Copyright M Live Michigan
DEXTER, MI — The city of Dexter is one step closer to growing by 45 acres from nearby Scio Township land to get a new municipal water supply well. Dexter City Council voted 5-1 Monday, Nov. 10, to support a real estate investment firm’s request for the 45 acres to be annexed into the city from Scio Township for single-family homes. Their vote doesn’t finalize the annexation. It paves the way for the city and landowner Baker Road Land Holdings, LLC - led by principal investor David Lutton - first to negotiate a binding development agreement that would set some parameters. The investment firm plans to ready the site for development and sell it to a new owner. If the city council approves that, the firm would then apply for the annexation to the Michigan State Boundary Commission, which would have the final say. The land, part of what is known as the Sloan Kingsley property, is off Baker Road south of the Dexter Crossing neighborhood in Scio Township. Baker Road Land Holdings started off with about 237 acres and a three-part plan. They sold nearly 90 acres to Many Hands Lifesharing Community, a nonprofit building housing and community spaces for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. The remaining land, the firm previously proposed, could potentially be purchased by the township to conserve the mature woodlands and connect it by trail to an existing preserve. When Lutton and his investment partners approached the city in May 2023 with the annexation request for the 45 acres, city officials let them know that accessing groundwater on the site for a new municipal well needed to be part of the deal. While the township does not have municipal water or sewer infrastructure near the site, the city does. Since then, consultants for the city and for the firm set out to explore the feasibility of installing a municipal well on the land. A well was dug and testing has shown there is likely sufficient groundwater there to support it. A subcommittee was also formed to explore annexation. State environmental officials with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy made a preliminary finding that the aquifer under the site could support pumping 800 gallons per minute. Iron and arsenic would need to be filtered and removed, which is common. EGLE officials also indicated it would not impact nearby private wells. “Everybody agrees that there is water there that could be used as a benefit for the city if we should choose to do that going forward,” Dexter Mayor Shawn Keough said during Monday’s meeting. “I think this is a huge opportunity for our community to invest in ourselves and invest in that water supply,” Keough said. He said the well would be beneficial to have even if it is not used to full capacity in that it would provide redundancy and “solidify the strength of our water system.” Exactly how many homes would be developed there has been a topic of discussion. Lutton said at Monday’s meeting they would be satisfied at 119 units, which would keep about 60-65% of the land open space. The goal would be “moderately priced” homes, he said. It is unknown if Scio Township officials will give the annexation their blessing. If they do, it could speed up the approval process through the State Boundary Commission. “It’s not in Scio’s interest,” Scio Township Clerk Jessica Flintoft said. “It’s like someone (says one) day, do you want me to take this property of yours?” Flintoft said the entire Sloan Kingsley property has been “a high priority” for open space preservation. “We want to preserve as much of it as we possibly can. When you ask a jurisdiction, is there a benefit to having your land taken away? The starting point is no,” Flintoft said. The township recently hired their own consultant to look at potential environmental impacts on the township’s aquifer. An option would be for Dexter and Scio Township to enter into a Public Act 425 agreement — a cooperative land transfer with conditions established between the two municipalities. However, if Scio Township decides to recommend to the state that the land not be annexed, the state could still approve the annexation. In 2023, the township passed a resolution declaring that the annexation request “does not promote or meet township goals of open space preservation or pathways.” Scio Township’s board also declined to engage in further discussion of the proposed annexation until Dexter sends them a formal request, according to the 2023 resolution. Dexter officials’ support of the annexation comes with a number of proposed conditions. Baker Road Land Holdings would design and install the water supply well and donate to the city any land needed to connect the well to the city’s water supply system. The firm would also contribute no less than $1 million to go toward the cost of constructing water supply facilities. City councilmember Joseph Semifero added several additional conditions to the city’s resolution. The number of homes would be capped, and the property owners would not be able to expand the housing to more land. Construction access through the Dexter Crossing neighborhood would be limited. If construction traffic cannot pass over a natural gas line on the property, thus avoiding the neighborhood, the developer would have to build a road. Access off Wellington Drive would be limited to emergency vehicle access or pedestrian access only, and there would be buffers between the new housing development and neighboring residents. The city and developer would also establish timelines for installing the well and donating land to the city.
