Coldwater ZBA approves height variance request for Clemens expansion, 400 new jobs to be added

COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Coldwater Board of Zoning Appeals approved a twenty foot dimensional height variance request by Gray AES, PSC on behalf of Clemens Food Group on Wednesday afternoon.

The staff report stated Clemens Food Group requested the height variance in order to meet increased shipping demands as the company will use an Automatic Sortation and Retrieval System to store finished frozen product.

Clemens General Manager Joe Hughes said the project will allow them to expand their operations which will include the addition of 400 jobs.

Project Engineer Andrew Knowles detailed the expansion plans.

There will also be a number of what are being called team member welfare improvement projects.

There are also plans for an employee outdoor eating area.

The City of Coldwater’s Zoning Ordinance requires a maximum building height of 60 feet within the D-2 Heavy Industrial District. The current building at its highest point is 90 feet tall following a variance that was approved in December of 2015.

With the variance request approved on Wednesday, this would allow for a total height of 110 feet.

The proposed area of the structure exceeding the maximum allowed height amounts to four percent of the total area of the building.