"As Northville Downs current location is now closed permanently, this may be the end of the harness horse racing gambling industry in Michigan. But Plymouth Township’s residents have expressed little sympathy for the industry.
“A dying, harmful business is not what the community wants for the future of their township, and I hope that you’ve heard that,” Ban told the Board.
“Live horse races account for less than 4% of wagers at this facility,” observed Adams, “ however it is still an industry with decades of decline and controversy. This gambling facility contravenes our master plan…Northville Downs holds accountability for thinking it was okay to force itself onto our community without assessing overall residential sentiment–frankly business 101.”
What’s happened in Plymouth Township is similar to what’s happening in many other Michigan communities–communities facing Manufacturing 4.0 megasite development, in particular. In Big Rapids, both Green Charter Township’s Supervisor and Big Rapids Township’s Supervisor dug in their heels in favor of Gotion, in spite of rising community opposition to the project. Unlike Heise, however, BRT and GCT’s supervisors never acknowledged that Gotion was operating in bad faith, steamrolling over their constituents until they were recalled last November–by a landslide.
Likewise, Marshall’s City Council continues to defend corporate interests, black moneyed lobbying groups, and economic developers above the will of the people. Marshall residents have continued to protest the Ford CATL EV megasite twice each week–even throughout the winter.
As more developers and local boards go over the heads of local residents to strike deals for large, inappropriate projects, more residents are mobilizing against this overreach. Michigan’s local communities are realizing how critical their local governments are, and they’re getting involved. "
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