CLINTON TOWNSHIP — After a long, hot night in council chambers at the Robert J. Cannon Civic Center, Clinton Township trustees voted to deny a power line project along 19 Mile Road on June 2.

First brought to the board in 2024 with the purpose of connecting the Henry Ford Macomb Hospital expansion to the power grid, the project became embroiled in controversy after residents of the Westchester Village Condominiums took issue with the expected route as it would suspend the lines roughly 50 feet away from their homes. What followed were months of outreach, experiments, Freedom of Information Act requests and lobbying from the township to back an alternative route that would send the lines along Dalcoma Drive on land owned by Macomb Community College — an alternative that was handedly rejected by the college’s trustees on May 21.

“I started this process looking at the issue knowing we need power to the hospital,” Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem said. “The approach and the tactics were not above board, were not straightforward, were not presented fairly. I would not want power lines that close to my doorstep; no one from ITC, no one from any organization that’s here, would want power lines placed that close to their door and an easement that extends into the bedrooms (where) they lay their head at night.”

The 6-1 decision to deny the ITC project — Treasurer Mike Aiello providing the lone vote in favor of it — came with cheers and claps from attendees that packed the board’s chambers, where they put up with unbearable heat as the building’s air conditioning was broken. Many stayed throughout the three-hour meeting to see the final and almost inevitable vote be made.

Few defenders of the project took to the floor, limited mostly to representatives from ITC and the hospital. ITC released a statement on June 3 condemning the board’s decision.

“ITC is disappointed that the Clinton Township Board of Trustees voted to deny a Special Use permit to construct an electric transmission line on 19 Mile Road,” the statement sent by ITC Lead Communications Specialist Andrew Johnson said. “Henry Ford Macomb Hospital continues to operate with an electrical deficiency and is relying on backup generators. This decision significantly delays our ability to provide the hospital with the reliable power it urgently needs. If approved, ITC could have completed the project 6-8 weeks from the start of construction. The proposed 19 Mile Road route is the result of a thorough engineering process — and it remains the only feasible route. ITC remains committed to supporting Henry Ford Macomb Hospital. Our next steps are to review all options to complete the project, despite the significant delay due to the Board’s application denial.”

Marc Corriveau, Henry Ford Health System’s vice president of government affairs, shared with the board some insight into what those next steps may be.

“I’ll let the lawyers talk to (consequences of not approving the project) but as described to me, there would be litigation,” Corriveau said. “There would be an application that would have to go through the (Michigan) Public Service Commission. And I’m being told, worst case scenario, it could be another two years.”

Recreational restructuring?

Prior to the vote against the power line project, trustees voted unanimously to contract with consulting firm Plante Moran for up to $28,000 to study a possible merger of the Senior Center and Recreation Department. The study would consider the possibility of combining the two departments, which respectively cost $1.4 and $1.5 million to run annually, into a new “Senior and Family Recreation” department. The decision to consider this merger was brought forth by Plante Moran in light of the Senior Center director’s retirement.

Plante Moran expects to present its findings to the board in the fall, and a potential second study phase could be approved later at a cost of up to $15,000.