning should not be what drives our decision and that we should be focusing strictly on the resoning criteria and the facts submitted on record. That comment did stick with me. Uh, and as a planner professionally myself, uh, I understand that sentiment. I think it's imperative that we base our decisions on the specific criteria that govern reszoning requests. Our job here is to apply those criteria honestly and consistently. So what I want to do is walk through this request using exactly those five standards and explain why when I do that I cannot support this resoning. In evaluating this request, I'm guided by the city's five reasoning criteria. First, with respect to consistency with the 2025 master plan's future land use map, while the map designates this area for commercial use, that designation allows for a range of commercial intensities, it does not require approval of the highest intensity commercial zoning. The the community commercial, which is the request for tonight, the future land use map provides general direction. Zoning determines the appropriate level of intensity and impact based on context. I do not find that reszoning this parcel to the most intensive commercial category is necessary to implement the plan suggested designation. Second, I do not find that there are change conditions that justify this

increase in intensity. The surrounding context remains what it has been, a commercial corridor edge immediately adjacent to a natural preserve, a lake, and multifamily residential development. The role of this parcel as a transition area has not changed in a way that would support moving it to the highest intensity commercial district. Third, I am not persuaded that this resoning addresses a demonstrated community need. The applicant's argument is primarily about private redevelopment feasibility, not an unmet public need. Reszoning is not intended to maximize private return. The relevant standard is whether the property can be put put to reasonable economic use under its existing zoning and I believe it can. The current residential zoning allows redevelopment or sale for residential use as demonstrated by the adjacent parcel has already been successfully redeveloped as multifamily. I know that we have heard that for several years it's been for sale and it has not gotten any buyers which therefore somehow asserts that that means there's no market demand for residential. As a realtor, I've personally lost listings for not being able to sell in the timeline that the seller would like. And so I'd only ask if it's uh what has been uh said by the representative here is that they've only used one commercial broker this entire time. So I don't know if the evidence shows us that there's no market demand for residential or maybe it's time to look at other commercial brokers. We are being asked to trade a sensitive edge conditioned for a for a more extractive use pattern without a clear public need driving that trade. And they mentioned that there's um other areas that have been commercially developed, but just kitty corner of that uh AVB has a bunch of commercial space that is has been for

sale for several years that has not been taken up for offer to be redeveloped uh where uh Trader Joe's area is. Um, we've also heard from staff in their report today about missed opportunity to set the tone and identity of the city by not redeveloping that gateway as commercial. Um, and I guess for me understanding what the community uh has said through our many plans um as well as today during the public hearing, I I don't think that the tone or identity that people are looking for in this community is commercial. Uh and so uh for me I was also pretty surprised when I looked at the staff report and it said it stated you know why uh commercial why community commercial on stadium drive and one of the points was not walkable. Um, so we've talked a lot about strategic goals in in terms of environmental responsibility, but we also have a strategic goal called connected city and as part of the neighborhood plan for Oakland Drive and Windshill neighborhood association that is not just a small neighborhood plan. It is actually an official amendment to the master plan and which we're referring to when we talk about land use map. And so there's been a lot of conversations within that neighborhood plan alone that talks about the desiraability for walkability along Stadium Drive. Um so for us to then say this should be commercial community commercial on same drive because that area is not walkable to me is in direct contradiction to what one of our amendments to the master plan i.e. the the neighborhood plan for that neighborhood um is is stating what they want specifically on that corridor. Um fourth criteria, the proposed zoning is not compatible with the surrounding properties. This parcel sits in a sensitive location as we've heard from many people in the audience. While it fronts a commercial corridor, it directly abuts a natural preserve, a

lake, and residential development. Staff has identified this area as functioning as a transition between higher intensity quarter uses and lower intensity residential and natural areas. Reszoning it to the highest intensity commercial district would eliminate that transition and introduce impacts such as increased traffic, lighting, sight intensity, and impervious service surface that are not compatible with what directly surrounds it. Fifth, for similar reasons, I do not find that this request would result in logical and orderly development patterns. Logical development in this location depends on maintaining a gradation of intensity between the corridor and the sensitive residential and natural areas to the south. This resoning would create an abrupt jump in intensity and weaken the p that pattern rather than reinforce it. The planning commission reviewed this request using these same criteria and recommended denial focusing on intensity compatibility and the transitional role of this site. I find that that analysis to be persuasive. We also have an example from nearby communities showing that allowing highintensity commercial zoning to dominate corridors next to natural assets leads to long-term land use outcomes that are difficult to undo. Such as in my hometown 30 miles east of us along Columbia Avenue near Gowak Lake and Battle Creek. That experience shows these concerns are not merely speculative. Logical and orderly development patterns are about long-term stewardship of land use structure across the entire community, not short-term e economic gains tied particularly to one or or uh a handful of parcels. Once this level of intensity is introduced, it's extremely difficult to reverse and the quarter becomes defined by a more extractive or autooriented pattern rather than one that reflects long-term contextsensitive land use planning that can coexist responsibly with the surrounding residential and natural areas. During

Battle Creek's master plan uh engagement in 2018 uh around the same time as IK 2020 2022 25 residents called for better recreational lakefront access at Gorak Lake along Columbia Avenue and discussed redeveloping around the lake for V for access to visas including a park between the lake and Columbia Avenue. That same corridor has required public intervention now to address serious runoff impacts as described in their city sustainability plan, underscoring the long-term infrastructure and environmental burden that can follow intense commercial patterns next to the lake. So, if we're curious what this could look like in 30, 50 years, we only have to take a short trip to the east of us to see what could happen. The point is not that Kazoo is Battle Creek. I know I'm the city commissioner of Kalamazoo here. The point is that when a commercial corridor is allowed to overintensify next to a natural asset, the community often ends up spending decades trying to regain access, quality, and environmental protection. That experience reinforces why the highest intensity commercial zoning is not compatible here and does not support logical and orderly development patterns. Finally, the city is about to begin a new 10-year master planning process for IK 2035, including an updated future land use map. Given the sensitivity of this location and the long-standing community emphasis on protecting natural assets, it is prudent not to lock in the highest level of commercial intensity here ahead of that broader planning effort. Taken together, I do not find that this resoning meets the required criteria, and I cannot support the request at this time. Thank you, Commissioner Slayby. Other uh deliberation commissioners, Commissioner Pradle, Commissioner H.

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I feel like a little bit of a pressure cooker here. Uh waiting to kind of share uh some thoughts about this. Uh I think it's incredibly important in this process that we uh do our best and do our due diligence to really hear both sides. And to be fully honest, I have not felt persuaded uh by the developer case uh in this matter and I like uh Commissioner Slay kind of want to share based on those uh five criteria as well. So uh one component to um the first part about being consistent to the comprehensive plan. Comprehensive plan is far more than a future land use map. involves the city's master plan, strategic vision, and as you said, neighborhood plans. It has to be taken in the f full totality. A future land use map is not automatic. It provides guidance and there are oftentimes many contradictions between these varying documents. There is actually legal precedence uh legal case that says master plans do not require zoning change and court of appeals saying a master plan reflects long-term planning goals not present entitlements. There's clear tension sometimes between how a master plan and strategic vision applies to a location. For me, even in uh the high intensity CC with natural prote natural protection features overlay, uh these oftentimes do not align with each other. Even the developer said back in 2020 that if uh without NFP being removed that it would be commercially undevelopable. For the second piece of the extent to which there are uh changed conditions. So, one of the most important factors I'm weighing in this is the BTR Park 2, which is cited by the state for

development sediment damage after a major rainfall that happened on June 20th, 2019. For me, I often tell my kids that nature always wins. And especially when you're talking about slopes, when you're talking about contour and topography that leans towards souththeast direction into a lake, nature will always win. The development here in my book and including to the developer is a massive risk. BTR was a warning flare and it is playing with fire in a tinder box. This is a wooded downward slope with ridges facing towards the lake. I don't buy the idea that development will help remediate environmental risks in this situation. I talked about the uh changes in conditions as well and had a number of people talk about with the higher concentration of commercial on the other uh sides of Stadium Drive that Stadium Drive is consistently ranked in one of the top five most dangerous intersections. this uh by any means won't uh improve uh the conditions of that. Some other things that have changed in the time uh our community sustainability plan and as uh uh people have also mentioned uh we have significant input underway about our imagine kalamazoo 2035 plan and in since that time there's been further study about environmental impact that has occurred uh because of other commercial development. The third part with community need uh the case about this empty gateway on the corner of stadium the stadium corridor of the city. I just have to ask myself what I can't think of many many people who would walk or drive into a city and say to myself boy that seems really messed up because there's a natural preserve preserved on

the corner of an intersection. I don't see that as a bad thing. When I think about uh scenarios of where somebody might see public good, would it be in the property tax revenue? Maybe. What about the redevelopment ready slots that we talked about, the 20some available within a mile proximity uh that could fulfill that? Maybe it's the construction jobs or the capital investment. Maybe it's the eventual business employees that are hired or the income generated from residents. Maybe people would say it's drawing visitors off of the highway. But I would also argue what happens when we lose precious public green spaces that improve quality of life. What happens when redevelopment ready sites sit vacant in our community and blight our corridors because we choose rather to tear down uh green areas. When residents move away to places that prioritize quality of life and the needs prescribed uh by the public in our master and vision plan documents, there's far greater damage that's done. could also ask the question of what if we build a community that isn't business or development friendly, but how much does any of that matter if our residents don't believe that we're creating a m community built by their vision? In the section 4 compatibility with surrounding use uh during the staff report in my view, it provided very vague and generalized characterization of the specific parcel corridor. It's important to take into account um everything in the totality and one of the things that doesn't take into totality is this boundary is invisible to the topography, the hydraology, the drainage, the ecology and the wildlife.

The other thing to take into account as well is that in this very heavy commercial corridor where we talk about uh other commercial development and transportation in the area, it doesn't take into account a 1500 foot line across a preserve that is uh brings a groundwater springfed lake. Apologize it's it's getting late late folks. I think also think it's important to talk about the compatibility of surrounding to consider all the neighboring folks that reached out from Woods Lake Association to uh Oakland Winchell, Parkwin, Park View, Oakwood, Arcadia, every single adjacent neighborhood wrote against this resoning. I also think as uh some of our wise planning commissioners said at the planning commissioning meeting, this could be precedent setting for complex and vulnerable sites in the future. I think from the lens of this parcel as well, if you think about what you're looking at from this parcel, you're looking into a forested area, a tree line, but from the vantage point coming looking from that asylum preserve or the neighborhoods. What will you see in the future? Maybe a an orb of light or noise that comes from that area. kind of wrap up here with the the point five about development patterns and logic uh being logical and orderly. The reality is is that now two separate planning commissions comprised of almost entirely different individuals except for I believe one individual that's been on both planning commissions have unanimously rejected this resoning. It's not really part of a pattern. It's sort of a parcel of an island. It sets apart next to an apartment complex,

a BTR park across the street in a separate municipality, a 274 acre preserve, and there's not anything uh commercial uh uh highintensity commercial for quite some way during the south side of of stadium. I think the question was asked, is this proposed zoning district appropriate for this property in this location? And I think the answer for me is no. Thank you, Commissioner Fredo. Commissioner Hes.

Yep. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I listened to the entire zoning meeting on November 6th. I've read every email from over a hundred people that have sent us emails uh from that time until now. Um with a resounding no. Um and Chris Pradle as the liaison to that does a great job of summarizing that work for us. Uh I agree with Commissioner Pradle and Commissioner Slayby on those five criteria. Uh, our IK 2022 tells us that a green and healthy city is a necessary thing. Um, a lot of the things that we vote on are because we need a green and healthy city. Uh, let's let this gateway to our city be green and healthy. Uh, I believe though there has to be a win-win solution. I don't think that there's a a never- win situ solution. I believe we have reasonable people here in the city, reasonable leaders, reasonable leadership. Um, and I want us to go back to the origin of tonight's meeting with social justice awards and youth that if we take this green and healthy space away from our youth, uh, it's gone. It's gone. And so uh and then also justice. The justice would be to keep the land as land and uh therefore I will be supporting the denial.

Thank you. Commissioner has commissioners. Any other comments or deliberation? All right, we're set for now. Okay. So, uh, I just want to say a couple things. First of all, thank you very much, particularly Commissioner Slayby and Commissioner Pradle for the very, very detailed analysis and work you put in this, tying it right back to the five criteria that we're looking at. I also want to uh say thank you very much. We we often don't think about it, but we have amazing amazing volunteers here in the city of Kalazoo that fill board after board after board. And uh the rather unheralded work uh really there's not a lot of glory in it. And if anything, sometimes being on one of our boards, whether it's the planning commission or the zoning board of appeals, uh engenders unhappiness from uh other individuals who live here in town. and you are placed as a uh a resident sometimes in making tough decisions and recommendations. And so I just want to say thank you to all members of boards and commissions, but in this case particularly the planning commission. Clerk Boring, please call the role.

Commissioner Pradle. Mr. Mayor, just for clarification, because of the way that we worded it, yes is yes. Yes. Is support of denying the motion? Yes. Is no. Asked us to vote no. I just want to be careful to vote no. I just want to be careful with this because if somebody's tuning in and they hear us all saying yes, I want to make sure that they know that we're saying yes to. That's correct. Okay. All right. Yes, Commissioner Slay. Yes. Commissioner Wilson. Yes. Vice Mayor Duncan, yes. Mayor Anderson, yes. Commissioner Hess, yes. Commissioner Hoffman,

yes. Thank you, commissioners. The motion passes.

And next, my friends, are reports and legislation. City Manager Henkins, do you have a report? At the risk of getting ran out of here, um I'll just ask the the commission to review my uh written report that was provided with the agenda. Although I do think it's important to acknowledge the the work that staff and community members as well as u our partners have done during this extreme weather condition to coordinate shelter and provide resources for folks to find their way into environments that are safe. So, thank you to our teams and to our partners for that effort. Thank you, Manager Henkins. Now, we are down to the point of our agenda for commissioner comments. Are there any commissioners? Commissioner Wilson. I'll be quick, I promise. Just one um in light of what's happening at the federal level. Um Roland Martin said something during his MLK Day remarks that's been sitting with me ever since. He said, "This is not a drill." And he's right. At this point, we can't afford an action and silence looks a lot like compliance. But for our community, this isn't new information. You've been telling us this for over a year now. I also heard that tonight was wan night. And as a proud Hogwarts school alum, I brought mine in as well as some for my colleagues on the dis along with a note that says, "Not one person has a magic wand to fix our hardest issues, but together with our community, we can combine our power and make real change happen." Now, you guys are long gone by now, but Sano, you warned us early on about ICE mobilizing quickly once Trump was elected, and now we're seeing that presence in city after city. K, you spoke about fear-driven backlash and white supremacy reacting to a changing country, and now we're watching black and brown communities be targeted and terrorized in full view of the world. Modern-day lynchings on live TV.

Shona, you've consistently raised the need for a plan to protect our babies, and now we're seeing children being used as leverage to tear families apart. To the community, I understand your frustration. We may be listening, but you don't feel heard, and that matters. what I've seen during this extreme cold to manager Henkins point with a collective response to protect our unhoused neighbors. Um it reminds me of something important. Even our hardest challenges can be addressed when we act together. I believe it's time for us commission staff and community to combine our efforts and be intentional about protecting our city and our people in the days ahead. So let this be the moment we stop reacting and start moving together with urgency, intention, and the courage to act in alignment with our values. Not just with lip service, but protections codified by ordinance changes outlining exactly how we plan on interacting with ICE once they inevitably come to town. Let's hit them with that expectto patronum for all my Harry Potter nerds.

Well said, Commissioner Wilson. Other comments, commissioners? Chris Pradle.

I uh was in the city manager uh suite uh before the meeting and uh we looked outside, saw an enormous protest on city hall steps, saw candlelight vigil happening across the street in Bronson Park on the same night that hundreds of people showed up to city hall to share their voice. I I just like had that kind of instant feeling where it's like we need to take a pause here just to remember this moment as a community about how powerful and how much energy there felt uh you know right here outside and inside city hall tonight. Uh this was probably one of those like maybe one and two nights in an entire lifetime that you see something like this happen in a community. And uh I just think that we should all take pause in that and reflect on uh the power of this community, if you will. Um and then right before that, we had uh probably one of my favorite nights of the year is our uh youth social justice awards. And the thing that I love about that is a tradition that comes back every single year is that right before all of this was about to transpire here at city hall. It gives me so much faith that our community and our world will be in great hands when you see amazing great young people uh doing incredible things right here in our community. And uh it gives me a lot of faith that uh in hope uh that we're going to be all right uh one way or another. Uh and uh so anyways, just wanted to share those thoughts.

Thank you, Commissioner Ple. Other comments. Commissioners, Commissioner Hes.

Sure. Really quickly, um, uh, to my fellow commissioners, I want you to refer to Jane Go's email to all of you that, um, uh, our Casey CAD, the the Kazoo, uh, county event center, uh, assessment district is, uh, project is moving forward. Uh, all the concerns have been addressed and the youth indoor event center project will be able to move forward um, given all of the challenges that it has had. So, that's good for the youth of our community. Um, I just have to say that it's an impressive show of solidarity um from from our community showing up and showing out showing out in the cold uh in in this protest and in the vigil um and uh I have been in touch with some of my alums from K College who live in Minneapolis and they are struggling and uh they I said how can we support you? They said it is this they need to know that they're not alone. Um, and so let us not let our neighbors be alone here in Kalamazoo either. Uh, today I heard a lot of fear. Uh, a lot of words like terrified uh, from our commenters. That hits my heart. Uh, and the only way to counterfear is with love. That is the only thing. It's nothing we can do. We can't throw money at it. We can't do anything except love better and love each other. So um that's what we need to do. And then when Chris talks about community, we talk about community meaning to have charge of together. That community is a verb. Community is an action word. So we are let us be community. Let's continue to show up for each other uh and stay together. Let us pray together. Let us live together and let us love together.

Thank you, Commissioner Hes. Vice Mayor Duncan.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh try to be quick. probably not going to win me a lot of political points for people who support me, but I want to extend my sincerest thanks to you, Mayor Anderson, for all of the hard work uh in the sleepless nights that you have um given to this city over the last week to keep our residents warm, safe, and fed. I think that um you receive a lot of criticism um but many people do not see the work compassion um and relationships that you craft behind the scenes. So, I want to be clear to the residents of Kazoo. This week was only possible due to collaboration with all of the elected officials at every level in this county. Thank you to the staff. Thank you to city management. Um huge thank you to uh staff Rebecca Kick uh who Friday before you know all the sto snow snow start falling in in the meeting with us um there was a a urgency around this city to keep people alive warm and fed this week. So no notes, no critiques, only thanks. Thank you. Thank you to every resident that left their home, volunteered at warming shelters, donated money, coats, etc. to keep the residents of this city safe, warm, and fed. Uh you are not forgotten, and I thank you and I love you for the compassion and empathy that you have shown our fellow neighbors. I think I would be remiss in in not saying tonight that I have heard the public. And I want to be clear about something. My official stance on ICE is that it is a rogue organization that is

the paramilitary of this fascist regime and it cannot be reformed. It must be abolished. I want to also say that I acknowledge that there is a public risk to ICE coming into our community and I urge us all to be poised, patient, and informed about the decisions that we make moving forward in how we protect our community. Lastly, I want to continue to lift strength and truth in this community. This is a community that loves its residents, all of them. Those who look like us and those who don't, those who speak our language and those who don't. This will continue to be that place. I ran on telling people that this will be the city that it says it is on paper. and I will ensure from this seat and as a resident of this city that we do that. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Duncan. Appreciate it. Uh, no other comments here, so I just want to wrap this up. And uh one thing I do want to make sure that we recognize here is that uh there's been a lot of planning and effort that went into pulling this hearing together. And we've talked about a whole variety of ways that we were imagining that we could do it. Wanting to make sure that people didn't have to stand in line for hours, that people were outside and couldn't hear, people felt like they couldn't participate. And I just want to say really from the bottom of my heart to staff and there are more staff that are involved in organizing this that are just here in the chambers. Thank you so much for all that effort for the coordination. In my opinion, it went very smoothly and that is the point to give everyone a full chance even though I'm sorry I tried to shorten it. Obviously, that wasn't going to go, but to give everyone a full chance to participate and for their voices to be heard. So, staff, thank you for your efforts all the way through this process. I love you, Kazoo. We're journed.

1:30 exactly.