Will nearly 40 acres be annexed from Lockport Township into Three Rivers? Michigan’s State Boundary Commission (SBC) still needs to decide yes or no.

More than 50 people attended Thursday’s hearing on the proposal, held at the Riviera Theatre in Three Rivers. SBC Chair Robin Beltramini said it would be the only hearing and that no other comments would be accepted once it closed.

The land, owned by Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry, is located on Buckhorn Road northeast of the sports complex in Armstrong Park. Lowry described it as roughly 38 acres, most of which had been used for farming and had been in his wife’s family for six decades. As many as 95 single family separate site residences would be built on the land.

“I would like to do more good for my community,” Lowry said. “I would like to be able to develop that land into affordable housing, and I would like to use the proceeds of that effort. I would donate that to the Three Rivers Promise.”

Once annexed, the land can have access to Three Rivers’ sanitary and storm sewers, Lowry said. Lockport Township did have a study about getting a sanitary sewer, but Lowry said it wouldn’t be expected for another 10 years.

“And I can’t wait that long. I don’t want to wait that long, because I don’t know if I have that long to live,” Lowry, 68, said.

Chris Patterson, Lockport Township’s lawyer, reiterated the township’s position that ultimately, Lowry’s project can be developed within the township.

“The township is supportive of that, and that there’s really no comparable distinction of services between the township and the city as it relates to the specific development that he proposes,” Patterson said.

Lockport Township has taken steps, particularly in its zoning ordinance, to ensure that something like the proposed project can work in the township itself, Patterson said. These include the township being in the process of planning and constructing a wastewater facility. Patterson’s comments also included questioning how an annexation would affect zoning.

“Cutting this parcel out and putting it under city jurisdiction (would mean) there would be no sort of consistent zoning regulation in this area through the current township,” Patterson said. “The township currently has master planned and zoned the entire area. We’re gonna be cutting out an entire section of the middle. That’s particularly not even conducive to how good zoning works within a community.”

Before Patterson spoke, Lowry’s lawyer Vincent Duckworth said residents in the developed property would be able to use “a system that’s working” with Three Rivers’ sanitary and storm sewers.

Later in the meeting, St. Joseph County Housing Coordinator Clayton Lyczynski II said getting more housing as quickly as possible will be a great benefit to the Three Rivers area.

“I do believe that a franchise agreement would be the most efficient way to get this project complete when it comes to building housing. As an individual, I would support the property owner’s desire to legally pursue the development,” Lyczynski said.

Some citizens attending Thursday’s hearing said the Riviera Theatre was not an appropriate meeting location. They mentioned aspects including lighting and accessibility for the disabled. It was questioned why the hearing did not take place at either the Three Rivers Public Library, A Place in Time, or the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging’s Rivers Enrichment Center.

“We come where the people find a venue. We don’t have any control over that,” Beltramini said. “We come where people tell us to come. The townships and the city are both offered an opportunity to give us a place. They need to keep that in mind with their people. That’s all. We didn’t pick this venue. We just go with what they say they have.”

Frank Stanko is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.