In Cassian, the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council’s Adolescent Recovery and Wellness Center has faced outspoken opposition for several months.
In order to build the center, GLITC needs an approved conditional use permit, or CUP, from the county.
In Tuesday’s special town board meeting, the town board made a motion to reiterate to the county zoning committee that they oppose the center.
The town board will also send a letter to the Zoning Committee explaining their main reasons for opposition.
Patty Francoeur is the Cassian Town Chair.
She explained that the town is concerned about the center needing to install three-phase electric power.
This subject was first brought up in an information session on November 20th.
This is James Turnbull speaking to Bryan Bainbridge, CEO of GLITC, at that meeting.
“A facility this large that you're proposing to build is going to require a three phase primary power. And the closest that I can see is that on highway 51, approximately, maybe four miles. Can you answer for the room- who's going to finance that?” he said.
Bainbridge said GLITC would be responsible for that, which others asserted.
“That's generally what happened. I would have had to do that with my own business,” said one person.
Francoeur says one of the town’s concerns is that installing three-phase power in that area will encourage other larger businesses to build there.
“They're gonna have to run that for that facility to operate. And once that's run out there, then that opens it up for more developments, like just say a Walmart or businesses that maybe we would want to be able to not see go there because of the land and the hunting, the ruralness,” said Franoeur.
Ultimately, it’s up to the county to decide whether or not GLITC is granted the CUP.
