MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - A special use permit request was in front of the Meridian Township Planning Commission in order to excavate a pond that is located in the 100 year floodplain on the south side of Piper Road in Haslett.

At the July 25th meeting, Mid-Michigan Ponds represented the owner of the pond, Lyle Stephens. According to Stephens, from a health stand point, excavating this pond would do some good.

The plan is to take out the root bed of phragmites that have established a population along the banks of the pond. Phragmites is a large perennial grass usually found in wetlands.

They also want to re-slope the banks at a 3:1 in order to make it safer and help prevent any nuisance vegetation.

Finally they are looking to dig out sediment from the middle of the pond, however are unaware of how much organic material exists there. They estimate around four feet of it.

As for the spoils that would come from this excavation, none of them will be deposited in the floodplain. However, the chief engineer asked that the spoils be deposited at an elevation that is above the floodplain.

The goal of this excavation is to clean up the pond and deepen it in order to create a more self-sustaining environment.

"There won't be any detrimental effects to the floodplain or it's function," said Stephanie Jubb, a representative from Mid-Michigan Ponds.

Judy Linn, a resident who lives near the pond, is in complete support of the excavation and believes it is time to clean it up.

Some concerns over the access children would have to this pond area and the dangers involved were also brought up and discussed.

The Planning Commission will be following up with this special use permit request at their next meeting.