Acme Township is ready to move forward on resolving two issues vexing communities across northern Michigan: short-term vacation rentals and medical marijuana facilities. Township trustees could pass new ordinances legalizing both industries in Acme at their Tuesday meeting at 7pm at Acme Township Hall. The board will also consider approving a sewer project that could double the township’s capacity – clearing the way for property surrounding Meijer to be placed into federal trust – and approving plans for a new Greek Orthodox church to be built overlooking East Grand Traverse Bay.

Ordinances
After months of review and public input gathering, township trustees could pass new ordinances Tuesday allowing for and regulating short-term vacation rentals and medical marijuana facilities.

The short-term rental ordinance would lift an existing ban on vacation rentals in Acme Township to allow up to 50 vacation homes and 50 tourist homes to receive permits and operate in the township each year. Vacation homes are defined as homes where the entire residence is rented out without the owner living on-site, while tourist homes are defined as residences where a room or portion of the house is rented out with the owner still living on-site. Under the new rules, vacation homes would only be allowed in single-family homes in agricultural and commercial zoning districts, or in residential districts if the property is five acres or larger. Tourist homes would be allowed in every zoning district.

Acme Township Supervisor Jay Zollinger says the new ordinance attempts to address concerns raised by residents about short-term rentals by establishing rules for pets, parking, noise, trash and more at those properties. The ordinance sets penalties – including fines and revocation of permits – for violators of the rules. “We’ve spent a long time working on it,” Zollinger says. “It’s not an ordinance you can pass quickly, because you want to understand what it’s going to do to your community. It could be good, or it could be bad. This allows us to control (short-term rentals) and grow them in a controlled way.”

If approved by the board, the ordinance could allow homeowners to begin applying for permits this fall for 2018. If there are more than 50 applicants for either license, a lottery system will be used to award permits. Township trustees plan to set a permit fee for each license; Zollinger says staff have proposed a rate in the range of $125, but the final figure could be higher or lower.

Township trustees will also consider approving new medical marijuana ordinances that will allow for growing, processing, testing, transporting and selling medical marijuana in Acme. The ordinances mirror state legislation signed into law in 2016 that created a new licensing system for those five categories in Michigan. Under that legislation, communities must proactively “opt in” to allow such facilities in their own communities by adopting ordinances regulating them. Acme’s proposed ordinance allows all five categories of licenses in an unlimited number in its B-4 Material Processing and Warehousing district, five grower and five processor licenses in its A-1 Agricultural district, and one provisioning (retail sales) license in its C Corridor Commercial district.

Acme would join Kalkaska in being among the first northern Michigan communities to adopt such an ordinance, though other jurisdictions – ranging from Kingsley to Traverse City to Solon Township – are actively studying the issue. “People see this as an opportunity,” says Zollinger. “I get calls from everybody who wants to go into this business. I think there’s a lot of interest (in obtaining licenses), no doubt about it.”

Sewer Project
A $1 million-plus sewer project could double Acme Township’s capacity, expanding growth opportunity in the township and allowing the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to move forward with putting property around Meijer into federal trust and developing the site.

Trustees will consider approving a contract with Sterling Excavation for just over $1 million to redirect an Acme pump station from an East Bay site and make force main improvements to the system, increasing the downstream capacity of the sewage system. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has stated Acme violated state law by building a sanitary sewer system under the Meijer property without obtaining a Part 41 permit, prompting the DEQ to cite the township for not having enough downstream capacity. As a result of the violation, the state asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs this summer to hold off approving a request from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to put the property into federal trust until the township’s sewage issues could be resolved.

Zollinger says the pending sewer upgrade project will resolve the DEQ issues and provide enough capacity “to last us for 10 years or more of growth” in the township. The move should also clear the way for the Band to obtain trust status for the property around Meijer and move forward with developing its planned Village at Grand Traverse on the site.

Greek Orthodox Church
Finally, trustees will consider approving a special land use permit for Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church to build a 12,385 square-foot facility at 7111 US-31 North just north of Dock Road overlooking East Grand Traverse Bay.

The Greek Orthodox church could start construction as soon as next month and be completed by 2018. The building will include banquet facilities and a small commercial kitchen and can host up to 670 people. According to Cornwell Architects, “the building architecture is intended to reflect the Greek Orthodox faith with a metal-clad domed roof over the worship space.” Zollinger says township officials have approved zoning exceptions for the property pertaining to parking and landscaping that will help preserve public views of East Grand Traverse Bay from the roadway.