• The planned Urban Services Boundary for the Township.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Township Board approved the development of the Urban Services Boundary with a vote of 4-3 at the board meeting Tuesday, June 6.

The Urban Services Boundary specifies what land the township will provide public utilities such as water and sewer services. Its purpose is to promote new developments within certain areas of township.

The discussion of where the boundary's line fell has been debated among the Township Board and the Planning Commission since this past April. Both boards have approved all of the areas, except for Area #3.

Area #3 consists of the open land located on the corner of the Haslett Road and Meridian Road.

The members who supported the Area #3 were concerned with how the area could be used to build new residential housing in order to benefit Haslett Public Schools. Haslett Public Schools Superintendent Steven Cook sent a letter to the board last month that expressed his support for the development of housing for Area #3. Cook explained in his letter that about 15 percent of their current students are school of choice. With the potential to build residential housing in Area #3, Cook believes it could bring more Haslett residents into the schools.

The board members who opposed Area #3’s placement, such as Township Clerk Brett Dreyfus, voiced their concern how building more residential housing could create more traffic within the community and not benefit the Haslett Public Schools the way it is expected to.

"It does not prevent sprawl, it increases density of sprawl," Dreyfus said.

The motion was put to a vote and was ultimately approved with a favor of 4-3.