BATAVIA TOWNSHIP, MI (WTVB) – The Batavia Township Planning Commission has officially approved a special land-use permit for educational purposes, clearing the final administrative hurdle to lease the county-owned Bater Road property to Michigan State University.
The unanimous decision allows the MSU Department of Forestry to establish a hands-on teaching and research forest on the 162-acre parcel. Because the initial nine-year lease requires local zoning alignment to proceed, this township approval serves as the definitive green light for the university following the Branch County Board of Commissioners signing the agreement last month.
Under the finalized agreement, MSU will manage approximately 120 acres of scrub forest and 40 acres of tillable land to research forest restoration and improve overall woodland health.
While the university will not pay monetary rent, the educational destination establishes a clear public purpose under state law, returning the property to a tax-exempt status and relieving Branch County of thousands in back-tax liabilities accumulated from past commercial farming leases.
The approved permit includes a safeguard requiring a locked gate on any future parking structures, and students are scheduled to begin fieldwork at the site on December 15, 2026.
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