EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate information on the ballot language. It is corrected here.

NEGAUNEE — In January, the Negaunee City Council voted 4-2 to rezone five acres at Snow Street and Cyr Street in Old Town Negaunee from public use to multi-family housing.

A large number of local residents want to see the area remain as public use, rather than become a housing development.

A group of residents signed a petition and got an initiative on the ballot for Aug. 6. Early voting has already begun.

A YES vote means it reverts to PA (Public Area or public use), explained Jeff Plummer.

A vote NO means the multi-family (R2) housing zoning designation remains and the city can then sell if to a private developer.

Plummer and his wife, Carrie, who own an antiques store in downtown Negaunee, led the ballot initiative effort. The petitioners group has a social media page at: http://www.Facebook.com/ProtectOldTownNegaunee for updates.

Negaunee City Manager Nate Heffron said because of a grant the city received from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for a playground, which is being built across from the Negaunee Senior Center, there is an encumbrance on a small portion of the Old Town Negaunee land.

The ballot language for the vote on zoning references an approximate five acres. Nate Heffron explained that three of those acres could have housing built on them. Two acres must remain for recreational use because of the encumbrance if residents vote to keep the multi-family zoning.

Heffron said if residents vote to retain the multi-housing zoning, public meetings will be held for public input on the type of property citizens would like to see developed on three of the five acres on the ballot.

Secondly, public meetings will be held for input on the type of recreational uses citizens would like to see on the two acres to be owned by the city and maintained as a park. He added that if the multi-family zoning remains, the city’s stance is to find and work with a developer for affordable housing, with a rent of say $1,200 to $1,500.

“This piece of land is located near water, sewer and electricity, which makes it practical for a housing development,” Heffron said, “which makes it workable for a housing development. Most of the other areas in Old Town would be financially unfeasible to develop for housing.”

Plummer, who has decided to run for a city council position in November, said he thinks there are enough private lands that could be developed for housing. “I don’t see a development on public land as a positive thing in Negaunee. Our green spaces make this a great place to live. I just want to feel citizens are allowed in the dialogue. Once people vote (on the zoning), I respect that no matter how it goes,” he said.