Diamond Chip warehouse application hinges on Capacity Study

The Sparta Township Capacity Study is nearly completed, and Mayor Dave Smith said on July 12 that he expects there will be a report on it at the July 26 Sparta Township Council meeting.

When township residents questioned why there was no movement on rescinding Ordinance 21-01, which enabled the Diamond Chip Realty warehouse proposal on Demarest Road, Smith said the township was waiting for the capacity study to see which way the council will go based on the study.

“We have to not only go over it, but when we bring it up, we introduce it and it goes back to the planning board,” Smith said. “The planning board is the one that will really scrutinize it and when they okay it, it comes back to the council for the vote.”

Smith said he expects the planning board will take some time with the study to prevent mistakes from being made.

He also said the council can’t just rescind Ordinance 21-01 due to unspecified issues connected to such an action.

“We can’t just revoke the other ordinance because it causes a lot of complications which I’m not going to get into here,” Smith said. “But we are working on it.”

Diamond Chip Realty’s 880,000-square-foot warehouse proposal is currently before the planning board for preliminary approval. Hearings have been ongoing monthly before the planning board since March 2, with many residents coming to the township council to express their frustration with the process and their opposition to the project.

The most recent hearing took place on July 6 when the planning board’s attorney requested Diamond Chip submit a revised proposal. At that time, Planning Board Chair Drew Reina was quoted as saying the application included “material design flaws that are not congruent” with the town’s ordinance. Diamond Chip has agreed to revise its proposal and is expected to deliver the updated version to the board next week.