MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Township Board presented their goals for 2017 at their January 17th meeting.

Ten goals were listed in the 2017 action plan.

These goals included things such as creating a welcoming and diverse environment, finding ways to reduce operating costs, creating guidelines for medical marijuana licensing, and finding a way to redevelop areas such as Downtown Okemos and Downtown Haslett.

The Board also approved an amendment to make one goal say "implement a results-oriented strategy to redevelop and improve walkability in Downtown Okemos, Downtown Haslett, Carrige Hills Commercial Area, and the Grand River Corridor".

Township Board Trustee Dan Opsommer said, "I would support this in so much as I think it signals that the board values walkability and that it favors the plan that we're taking, the approach that we're taking in the master plan".

Brett Dreyfus, Meridian Township's Clerk wants to look more closely at the the Mixed Use Plan Unit Development Ordinance.

"That ordinance is what drives a lot of the development in our township, particularly with large scale student apartment complexes which residents have shown on surveys repeatedly well over almost ninety percent of our community is opposed to the expansion of large scale apartment complexes", Dreyfus said.

The redevelopment of areas like downtown Haslett, downtown Okemos and the Grand River Corridor is also a priority for the board.

"We're really trying to reincentivize redevelopment in those areas because they are aging and they do need some life", said Julie Brixie, Meridian Township Treasurer.