- Gotion Inc. has submitted an official site plan application for its proposed 270-acre electric vehicle battery plant
- The Mecosta County Planning Commission is expected to hold a special meeting on May 1 to review the plan
- The plan calls for preserving more than 60 acres of wetlands
Gotion Inc. has taken a critical step in its effort to build a $2.36 billion electric vehicle battery gigafactory in Mecosta County’s Green Charter Township, near Big Rapids.
The proposal has been steeped in controversy and even prompted local residents to recall several members of the township board.
On Friday, the company officially submitted its site plan application to Mecosta County. County Administrator Paul E. Bullock said the Planning Commission will hold a special hearing tentatively scheduled for May 1 to review the plan.
Gotion plans to hire 2,350 workers, but the project has been controversial because Michigan committed $175 million to help build the plant, over concerns from township residents and many Republican leaders.
Residents say they are concerned about the factory’s impact on roads and infrastructure, while others blasted the state for subsidizing a plan for a company with ties to China.
Gotion is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of the Chinese company Gotion High-Tech, which is the eighth-largest EV battery supplier in China, according to recent data.
Related:
- New scrutiny challenges Michigan’s investment in Gotion EV battery plant
- 5 Michigan township officials recalled for Chinese-owned Gotion project
- Jobs v. China: How politics, communist ties roiled $2.3B Gotion plan in Michigan
“I know there are people who are very much in favor of the project, there are people who are very much against the project, but … the county government doesn’t have a role other than to ensure that all the Ts are crossed, all the Is dotted and all of the laws complied with. We don’t get to pick winners and losers,” Bullock said.
The company is also seeking a soil erosion and sedimentation control permit, which is needed when construction happens within 500 feet of a body of a lake or stream or within 500 feet of a regulated wetland, according to the county.
“A tremendous amount of thought and planning went into designing our facility and property, and we greatly appreciate the input from Mecosta County officials as we move forward with the local review and permitting process,” said Chuck Thelen, vice president of North American Manufacturing for Gotion Inc., in a press statement.
About 60 acres of the 270-acre property are protected wetlands, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
The site plan also includes limiting traffic congestion on public roads by constructing an on-site truck/trailer staging area, limiting the amount of light generated from the facility and a program to recycle raw materials and manufacturing byproducts.
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