Helena Township Planning Commission Meetng and Public Hearing Minutes
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 @ 11:00am
8751 Helena Road, Alden, Michigan 49612
Call to Order: Chair Jim Gurr called the meeting to order at 11:00am, when the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Roll Call: Present – F. VandenBerg, J. Gurr, M. Robinson and G. Schafer.
Township Officials Present: Oryana Leffew, Butch Peeples and Bob Logee.
Approval of Agenda: G. Schafer motioned to approve the agenda, and M. Robinson seconded. Motion approved.
Conflict of Interest: No conflicts.
Communications:
• Sixteen letters were sent to property owners within three hundred (300) feet of the said property. No
specific questions or comments were received.
Public Comments:
• Vernon Crandall inquired about the location of the private cemetery.
• John Williams inquired about landscaping; Devin Caudros indicated that a fenced garden would be
added to this area.
Public Hearing: Private Cemetery
• At 11:20am, the meeting was temporarily closed for a public hearing on the private cemetery.
• Devin responded to inquiries.
• Meeting is closed for Finding of Fact.
• The cemetery must be formally recorded to establish permanent protection of the site.
• The presence of human remains is considered a material fact that must be disclosed in any real
estate transaction.
• Commission Action of Private Cemetery: G. Schafer motioned and M. Robinson seconded a call to vote.
• The motion was passed with a unanimous vote.
• This will be presented to the Helena Township Board on December 11th, and Antrim County
Planning Commission in January 2026.
• The commission meeting began again at 11:25am.
Announcements:
• The next Helena Township Planning Commission meeting is Thursday, December 4th.
Adjourn: G. Schafer motioned to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 11:27am.
Respectfully submitted,
Fay M. VandenBerg, Helena Township Planning Commission and Zoning Secretary