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On Thursday, October 1, 2026, ALPA board members Dok Stevens and Jimmy Lane delivered public comments at a City of Kalamazoo Planning Commission meeting. In their comments, the board members summarized a two-page letter ALPA sent (read it here) to the Commission before the meeting. The letter responded in four points to questions and concerns the Planning Commission raised about the green zoning proposal at its 9/3 meeting.
After public comment, commissioners discussed the proposal at length. They thanked ALPA for the follow-up letter and expressed interest in moving the issue forward at the city level.
Notable quotes from the Planning Commission:
”I remember talking about green space zoning designations ages ago, when we had our joint meeting…we had a joint meeting with the Natural Features Protection Board and another zoning board as well. I asked the same question – why are green spaces zoned residential? That doesn’t make sense, because that’s not what they are…so I’m very glad to see where this goes forward.” - Commissioner Bissonnette
”IK2035 is kind of the perfect time to be talking about these things.” - Commissioner Curtiss
“I would be greatly looking forward to something that would be conducive toward the green space zoning being included in the next version of the Master Plan that we see.” - Commissioner Curtiss
”I would maybe ask [city] staff or city attorney’s office…at some future meeting, we could learn a little bit more about what it would take to see that zoning district adopted.” - Commissioner Audette-Bauman
ALPA board member Dok Stevens delivers a public comment, summarizing ALPA’s letter to the Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission’s discussion regarding ALPA’s green zoning proposal: 4min
On Thursday, October 1, 2026, WMU's Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council (ALPMC) voted unanimously to adopt a resolution recommending the transfer of the Preserve's management from WMU to Kalamazoo County. The resolution recommends that the WMU Board of Trustees adopt the Amended and Restated Declaration of Conservation Restrictions and approve the Interlocal Agreement between WMU and the County.
The vote followed a 7 p.m. public hearing at the WMU Business, Technology and Research Park, 3300 Research Way. Before the vote, the Council heard a report from its Control Transition Subcommittee (CTS), led by member Chris Bovid, along with public comments and questions. About two dozen members of the public attended, as did WWMT News and independent journalist Aya Miller.
Final approval rests with the WMU Board of Trustees and the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.
News Coverage:
Arc West Michigan | Community forum on Asylum Lake Preserve ownership transfer from WMU to the county
WWMT | WMU board backs shifting Asylum Lake Preserve management to Kalamazoo County parks
On 9/16/26, ALPA board member Tom Howes delivered a public comment to the Environmental Concerns Committee (ECC) on ALPA’s proposal for conservation and green-space zoning districts. In ALPA’s comment, Howes responded to concerns the Planning Commission had raised just a few weeks earlier. Among the concerns was a claim that one of ALPA’s environmental ordinance examples (yet to be identified by city staff) from another city had actually been repealed. An ECC member responded after public comments, identifying the repealed ordinance for ALPA. Howes returned later in the meeting to clarify that the repealed ordinance, though similar in name, was actually different than the still-active example in ALPA’s proposal letter.
The conversation on the proposal for new green zoning districts later continued with a dynamic exchange (see second video) between the ECC board and City Planner Christina Anderson.
On 9/8/26, ALPA board member Tom Howes delivers a public comment on ALPA’s proposed conservation and green space zoning districts to the City Commission. Howes introduced the proposal, ALPA’s goals, and then requested that the City Commission instruct Kalamazoo City Planning to act now.
On 9/3/26, the Kalamazoo City Planning Commission discussed “green” zoning for the first time. Listen to that discussion in the video below. Just two weeks prior, the Environmental Concerns Committee voted unanimously to send ALPA’s five-point proposal (which included a new conservation zoning district and green space zoning district) to the City Planning Commission for consideration. Though the deliberation here was brief, the subject remains active at the city level. More news to come.
The Environmental Concerns Committee voted unanimously on 8/19/26 to recommend that the City Commission direct City Planning to establish Green Space and Conservation zoning districts in the City's zoning ordinance. We're proud that this recommendation goes forward alongside a 3-page letter ALPA prepared, proposing the two districts and laying out the case for them.
Currently, Kalamazoo has no zoning designation that fits lands like the Asylum Lake Preserve (which is currently zoned 'Residential') or the many other publicly used green spaces and conservation lands across the city.
Our letter to this commission and the city at large ends with the following requests:
Create a Green Space Zoning District and a Conservation Zoning District in our zoning ordinance;
Reflect these designations on the Future Land Use Map now, while it is being updated through Imagine Kalamazoo 2035, so the map and the new districts work together to guide development;
Apply the districts directly to public and institutional land already functioning as green space or conservation land, and allow private owners to opt in;
Study which parcels across Kalamazoo's neighborhoods would benefit from these designations; and
Bring a draft framework back to the community for input and eventual implementation.
On 4/9/26, the Asylum Lake Policy & Management Council (ALPMC) adopted a set of recommended provisions to guide the drafting of the formal Interlocal Agreement (ILA) that will govern Kalamazoo County's stewardship of Asylum Lake Preserve following its transfer from Western Michigan University. The document was prepared by the ALPMC Transition Subcommittee and reflects concerns and priorities raised during the Council's February 12, 2026 meeting. An Interlocal Agreement is a binding legal contract between governmental entities that establishes specific obligations, rights, and procedures — in this case, for how the Preserve will be managed going forward. A central theme throughout the document is the use of enforceable language ("shall" and "will") rather than aspirational statements, ensuring that the County's preserve-specific obligations are legally binding rather than advisory.
The recommended provisions cover fifteen areas, including preserving the Preserve's ecological identity and name, incorporating existing governing documents such as the 2004 Declaration of Conservation Restrictions and the 2023 Ecological Management Plan as binding exhibits, establishing a formal community advisory structure to replace the dissolving Council, and ensuring continuity of ongoing ecological work such as prescribed burns, invasive species control, and water quality monitoring. The document also addresses archaeological review before ground disturbance, safeguards for the Preserve's dedicated endowment fund, and a clear enforcement mechanism allowing WMU and the public to hold the County accountable if obligations are not met. ALPA will continue to monitor the ILA drafting process and advocate for these provisions to be reflected in the final agreement.
On 2/12/26, the WMU Board of Trustees unanimously voted to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to allow negotiations with the County toward a formal transfer agreement. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a formal but non-binding agreement between parties that outlines their shared intentions, roles, and objectives as a framework for working together, often in advance of a binding contract. It is expected that the County Board of Commissioners will also vote to enter the MOU during their 2/17/26 meeting.
The Asylum Lake Policy & Management Council also met on 2/12/26, where the County Parks Director and WMU vice president for Government Relations addressed ALPA's questions. ALPA has now engaged with Kalamazoo County Parks, WMU, and the Asylum Lake Policy & Management Council (ALPMC) regarding this proposed transfer. The following summary reflects ALPA’s current understanding of the terms outlined in the MOU, including details from public conversations, between Kalamazoo County and WMU.
Dozen’s of public comments in opposition to rezoning resulted in the City Commission voting unanimously to deny the proposed commercial rezoning request for the intersection of Stadium and Drake, adjacent to the Preserve. In the video below, ALPA delivers a five-part public comment in opposition to rezoning. Just before ALPA begins their comment, several other current and past ALPA members speak on the issue as well.
(MLive coverage) (WMUK coverage) (City Commission meeting on youtube).
We're so grateful to all who submitted well-researched statements and stood up to give personal and organizational testimonies against the proposed change.
ALPA Board Member, Wendy Denning giving public comment. Other board members in background, wearing green ALPA t-shirts (from left to right: Tom Howes, Dok Stevens, Judy Huxmann). ALPA volunteers and community members in line and crowd.
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