MARSHALL, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Barring an appeal, a recent judgment from the 37th Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA) and the City of Marshall in a lawsuit affecting the Ford BlueOval Battery Park Development.
The plaintiff, the Committee for Marshall- Not the Megasite, initiated a lawsuit against the City of Marshall after gathering more than 800 signatures for a petition against the city’s decision to rezone land for use other than agricultural, and allocate funds to be used towards the Ford BlueOval Battery Park Plant.
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On Wednesday, Judge William Marietti dismissed more challenges from the plaintiff including an amended complaint after dismissing other challenges in a September ruling. In the latest ruling, he ruled that there was sufficient notice made to the public regarding the meeting which ultimately provided the land transfer and funding towards the Ford BlueOval project.
“The fact that the public was provided with notice in advance of the introduction of the proposal does not materially impact the purpose of the notice requirement,” his opinion said. “The public was, in fact, notified of the hearing and a summary of the ordinance content.”
Jim Durian, CEO of MAEDA , the single intervenor allowed to join the City of Marshall, hailed the ruling as a “major win for local jobs, local small businesses and the entire Marshall community.”
“With this lawsuit now dismissed and behind us, we look forward to keeping this important project moving forward as planned, because it will help Marshall recover from years of job and population losses, pump millions of dollars into our local economy and create opportunities for young people so they don’t have to leave the area to find jobs,” Durian said in a statement. “We are thankful for the broad, continued support of this project from our elected officials, the small business community and local residents. The future is bright for Marshall and our region, and this ruling allows our entire community to come together and focus on the enormous opportunities ahead.”
But the fight is not yet over, according to the Committee for Marshall-Not the Megasite, who said that it would “appeal at the proper time and is in consultation with its legal team.”
“The Committee for Marshall-Not the Megasite wholeheartedly disagrees with the Court’s ruling against the Committee which granted summary disposition to Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA) and the City of Marshall on the Committee’s amended petition.”
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The committee has 21 days from the filing date of the final judgment to file a notice of appeal with the State of Michigan’s Court of Appeals.
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