Sylvan and Lima townships are inviting the community to an open house meeting to talk about and provide input on the proposed Joint Municipal Area (JMA) that both townships are planning together.
This comes from the 425 Agreement between the townships. The JMA is an “agreement between Sylvan and Lima townships as an Economic Development Area which consists of land served by existing or planned improvements suitable for a mix of uses including industrial, commercial, and housing.”
The Joint Municipal Area Planning Commission (JMAPC,) formed by both townships, is inviting residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to attend the upcoming Master Plan Open House on June 24, to review and provide input on the proposed Joint Municipal Area (JMA) created by Sylvan and Lima Townships.
About the open house, Sylvan Township Supervisor Amanda Nimke told the Sun Times News, “We want residents to share what they would like to see in the area. We are in the interim stages of our Joint Master Plan process and value resident input as we consider appropriate zoning designations and corresponding uses for the area.”
Giving some background about this, Nimke said Sylvan Township updated its Master Plan in April 2025, to include, “The area south of I-94 has access to a major interchange and is located east of the Chelsea proving grounds, and south of the City of Chelsea. It may be appropriate for the commercial area south of I-94 to be developed utilizing the Planning Unit Development regulations to allow a mix of uses including residential and light industrial uses as part of the larger overall development of the sites. As in all areas of the township, land development within this area shall be designed to consider the locations of the regulated wetlands.”
Lima Township Clerk Ann Kwaske said the agreement covers eight parcels, making up approximately 200 acres south of I-94, between M-52 to Freer Road.
Nimke said, “Now that we have entered into a 425 Agreement with Lima Township for the Economic Development Area we will utilize the input from residents from both townships on the Joint Planning Commission to determine what will be considered for the entire area.”
Master Plan Process
As far as the potential plans, Scott Pacheco, Planner for the JMAPC, said, “No specific development proposal currently exists for the site. Potential future uses could include industrial, commercial, residential, or environmental protection areas as allowed under the agreement. One of the primary goals of the Master Planning process is to determine what mix of uses, if any, is most appropriate for the area based on community input, infrastructure capacity, environmental considerations, and economic development opportunities.”
At the open house there will be the opportunities to:
• Discuss possible concepts and future land use strategies for the area
• Learn the history of the JMA and the municipal process necessary to plan for future use of this area
• Ask questions and share feedback directly with the planning commissioners and planning staff
Kwaske said residents can share their preferences on how they would like to see the area developed. This information gathering process will help the JMAPC as they create the Master Plan for the site.
The Master Plan Open House is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, at Sylvan Township Hall, 18027 Old US 12.
114 North Main St Suite 10 Chelsea, MI 48118
