GRAND LEDGE, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – During the covert negotiations of the Whitmer administration to court Micron Technology for a semiconductor manufacturing campus given the code word “Project Copper,” a parallel clandestine operation dubbed the “425 working session” was underway between Eagle Township and the City of Grand Ledge.

This covert initiative, uncovered by Michigan News Source after reviewing emails and documents from a Freedom of Information request, aimed to transfer control of Eagle Township property to the city of Grand Ledge for taxation, zoning, and other mutually beneficial purposes.

LEAP involved in getting players together for Grand Ledge plan.

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At the heart of the covert operation was the strategic involvement of now-recalled Eagle Township Supervisor Patti Schafer, the manager of the city of Grand Ledge and LEAP (Lansing Economic Area Partnership).

Leveraging their influence and network, LEAP orchestrated meetings and negotiations, facilitating dialogue between key stakeholders. Their role, though veiled in secrecy, proved instrumental in driving the agenda forward, despite the challenges and setbacks encountered along the way.

Cooperative Development Agreement outlines project.

Dubbed the “Cooperative Develoment Agreement between the City of Grand Ledge and Eagle Township,” the plan leveraged Michigan’s Act 425 of 1982. This statute permits local governments to transfer property for economic development projects and share taxes and revenues. The initial term of this agreement was set for 50 years, with the option for renewal.

Money squabbles appear to have sabotaged the agreement.

With a conditional property transfer contract signed in February 2020 and plans that were negotiated and re-negotiated by attorneys along the way, the operation encountered obstacles in November 2022 mostly due to disagreements over financial terms. Grand Ledge proposed a tax rate of 2 mills, while Eagle Township sought 3.75 mills. It was ultimately the dispute over tax rates that thwarted the plan.

Category definitions would put Eagle Twp. Property under Grand Ledge zoning control.

The agreement delineated two property classifications: Category 1, initially transferring properties under Township jurisdiction, and Category 2, subject to City jurisdiction upon approval of certain requests, such as for new water or sewer services – which would ultimately be able to be used for any development project that came about on what is the bulk of the David Morris property – which has been earmarked for any prospective megasite project.

Late farmer David Morris gifted his land to Michigan State University but the bequest had stipulations and includes a current tenant who is farming the land with a lease that cannot be easily broken by MSU. Nevertheless, MSU, MEDC, LEAP, Eagle Township, Grand Ledge officials and others continued with their pursuit of a megasite development on the Eagle Township properties.

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The plan between Grand Ledge and Eagle Township originally included a much larger footprint – approximately 1/4 of Eagle Township, far bigger than just the Morris Farm and the farms around it as it also included a high density housing area. According to a source close to the situation, plans were to put water and sewer treatment on the Eagle side of the Grand River with the states’s help and MEDC’s blessing.

LEAP’s eagerness to accelerate proceedings with Grand Ledge shone through as they aimed to tackle water and sewer issues to pave the way for the megasite project. Their strategy seemed geared towards expediting zoning procedures by empowering Grand Ledge, enabling industrial zoning under the Renaissance Zone Act.

Grand Ledge control of zoning would be a quicker, easier and less transparent process.

In what appeared to be attempts to circumvent Clinton County’s zoning regulations regarding the megasite development, there was a meeting held in August 2022 at the LCC West Campus, orchestrated by LEAP. Among those in attendance were Eagle Township Supervisor Patti Schafer, Grand Ledge City Manager Adam Smith, and several other invited stakeholders.

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with those involved with the Eagle Township megasite continued to keep the whole development idea a secret and would continue to keep many aspects of the project in the dark from the community for quite a while into the future.

Before community even knows about project, there are a plethora of groups strategizing their future.

In an email from LEAP COO Keith Lambert to Patti Schafer in March of 2022, he said, “As a reminder, LEAP, MSU, LCC, LBWL, Consumers Energy (as well as dozens of other municipalities and partner entities across the state) have all signed on to this general NDA. We are very eager to get our local working group of Eagle Twp, City of Grand Ledge, LEAP, MSU (as a primary property owner) and others as relevant together to strategize and drive this opportunity forward.”

After the plan failed to materialize, it led LEAP to officially present the project to the Eagle Township Board of Trustees in April of 2023. The future development is now known as the “Michigan Manufacturing Innovation Camp” (MMIC).

Bringing the development project in front of the community led to pushback against the project, including the recall of Supervisor Patti Schafer who has still yet to turn over documents and emails requested by the Township after her removal from her position.

Michigan News Source reached out to the many players connected to the 425 working session including officials at Grand Ledge and LEAP but none of them returned our request for comment.