HOUGHTON - The Houghton County Board of Commissioners heard an update on the efforts to create a plan for the 15,600-acre Pilgrim River watershed.
The project received a $51,000 Coastal Zone Management grant, which requires a 100 percent local match.
"The final project will be a comprehensive plan. ... It will also include recommendations for things that can be improved, and will include, where necessary, preliminary engineering designs," said Gina Nicholas of the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District.
A similar $100,000 plan for the Eagle River watershed led to $1.8 million in funding, said Evan McDonald, executive director of the Keweenaw Land Trust.
McDonald said the KLT and Michigan Technological University students are working on community outreach, including the creation of a Pilgrim River Watershed Advisory Council.
"It's a professional experience for them, helping in a real-world situation," McDonald said.
McDonald said the group will include as broad a selection of stakeholders as possible, including environmental, commercial and governmental groups.
He anticipates four meetings starting in January lasting one to two hours each.
The plan is unconnected with efforts by landowners to create a conservation easement on land along Pilgrim River, McDonald said, although as stakeholders, they would be welcome to participate in developing the plan.
In other action, the board:
approved a $400,000 brownfield redevelopment loan and plan for the Louie's Super Foods to be located on U.S. 41 in Osceola Township.
The complex will include a 35,000- to 40,000-square-foot supermarket. Because of contamination on the site, old buildings will have to be torn down and groundwater will have to be managed, said environmental consultant Jeff Hawkins.
At least 50 jobs would be created or retained in the expansion, Hawkins said. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has given preliminary approval to a grant-loan package.
approved the creation of a separate Houghton County Recreation Committee, consisting of Anton Pintar, Guy St. Germain and Susan Burack.
appointed Jonathan Leinonen, Evan McDonald and Dana Richter to the Houghton County Planning Commission.
approved payment for Houghton County Transfer Station construction. Dick Supina of Traverse Engineering said work is 83 percent complete.
heard from Schoolcraft Township resident Samuel Buschell about errors made on the 2009 Schoolcraft Township residential sales study, saying they have been compounded in subsequent years.
"If you don't have an attorney look at this, I'm going to be back here every meeting," he said.
County Controller Eric Forsberg said only nine parcels were affected by the change, which was not carried over into subsequent years. The dollar value of the impact was minimal, Forsberg said.
