COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A court battle between Batavia Township and Cornelius Farms Manager Fred Cornelius over a compost site near the intersection of M-86 and Hodunk Road ended on Monday in Branch County District Court.
The attorney representing the township announced that Cornelius put several hours of work into cleaning up the site over the weekend and that the township was satisfied that zoning compliance has been met.
But Batavia Township trustee Mike Crenshaw said while Cornelius has met the conditions of the order issued in June by Judge Brent Weigle, the township had some long-term concerns over environmental issues of some of the material that’s been buried, especially for future land uses.
Weigle threatened Cornelius with jail for contempt in June if the property was not in compliance with an order he initially made last January.
The judge complemented the two sides during a five minute hearing on Monday for getting the matter resolved despite the differences.
Under terms of the agreement announced in June, there would be no more composting on the site. Cornelius would also maintain the property under township zoning ordinances and the right to farm act. He would still have to pay court fines and costs.
The township took Cornelius Farms and Cornelius to court last summer. The judge’s nine page ruling against Cornelius that was issued in January came after a formal hearing was held on December 8, 2020.
Weigle ordered the defendants at that time to remove the materials from the site and that they no longer would be allowed to retain compost matter, solid waste, food processing remnants, animal waste products or any other manufacturing by products on the property. No additional such product of any kind would be allowed according to the January order.
Comments