Construction on Phase II of The Lodges of East Lansing was delayed indefinitely when the Meridian Township Board of Directors voted to deny a special use permit for Capstone Development to construct a group of buildings more than 25,000 square feet at its June 19 meeting.
Earlier, the board reversed a pair of decisions, voting to approve a mixed use permit and a wetland permit, but the final special use permit stalled with a 4-3 vote against approval.
Board trustee John Veenstra — who initially had requested the board reverse its earlier decisions on the wetland and mixed use permits — said a trustee from the prevailing vote could ask to rescind the vote on the special use permit to be put on the agenda for its July 5 meeting.
“It is like building a bridge two-thirds across the river,” he said about the board reversing two decisions only to deny the special use permit. “It doesn’t accomplish much.”
The proposed addition would add more living spaces for the apartment complex and would continue a three-phase plan for The Lodges.
Trustees Lynn Ochberg, Brett Dreyfus, Elizabeth LeGoff and supervisor Susan McGillicuddy voted against the special use permit, with LeGoff being the swing vote. Veenstra said the other three board members were unlikely to vote in favor of Capstone in the first place, and Capstone may now be hoping LeGoff changes her mind once again.
“Hopefully someone will have a change of heart and we can get the bridge all the way across the river this time,” he added.
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