Mohamed Bughrara
On Friday, the Michigan Supreme Court released its ruling, issuing a 5-2 decision, with Justice Elizabeth Welch penning the opinion. Justices Richard Bernstein, Elizabeth Clement, Megan Cavanagh, and Chief Justice Bridget McCormackwere. Justices David Viviano and Brian Zahra have abstained.
The Saugatuck Township Zoning Board made the decision, concluding that the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance lacked the necessary legal standing to challenge the Township’s authorization of development permits on an area of sand dunes. The mouth of the Kalamazoo River is protected.
The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled in the group’s direction, allowing them to present their argument in circuit court as an objection to a development plan.
The Kalamazoo River mouth’s historical, cultural, and biological assets are the focus of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, an organization founded in 2007.
The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance’s ability to appeal a municipal zoning decision is made clear, and lower court judgments are overturned.
A significant victory for good governance, according to the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, has been achieved.
This opens the door for citizens to demand that private developers respect zoning regulations. Visitors are asked to indicate on the developer’s contact page whether they are willing to invest around $1 million in real estate.
