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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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AGE
4
June 28, 2012
B
ELLEVILLE
- R
OMULUS
- W
ESTLAND
Planning commission discusses new gas plant
Plans for a gas cogeneration
plant in Van Buren Township were
discussed at a meeting of the
Township Planning Commission
recently, but forward movement on
the effort has apparently been
stalled.
The plant, which would convert
landfill-generated methane gas
from Canton Township and Van
Buren sites to energy, would be
located on the former Visteon prop-
erty in Van Buren. Plans for the
facility have been under discussion
for more than a year, but have not
made it out of the township plan-
ning commission hearing stages.
The new plant would utilize
methane gasses collected from the
entire Woodland Meadows landfill
site. Ameresco has owned a plant
on the Canton landfill site since
1989 and supplies energy to the
FordMotor Co. plant inWayne. The
new proposed facility would collect
gasses from both the Canton and
Van Buren landfills. Unsold gas
would be disposed of by flaring, or
burn off at the site.
A group of homeowners has
hired attorney Ralph M. Engle to
fight the proposed plant. Engle sent
officials a letter in May informing
them that a civil complaint would
be filed in Wayne Country Circuit
Court should the township approve
the co-generationplant.
The letter claimed that the use
of the site for such a plant violates
the zoning ordinance for Van Buren
Township and included, as evi-
dence of the homeowners' claim,
memos from former Planning and
Economic Development Director
Dan Swallow, Sally Hodges of
McKenna Associates, a planning
consulting firm, and the township
attorney.
Members of the planning com-
mission discussed the permit at
length and were concerned with
the height of awall to hide the plant
from motorists on I-275 and a dis-
crepancy with the soil erosion per-
mit from Wayne County
Department of Environment.
Commissioners also discussed the
silencer to be installed on the roof
of the plant and sound measure-
ment compliance. The threatened
lawsuit was not publicly discussed
at themeeting.
Terry Carroll, the director of
Planning
and
Economic
Development in Van Buren
Township suggested a resubmittal
of all documents, permits and plans
for the plant before further consid-
eration by the commission since
there is an apparent discrepancy in
the expiration of permits andplans.
The plan, called the Hoosier
Facility, is expected to come before
the planning commission at a
futuremeeting.
The City of Romulus is losing a
favorite son.
Steve Adams, senior pastor of
the Romulus Wesleyan Church, is
leaving the city behind for a posi-
tion in Port Huron, in part to be
closer tohis family.
“I love the city,” he told mem-
bers of the Romulus City Council
onMonday night. “I'm going tomiss
it.”
Adams was known as much for
his charitable works as for being
the long-time head of the small
white church on Goddard Road.
But, as Adams always said: 'There's
power in small.'
“It doesn't take 'big' to do big
things,” he said.
During hismore than 14 years at
Romulus Wesleyan, he and his
church supported several local
causes as well as missionary trips
both in the U.S. and beyond. The
church sent items donated for
relief to victims of Hurricane
Katrina, and Adams has helped
bring clean, drinkable water to
people in thirdworld countries.
The city council and audience
gave him a standing ovation as he
saidhis farewellsMonday night.
“Romulus is a better place
because of you,” Treasurer Stacy
Paige told him. She said he was a
beautiful person.
Councilwoman Eva Webb
thanked him for all he had done in
Romulus, theU.S. and abroad.
“You are doing what we all
should be doing, and that is being a
great missionary,” she said. “I
applaud you.”
“It is Romulus' loss, but Port
Huron's gain,” added Councilman
John Barden. “I hope you help
themlike youhelpedus.”
Mayor Alan Lambert said he
had a chance to work with Adams
on a number of issues, and appreci-
ated the heart and dedication he
had for thework.
“Thank you for everything
you've done; it's meant so much,”
saidLambert.
Adams said that he hasn't done
anything onhis own.
“It takes a city and a church to
accomplish everything we've
done,” he said.
Pastor Bob Harper has been
named senior pastor at the church.
Harper said he was glad to have
worked with Adams for so long,
andhewas inspiredby him.
“We've been fortunate to have
him,”Harper said.
It is Romulus' loss,
but Port Huron's gain.
I hope you help
them like you
helped us.
”
Fond farewell
Popular senior pastor leaving Romulus church
Road repairs to begin
Road crews will begin con-
struction on Warren Road, adja-
cent to the Westland Shopping
Center, beginning July 16. The
construction, slated to be com-
plete the first week of October,
will be on Warren Road from
Newburgh Road to Wayne
Road.
An
Intergovernmental
Agreement between Wayne
County and the City of Westland
was approved by the Westland
City Council earlier this year,
allowing for funding of the proj-
ect. More than $655,000 of the
nearly $810,000 estimated cost
will be federally funded and
will be locally matched by more
than $150,000 with a final cost to
Westland of just over $72,000,
according to Mayor William R.
Wild.
The Warren Road project
involves concrete pavement
repairs fromNewburgh Road to
Hambleton Street and full
width milling and asphalt
replacement from Hambleton
Street toWayneRoad. Curb, gut-
ter and sidewalk improvements,
greenbelt restoration and new
pavement markings will also be
included as part of the project,
he said.
The project will be construct-
ed in phases as first the outside
lines will be closed to traffic and
when the necessary repairs are
complete traffic will be shifted
to the outside lanes for repairs
on the inside lanes. One lane of
traffic in each direction will be
maintained at all times, Wild
said.
“This is a long overdue proj-
ect that will greatly improve
access to and from theWestland
Shopping and Dining District,”
Wild said. “This is a busy stretch
of roadway and there will be
delays but the long term relief
and beautification will be well
worth it.”