Local independent journalist Aya Miller of Know Your Neighbor has published a new article on ALPA’s proposal to create green space and conservation zoning districts in Kalamazoo. Right now, Asylum Lake Preserve, Milham Park, and many other city parks are zoned for single-family housing. Miller interviewed ALPA board member Tom Howes and reports on how the proposal has been received by the Planning Commission and city commissioners. The article also quotes public comments made at city meetings by fellow board member Dok Stevens. The first several paragraphs are free to read, and the full article is available to paid subscribers. Read the article →
Voting Dates Set for Transfer of Asylum Lake Preserve Management
Following a positive recommendation on Oct 1 from the Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council, the WMU Board of Trustees and Kalamazoo County will each vote on two measures: approving the final Interlocal Agreement, and adopting the Amended and Restated Declaration of Conservation Restrictions. Find each document here.
Together, these would officially transfer management of Asylum Lake Preserve to Kalamazoo County Parks and Recreation. This will be the Public’s opportunity to witness these final decisions by WMU and Kalamazoo County. The community is encouraged to attend, listen, and participate by sharing your comments during these two meetings.
Final Approval Vote Details:
WMU Board of Trustees Vote
Thursday October 29, 2026 @ 12 PM
WMU Student Center Ballroom
Student Center, 1070 Loop Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(Listed on Google at 1070 Student Ctr Lp Rd)
There is a parking ramp close by.
Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners (Regular Meeting)
Wednesday November 4, 2026 @ 6:30pm
County Administration Building
201 W. Kalamazoo Ave
Meeting will be in the Board Chambers, 2nd floor
Meeting is also available virtually at: kalcounty.gov/board-meetings
Parking is suggested in the Arcadia Parking Ramp
ALPA's Board Grows by Six
The ALPA board of directors welcomes six new members, temporarily growing the board to thirteen. The six newest members of the ALPA board bring a range of skills and a shared commitment to the Preserve.
Our six new members, appointed in October 2026: (Top row) Olivia Craig, Daariyon Gardner, Nicole Holmes (Bottom row) Paul MacNellis, Terra Mickolatcher, Matthew Schuld
Click here to read about their backgrounds and what they hope to bring to ALPA.
Planning Commission Discusses ALPA Green Zoning Proposal for Second Time
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
ALPMC Votes to Recommend Management Transition from WMU to Kalamazoo County
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
Public Comment on Conservation and Green Space Zoning at Environmental Concerns Committee Meeting
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.
Public Comment on Conservation and Green Space Zoning at City Commission Meeting
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.
ALPA-Designed Conservation and Green Zoning Districts Introduced at City Planning Commission Meeting
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.
Environmental Concerns Committee Votes to Recommend Two New Green Zoning Districts to the City Commission
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.
ALPMC Adopts Recommended Provisions for the Asylum Lake Preserve Interlocal Agreement
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.