Colon chicken operation proposal withdrawn

A Colon Township resident, whose plans to develop an operation that would house up to 90,000 chickens, has withdrawn his proposal.
The two-barn project was proposed earlier this year by Jonathan Schrock and poised for a location on the north side of M-86, just west of Palomino RV – Division of Forest River Inc.
Colon township and village officials, as well as Forest River representatives, said they were blindsided by the plan because they found out after the fact that it had the support of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Colon village president Tom Tenney said Schrock sent him, the township and Forest River a letter dated May 20, in which Schrock stated construction of the operation will not take place at the originally proposed location.
Schrock, however, still would like to develop a chicken-growing operation on his property. According to Tenney, the newly proposed location is directly behind Schrock’s residence, a few hundred feet west of the originally proposed site.
Tenney said no matter what Schrock intends, he and Colon Township Supervisor Sandi Jackson will support or oppose the plan based on Forest River’s position.
Tenney has not yet heard from Forest River’s Nate Nickell regarding the new potential location being sought by Schrock.