Lumber trucks entering the Moran lumber yard near the Brevort Township Community Center are damaging residential roads, Brevort Township Planning Commission member Rosemary Irwin said. Frequent activity is also causing traffic congestion that blocks access to some homes, she added during the Tuesday, September 1, Brevort Township meeting.

Mrs. Irwin explained to the board she received complaints from residents about the activities of the logging trucks. A major concern, she said, was that the roads the logging trucks are using to leave the lumberyard are not constructed to handle the weight of the trucks.

The lumber trucks enter the yard from M-123, she said. The drivers are capable of backing up and returning to the road but are not doing so. An alternate route that leads from the lumberyard into a residential area and then back to M- 123 is used instead.

The cause for this, she believes, is a lack of space on the lumberyard premises. A lack of clear parking lot markings makes it difficult to tell where the lumberyard lot ends and a nearby fish market lot begins.

Mrs. Irwin cited a township ordinance that says a "building or structure engaged in loading and unloading goods shall provide space on the premises in addition to that required for parking, for the loading, unloading, and standing of all vehicles, in addition to that required for parking...to avoid undue interference with public use of the public highway." She requested the board take action and address the concerns.

Supervisor Edward Serwach said he is unsure if this is an issue for the township to address or the Mackinac County Road Commission. While the ordinance would be something for the township

to handle, the roads may fall under road commission jurisdiction.

In either case, he was confident the matter could be solved.

"I think it's a problem that can be very simply solved by speaking with them," Mr. Serwach said.

Mr. Serwach plans to contact Dirk Heckman of the Mackinac County Road Commission and determine who should handle the matter.

Kirk Lipnitz, the owner of the lumber yard, was not present at the meeting when the concern was brought up. Mr. Lipnitz was not aware of any problems, he told The St. Ignace News Monday, September 7, and has not observed any damage to the road.

Lumber trucks travel through the residential area because it could be hazardous to the drivers to try to back up directly onto M-123, Mr. Lipnitz said. He is willing to work with the township on the issue as necessary.

Fire service Concern Raised

Mark Peterson, Sr., chief of the Brevort Township Volunteer Fire Department, raised a concern over properties surrounded by locked gates. If a fire were to occur, Mr. Peterson said, firefighters would not be able to gain access to the property without damaging the gate. He explained this is a widespread problem not unique to Brevort Township.

Mr. Peterson also said some properties are difficult to access because of narrow driveways. Firetrucks would not be able to access the homes in those areas and would be forced to control the fire from as close as they could get to the building.

He asked the board to consider drafting an ordinance that would address this issue.

The board took no action on the request. Mr. Serwach told The St. Ignace News the matter would be forwarded to the planning commission for review. In the event firefighters are locked out by a gate, Mr. Serwach said they should knock it down.

Township Audit Favorable

Board members received the results of the Brevort Township audit. Prepared by Anderson, Tackman and Company, it showed an increase in the township's general fund balance from 2008 by $8,737, for a total of $227, 915.

Revenues and expenditures was also favorable, with 2009 revenues at $340,984 and expenditures at $241,679.

Auditors reported the township as being in excellent shape, but noted intangible assets such as easements should be tracked in the future. They also requested financial data on the Brevort Township library be tracked separately from the rest of the township.

New Firehouse Floor Redone

The floor of the new fire house being constructed in Brevort Township will be redone, Mr. Serwach reported. The initial concrete floor was not up to strength specifications and needed to be replaced to accommodate the firetrucks that will be stored there.

The mason responsible for the floor will replace it at no additional charge to the township.