Meridian Twp. delays vote on goats

MERIDIAN TWP. — The McCurdy family and their pygmy goats will have to wait one more week to find out whether they can stay where they are.

A final vote by the township's Board of Trustees to rezone the family's property is now scheduled for Dec. 8. Manager Frank Walsh had previously said a final vote would be held Tuesday.

Township officials have been in a battle with the family for months to force them to move the goats because the zoning for the family's Okemos Road property does not allow for goats, although nearby properties have the proper zoning. The township took the family to court but the case has not been resolved there.

An outpouring of support for the family from township residents and backing from members of the township board may have helped turn the tide. Trustee John Veenstra called the goats “virtually inoffensive” at a meeting last month.

A majority yes vote by the township board would reverse a 7-1 denial by the Planning Commission on Nov. 9. Planning Commission members expressed concern that allowing goats on the property would prompt requests from other parts of the township.

Contact Dawn Parker at 517-377-1056 or dlparker@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @arwen22266.