Leland Township is facing a new lawsuit that claims it violated the First, Fifth, and 14th amendments to the United States Constitution, the Michigan Constitution and numerous federal civil rights laws and Michigan state law.
On Monday, Apollos Properties, LLC. owners’ James and Elizabeth VanSteenhouse, and Micah and Kya Cramer, filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Michigan asking the court to find Leland Township violated a number of their constitutional and state rights. All Leland Township board members, as well as members of the planning commission and zoning board of appeals (ZBA), were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Apollos Properties submitted an application for a special land use permit last October to use a portion of the north side of their building, located at 110 N. Lake Street, for a Youth for Christ (YFC) club center. The YFC club center, located in Leland’s commercial district, would have been utilized by the local YFC affiliate group, the Leland LightHouse.
