Council Wrap-Up: Medical Marijuana Ordinance Approved, Land Sale to America Soy, Sewer Failure in Wildwood

The following is a quick summary of the June 21 meeting of Saline City Council.

Compromise Leads to Passage on the Long-Awaited Medical Marijuana Ordinance

Saline City Council came to a compromise at the table on the long-awaited medical marijuana ordinance.

Council was set to consider passing two ordinances allowing and regulating medical marijuana businesses in the city.  The ordinance allows several types of medical marijuana businesses, including processors, secure transporters, safety compliance facilities and provisioning centers. Growers are not permitted.

A buffer will keep the provisioning centers at least 1,000 feet from school - which basically means they can only operate in the commercial areas on the east and west end of town. They must also be spaced at least 250 feet away - door to door - from other medical marijuana provisioning centers. Provisioning centers and safety compliance centers would be allowed in certain zoning districts with a special land use authorization.

The proposed ordinance would have allowed processors and secured transporters as permitted uses in the I-2 district. Councillor Dean Girbach, concerned that some I-2 district facilities are in residential areas, asked council to amend the ordinance to also require special land use authorization. Councillor Jim Dell'Orco, who worked on the ordinance on the Code Review Task Force, agreed in order to move the ordinances forward.

The ordinances passed by a 7-0 vote. 

The Code Review Task Force could begin reviewing a recreational marijuana ordinance this summer. Councillor Girbach also said the city may soon want to reconsider the buffer that keeps the retail outlets outside of downtown.

Downtown Social District

Council postponed taking action on a recommendation to create a social district in Downtown Saline. The district would allow customers to buy a beer at local establishments and then walk through downtown with their beverage and visit shops.

Saline Main Street Director Holli Andrews and Police Chief Jerrod Hart spoke in favor of the proposal. Andrews said several downtown businesses are still "six figures" in arrears due to the pandemic and that a social zone could improve their business. Chief Hart told council that he polled police in towns with social districts and learned they are generally well-received and safe.

Most of the social district, dubbed Soho North, would be located on Ann Arbor Street on the north side of Michigan Avenue.

Several council members said they wanted the city's legal counsel to assess the kind of liability the city might face as a result of a  social zone.

Sewer Collapse on Rosebud Lane

Council approved the expenditure of $179,271 to pay  D'Angelo Brothers to repair a failed storm sewer on Rosebud Lane in the Wildwood Subdivision. DPW Director Larry Sirls told council a small sinkhole was found at a driveway approach on the 300 block of Rosebud Lane. Inspection showed the 36-inch storm drain had collapsed. It was the third pipe failure since 2005. Then, a week later, a second probable collapse in the storm system occurred less than a block away. Sirls, fearing risk to personal a public property, requested contractor quotes for emergency repair.

Once the city has remediated the risk of surface collapse and cleared the blockage, DPW staff will consider who to rehab or replace the sewer. Sirls told council that the pipe used for the sewer was substandard. Council members expressed concern there may be more substandard pipes in the subdivision, which could mean more sewer failures.

Land Sale to American Soy

Saline City Council approved the sale of a .674-acre parcel of land to American Soy.

The company offered $10,000 for the property. The city countered with $15,000. The counter was accepted. Realtor Tony Caprarese estimated the land was worth $17,000. The company believes the adjacent parcel, located on Industrial Drive near the railroad tracks, would allow for easier drainage should the company choose to expand its building.

Council to Voice Concern Over Lodi Wastewater Treatment Plant

Saline City Council has joined the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners in voicing opposition to a developer's plans to build a wastewater treatment plant to serve a condo development in Lodi Township. The proposed 434-unit development, Arbor Preserve South and Arbor Preserve North, is located near Wagner and Waters roads.

Mayor Brian Marl said Lodi Township Supervisor Jan Godek contacted him for help regarding the developer's plans.

The state is taking public comment on the developer's application for a permit.

New Website

The City of Saline should have a new website this fall. Council approved spending $26,130 for a website agreement with Revize Software.  The city's existing website was built by DesignHub in 2009. The new company also provides hosting, private and public cloud, citizen engagement tools, security and other features.

After the initial fee, the city will pay about $4,000 a year for the website for the next four years. In addition, the city's URL will change from CityofSaline.org to CityofSaline.gov.

Second Opinion on the Wastewater Treatment Plant Siting Study

Council paid $14,500 to have OHM Advisors review the wastewater treatment plant first conducted by Tetra Tech. OHM Advisors reported their findings Monday - and not much changed.

The build/rehab/expand in-place alternative is still likely the most affordable and feasible option, although OHM did show numbers that suggested that connecting to the Ypsilanti Community Utility Authority might be cheaper than originally believed.

The build-in place option is also favored by council because it allows growth in phases, as needed.

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