Owners of a piece of property in Hartland Township say a change in zoning for the parcel will be “advantageous”.

The Turnin 2 Softball Complex was set to be developed on property at the southwest corner of Clyde Road and US-23 until the project fell through last year. As it was in the middle of construction when plans halted, building materials were left behind and some neighbors feel those materials are an eyesore.

Hartland Township Manager James Wickman says there is someone interested in purchasing the property and intends to construct a building similar to the one originally designed for the softball complex. Bearing that in mind, the township is allowing the property’s current owners to keep the materials on the site pending a purchase agreement so the potential buyer could use the materials.

Wickman says the owners have one month to come up with a plan to relocate the materials to another part of the site where they won’t be as visible to the public.

On Tuesday, the township’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rezone 75 acres of the site from Conservation Agricultural to Light Industrial. Property owners had sought the zoning change because they felt it would make the parcel more marketable to potential buyers. The aforementioned interested party plans to meet with township staff next week to review his vision for the site, according to Wickman. Following the meeting, Wickman says the next step would be for the buyer to submit a site plan for preliminary approval.

In addition to helping sell the property, township officials say the new zoning is in line with the municipality’s long-term master plan. (DK)