MARSHALL, MI (WNWN/WTVB) – As they promised last week, opponents of the proposed Ford Motor Company electric vehicle battery plant at the Marshall Megasite have filed a lawsuit against the City of Marshall.
The group known as the “Committee to Save Marshall not the Megasite” said they collected over 800 petition signatures in an effort to have a city-wide vote on the rezoning request connected to the plant.
But Marshall City Clerk Michelle Eubank felt the petitions only had 136 valid signatures, far short of the 580 that were needed or ten percent of the registered voters in the city.
In a statement posted on the web site www.choosemarshall.com, the petition also failed as the targeted ordinance was not subject to a referendum because it included an appropriation of money.
Opponents feel the city violated its charter by adding an appropriation to the rezoning and that the city was inappropriate in their actions to rezone the site.
The group said on their Facebook page last week, “Seeking the referendum would provide City of Marshall voters a say regarding the future of the community. Voting is something that citizens have requested on multiple occasions after being made aware only months ago that the massive Megasite was already in the works and had been planned for over two years.”
Despite the group’s opposition, work on the property has started. Choose Marshall CEO Jim Durian said in a statement last week on www.choosemarshall.com, “The BlueOval Battery Park Michigan project enjoys widespread public support.”
Backers of the BlueOval Battery Park say it will create 2,500 jobs when the $3.5 billion facility opens in 2026. Numerous local government and economic leaders have voiced their support for the project.
In a related matter, the Detroit News reports that a State House panel voted 18-11 on Tuesday to give another $120 million towards the battery plant project. Michigan Capitol Confidential’s web site reports 35th District Republican State Representative Andrew Fink serves on that committee and cast one of the no votes.
The allocation would be used to help prepare the site for the planned $3-and-a-half billion development. It moves on now to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
