MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Planning Commission met on June 13th. One of the items discussed was a Special Use Permit to build a sun porch in an area located in a floodplain near Okemos Road.

The sun porch that the special use permit applicant wishes to build, would be built on a deck that already exists.

That deck that the sun porch would sit replaced a deck that was built in the 1960's that had been built before the township participated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood Insurance program.

A permit to build the sun porch was already approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The Planning Commission decided to suspend the rules and vote on this permit during Monday night's meeting.

Planning commissioner Christine Tenaglia said, "My thoughts on this is that they replace an existing structure that's not harming anything I don't see any reason why we can't grant this today and they can move forward with this."

The Commission unanimously approved the Special Use Permit.

The Commission also voted to approve the rezoning of a residential address along Hamilton Road for PK Housing and Management, to a Professional and Office space.

Commissioners Tenaglia said she supported the rezoning because "it is consistent with surrounding properties and I think it would enhance the property that is there."