PSPR25-005 Willcome Forest Production Operation & Log Storage Yard
Emmet County
Description
A 10-acre log storage and firewood operation with two metal containers, a shed, a future pole barn, and 3-4 employees, approved 4-3 with a 250-foot privacy fence, six-foot evergreens, 8–5 weekday hours, and Road Commission driveway standards.
Impact summary
Log deliveries three to four times a week and firewood truck trips three to four times a day on a narrow road with a blind corner; neighbors say the noise already disrupts daily life.
Applicant
- Name
- Bryon & Holly Willcome
- Address
- 5722 Rustic Rd, Section 36, Bear Creek Township
At a glance
- Hearings
- 2
- Public comments
- 11
- Total mentions
- 2
Recorded in the meeting · Planning Commission
Last discussed Mar 5, 2026.
Meeting timeline (2)
Planning Commission - Mar 5, 2026
A 10-acre log storage and firewood operation with two metal containers, a shed, a future pole barn, and 3-4 employees, approved 4-3 with a 250-foot privacy fence, six-foot evergreens, 8–5 weekday hours, and Road Commission driveway standards.
Planning Commission - Feb 5, 2026
A firewood processing operation with logs hauled in 3-4 times a week, proposing hours of 7am-6pm weekdays, on a 10-acre FF-1 parcel surrounded by residential uses; the case hinges on a contested zoning interpretation.
Related issues (2)
Text amendment on storage uses
The commission kicked around a possible zoning text amendment about storage uses — an early-stage fix to how storage operations are classified.
Willcome firewood operation on Rustic Road
Neighbors packed the hearing to oppose the log yard, citing early-morning noise, log trucks on a road with a blind 90-degree corner, and property value worries. The commission approved it 4-3 with a tall privacy fence, screening, and 8–5 weekday hours, but the fight may not be over — the township signaled it would appeal an approval.
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