MARSHALL, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The City of Marshall has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday, which will address a recent petition against the rezoning of land for Ford’s Blue Oval EV Battery Park.
Despite the City Council voting unanimously to rezone the land after hearing public comments in early May, hundreds of residents from the city signed a petition voicing concerns and opposition to the project.
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Glenn Kowalske, member of the group leading the opposition to the project, “Committee to Save Marshall not the Megasite” expressed after the submission of the petition that this will give another opportunity for the board to listen to the people’s voice.
“This is our third chance to try and get the city residents a voice to decide whether they want 3000 acres of industrial complex – larger than Mackinac Island, 77% the size of the city itself – or not,” Glenn Kowalske said.
The petition, which was required to meet a 577 person signature minimum, exceeded the number reaching at least 810 signatures according to Kowalske, who helped gather the signatures after the City Council vote.
Another advocate against the project and Barry County Resident, George Hubka, explained that the meeting should be short as there are only a few options available to the city council.
“They have only got two choices, by then the clerk should have the number certified of valid signatures which means they have to either rescind that or it’ll go to a vote or they can vote to go to court and fight it,” Hubka said.
“If they don’t go to court to try to stop it, the clerk has got to set an election date,” he added.
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He also expressed his wishes for the city council to rescind their previous vote at the upcoming meeting, but that the chances aren’t high.
“I know that they won’t rescind it,” Hubka said, “They’re probably going to decide to fight it, and spend the taxpayers money going to court to try and say we can’t have an election.”
Proponents for the project assert that it will create more than 2,000 jobs across many areas including assemblers, fabricators, electricians, engineers, among others. Michigan officials also estimate that the plant could generate more than $29.7 billion in personal income during the next two decades.
The special meeting will be hosted in the Marshall Regional Law Enforcement Center at 7 pm according to Mayor Jim Schwartz.
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