In a heated public meeting, the first since Ford Motor Co. announced a $3.5 billion investment in Marshall for a battery plant, the township board voted to transfer more properties to the city for the development.
Four properties were approved for transfer to the city through a 425 land transfer agreement to gain access to water and sewer infrastructure needed for the development. Of the five board members, only Marshall Township Supervisor David Bosserd voted against the land transfer.
The vote took place two hours into the 7 p.m. meeting, following speeches against the project from more than 20 people. At one point, a resident was arrested after leaders said he continued to disrupt the meeting.
On Feb. 13, the Dearborn automaker officially announced its plans to build BlueOval Battery Park Michigan on Marshall’s Megasite property. The site will include 950 acres and can be expanded after the plant opens in 2026. The plant will be a part of a wholly owned Ford subsidiary. Ford will own and operate the plant and employ the workforce. It will license battery cell technology from China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., or CATL, the world’s leading EV battery maker, and tap the company for additional services tied to LFP manufacturing.
Residents from Marshall Township, neighboring townships and cities spoke out against the project with concerns about losing Marshall’s small-town charm, the environmental effects of a battery manufacturing plant and the connection the plant will have to a Chinese battery manufacturer.
“Before we rush to embrace what some refer to as progress, first pause to consider what will be lost when land that has produced literally tons of corn and beans to feed a hungry nation is covered in concrete. It cannot be reclaimed,” Fredonia Township resident Linda Smoot told the board. “With the entrance of the Ford company, more farmland will inevitably be lost to housing and strip malls.”
Ford officials and Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance leaders are working to reassure residents about the development plan. They say the plant will bring 2,500 jobs to the area, which they say are needed since Marshall has seen employers leave in the last two decades. Last week, Ford had a meet-and-greet with community members to discuss the project. The automaker said it will ensure that 245 acres at the southern edge of the site are placed into a conservation easement.
Stephanie Fries, Ford’s regional manager of government relations, told residents at the meeting the automaker will have more community meetings.
“We are working with local government to ensure the Marshall community has the infrastructure and first-response support necessary to support the growth the community may see,” Fries said. “There is no foreign investment in the Ford subsidiary. Ford will own the land. The government of China has no role in this project, and no tax dollars will go to CATL.”
Fries added: “Ford takes our responsibility to be a good neighbor seriously. We look forward to learning more about what’s important to the community and becoming part of the fabric of the region.”
khall@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @bykaleahall