Spartan: no Family Fare in G'town Twp

GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - A controversial retail development on the site of Georgetown's Little League complex will not happen.

Spartan Stores dropped plans to build a new Family Fare Grocery store on the site of Georgetown's Little League complex.

And while the decision is a major victory for opponents, they said the game's not over.

Plans to build a retail complex, including a $9 million Family Fare grocery store on Georgetown's current Little League site, and move the ball players to a new, developer-funded, $5 million complex have been canceled.

Shoppers and ballplayers may be disappointed, but Michael Pearson isn't. He leads a group called Families for Fair Planning.

"We're ecstatic. I mean it's a victory for us. It's a victory for Georgetown Township as well," Pearson said.

The group didn't like the traffic the project would bring or the precedent re-zoning the area would set.

"We're surrounded here by neighborhoods. There's churches on both sides of the ball fields. We really feel it's not the place for a development of this size."

So they rallied, argued and petitioned. The result was a referendum on the project scheduled for next August's primary election ballot. The township will now try to remove the issue from the ballot, as results would be irrelevant.

Pearson believes the groups efforts played a role in the decision.

"I do believe that we had an affect on it. But you certainly can't discount where we're at with regard to the economy and that larger discussion."

Much of that may be true. Spartan spokesperson Jeanne Norcross told 24 Hour News 8 there were several reasons developers dropped the plan. Resident's opposition and economic conditions were among them.

The company released a statement saying, in part "... because we respect and value the residents of Georgetown Township and want to continue to serve them as a neighborhood supermarket and business partner, we believe it is best to look at other options."

While the plan's dead, the controversy may not be over. Pearson said his group still has concerns about future development proposals for the site.

"We still are going to remain together as an organization, and make sure first and foremost the development does not happen here. But also work to change some of those things that we feel are wrong about what's allowing development in our township," he said.

As for the Little League, it will be play ball on some familiar fields.

"We've got 1,500 kids who want to play ball in the spring," said Georgetown Little League President Keith Huizinga.

"It's disappointing, but we'll still do the best we can for the kids."