Year in Review: The highlight reel of Holland news in 2022

HOLLAND — Since 2020, writing the Year in Review column feels a bit loaded. It's almost easier to say what didn't happen than what did.

Last year was no exception, as the greater Holland area faced a string of commercial fires, drownings in Lake Michigan, the shutdown (and potential reopening?) of a regional nuclear power plant and a fight for the soul of Park Township — the banning of short-term rentals.

Here's what we deemed the most impactful topics of 2022:

'Transformational' LG expansion

In January 2022, LG Energy Solution announced it would invest more than $1.5 billion in Holland, expanding its production capacity fivefold as demand for lithium ion batteries increases with the popularity of electric vehicles.

The expansion was lauded by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a "win" for Michigan's automotive industry, and is expected to create 1,800 new jobs — doubling LG's workforce in Holland and adding 600 positions through the company's suppliers and customers by 2025.

Ottawa Impact wins Ottawa County Board

Ottawa Impact, a Jenison-based political advocacy group, was formed in 2021 by parents and residents critical of the state and local government’s response to containing the spread of COVID-19. The group backed candidates for school boards and the Ottawa County Commission in the midterm election — and walked away with eight seats (a majority) on the county board.

Those electees have already started making decisions, including an announcement of their intention to elect Joe Moss chairman of the board. The Open Meetings Act requires notice be posted whenever a quorum — a voting majority of public boards and commissions — plans to meet and discuss policy, and that those meetings are open to the public. But the OMA doesn't apply to elected officials yet to take office.

Ottawa Impact had a “contract” for candidates outlining required positions on certain issues. Based on those positions, the county DEI office, clerk’s office and health department could face scrutiny and markable change in the coming months.

Palisades Nuclear Plant shutdown

Palisades Nuclear Plant, marked for closure in Covert Township, shuttered earlier than expected in May. Several months later, new owner Holtec International applied for funding to reopen the plant through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Civil Nuclear Credit Program.

The application was made public in September, with support from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but was denied in mid-November. Despite the initial failure, Holtec has announced it will reapply for funding in January, hopeful a more detailed, thorough application will make for a successful result.

“The repowering of Palisades is of vital importance to Michigan’s clean energy future,” Holtec wrote on social media. “As Michigan transitions from fossil-fuel generation to renewables and emerging advanced technologies, baseload nuclear generation is an essential backstop."

Lake Michigan drownings

According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, there were at least 105 drownings in the Great Lakes in 2022 — at least 43 of which took place in Lake Michigan. On a single day in July, four people died in Lake Michigan, forcing experts and local leaders to further grapple with how to reduce the annual death toll.

After a spike in drownings in 2020 in Lake Michigan, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced state park rangers had the authority to order swimmers out of the water when "red flag conditions" are present. However, the rule is only applicable to state parks, most of which now use a double-red-flag system to tell visitors the water is off-limits.

Advocates say the real solution is to have lifeguards present at popular beaches, but local municipalities haven't embraced that strategy, citing cost and liability concerns. In addition to a gate installed at Holland State Park's pier — allowing staff to close access under dangerous conditions — officials have installed PA systems and clearer signage, taking the educational route.

Last summer, Gentex installed digital signs at Holland State Park to supplement the flag warning system. Locals have also taken matters into their own hands, writing books and creating restaurant menus with information about water safety.

Commercial fires

Last year was particularly bad for commercial fires. It began with Community Restaurant in Zeeland, which burned to the ground in April and was declared a total loss. The restaurant, an anchor to the downtown district, received rezoning approval from Zeeland City Council in December in hopes of rebuilding.

In June, a fully involved overnight fire destroyed the petting barn at Nelis' Dutch Village. While bystanders and deputies saved as many animals as possible, business owner Joe Nelis told The Sentinel many didn't make it. The amusement park is planning to rebuild a similar structure in the coming seasons, with a few improvements.

Only days after the barn fire, Pizza Hut on River Avenue suffered an attic fire. Much of the long-term damage was caused by efforts to extinguish the fire, including pulling down parts of the ceiling. The restaurant also suffered extensive smoke damage. It was demolished in October, with plans to rebuild.

In July, the historic Park Township Community Center caught fire less than two days before the start of the Ottawa County Fair. The township is still working with the insurance company to secure a fair settlement offer.

Park Township short-term rentals

After months of back-and-forth, the Park Township Board of Trustees ended deliberations on short-term rentals in November, electing to enforce an existing 1974 ordinance that prohibits them in residential zones.

Although short-term rentals were, technically, disallowed all along, misinterpretations and "wink-wink" "nudge-nudge" assurances led to an abundance of them anyway, according to residents and rental owners.

The problem was exacerbated by the red-hot real estate market in 2020 and 2021. As properties were snatched up for cash, residents complained about noise violations and other disturbances, and first-time homebuyers said the market was artificially inflated and nearly impossible to enter. One resident said living near so many short-term rentals felt like "living in a resort."

Park Township, in response, agreed to research and potentially develop a new ordinance that would allow for the licensing and proper regulation of short-term rentals, rather than shutting existing ones down — but the municipality ultimately decided it was "time to represent the community."

Tulip Time's big comeback

After canceling the festival for the first time in decades in 2020, Tulip Time held a "soft opening" in 2021, sans parades and other large gatherings. But the festival returned in full force in 2022, with the usual carnival, food vendors, sold-out concerts, two of the three traditional parades and new events to boot.

Tickets for the new Tulip Immersion Garden sold out multiple times, and Windmill Island Gardens saw its busiest weekend since 2010. Executive Director Gwen Auwerda called the festival an "incredibly successful" comeback. Plans are underway for Tulip Time 2023.

Park Township Airport vision

Following months of community engagement, meetings, tours and input from trustees, a final plan for the former Park Township Airport property was adopted in 2022.

Residents voted in March 2020 to essentially shutter the 83-year-old airport after a failed millage that would have funded future operations and renovations to the aging runway earned 43.7 percent of voters' support. Since then, the airport has been delisted by the Federal Aviation Administration and its runway removed.

The adopted plan for the property — accepted by the Park Township Board of Trustees in November — includes a variety of recreational and entertainment uses, including pathways and trails, a community garden, pickleball courts, a playground, a splash pad and a veteran's plaza — all to be constructed in three phases.

Total capital investment is estimated around $9.5 million, with annual operations and maintenance around $400,000.

Animal shelters aren't OK

When animal shelters were faced with sky-high application rates at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hardly anyone knew how long the pandemic would last, or what would happen to newly adopted pets when life went "back to normal."

Now, they're finding out.

"Relentless," Harbor Humane wrote on Facebook in November. "Absolutely relentless. That's how 2022 has felt at Harbor. We've been at this for years and all we feel lately is more animals sitting, less animals getting adopted, more animals coming to our shelter."

How can you help? Harbor Humane Executive Director Jen Self-Aulgur says first, adopt. If you can't adopt, foster. If you can't foster, donate to your local shelter.

Michigan Midterm Elections

The morning after the November midterm election, Democratic Michiganders awoke to discover they'd kept the governorship, secretary of state and attorney general offices — in addition to passing all three statewide proposals and flipping the state House and Senate for the first time since the '80s.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June, voters approved an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution. Proposal 3 establishes a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom" which includes — but is not limited to — the right to seek abortion. It also protects a right to contraception and infertility care.

Michigan voters also adopted Proposal 2, a wide-ranging constitutional amendment to establish early voting, preempt efforts to enact more stringent voter ID rules and expand access to absentee voting.

Perhaps the most bipartisan support came for Proposal 1, a ballot proposal that modifies term limits for state legislators and requires them, the governor and others holding top elected offices in the state to disclose information about their finances that could reveal potential conflicts of interest.

— Contact editor Cassandra Lybrink at clybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @CassLybrink.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Year in Review: The highlight reel of Holland news in 2022