Rezoning efforts stopped by Township majority

Yanca cites residential anger as reason for large turnout, referendum success

February 27, 2006 —

by Brandon Kish

Dave Sanchez, a resident of Kochville Township, verifies voters as they sign in. Sanchez was one of several residents that registered to challenge voters on Tuesday's election.

March 1, 2006 — Kochville Township voters overwhelmingly rejected the Feb. 28 referendum to rezone 13.98 acres on the southwest corner of Pierce and Davis from single-family residential to mixed-use development.

Over 74 percent, or 580, of the 781 valid ballots cast opposed the rezoning, while only slightly more than 25 percent, or 201, supported it. The defeat marked a blow for Campus Village Communities and investor John Leuenberger, who had hoped to build the $20 million expansion of the Cardinal Townhomes as well as 10 small businesses.

Kochville First member Stephen J. Yanca wasn't surprised by the outcome, although he conceded he did not expect the high turnout, which fell fewer than 100 votes short of the 2002 gubernatorial election.

"If someone said you were going to get close to 800 votes, they would have asked if you were nuts," said Yanca, professor of social work at SVSU.

Yanca said he believed the high turnout was fueled by resident anger over commercial expansion into residential areas, noting a 2000 residential survey that showed 77 percent of residents wanted to limit commercial expansion to the Bay and Tittabawassee corridor.

"This just doesn't belong this far off of Bay Road," Yanca said. "If the Board and developers had listened to (the survey), we wouldn't have gone through this."

Leuenberger had no comment, only expressing gratitude to those that voted in favor of the project.

Township Supervisor Ken Bayne could not be reached for comment as of press time.