A pancake breakfast fundraiser will be held on Saturday, June 20, at the Ottawa Executive Airport at 5923 Byron Road in Zeeland from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. The event is intentionally designed to be welcoming for all ages. Guests will be able to enjoy a free pancake breakfast and a bounce house along with other activities for children. Airplane rides are also being provided for a minimal cost, giving you an opportunity to see the community from a different vantage point.  It is anticipated to be a morning filled with fun and community spirit.  

While the activities are lighthearted, the purpose behind them is serious. As word of a proposed solar project spread, so did questions about its long term effects on farmland, homes, and rural character. What began as small conversations among neighbors has grown into a broad, energized community effort.  

The event aims to bring neighbors together while raising funds for legal representation to oppose the proposed solar development. The legal and expert representation will help navigate the Michigan Public Service Commission review process. Residents have been advised to initially anticipate approximately $35,000 in expenses to provide legal representation to participate in the state’s review process. Organizers say participation requires reviewing thousands of pages of filings, understanding technical studies, and ensuring local concerns are formally presented during the state's review. The community support is essential to ensure that resident concerns are fully heard and considered throughout the formal review process which takes place at the state level.  

For many who live near the project area, the scale of the project raises questions about:

• Long term land use changes

• Impacts on working farms and agricultural productivity

• Construction related traffic and noise

• Visual and environmental changes

• Property values and residential stability

Residents stress that their concerns are not about renewable energy in general. Instead, they want to ensure that local impacts are fully understood and carefully evaluated since the project is one of the largest land-use proposals the area has faced in recent memory. The ultimate goal is to ensure that no single family bears that cost alone, and that the community can engage with the process in a well-informed, well-represented way.  

To support this growing effort and ensure that no single family bears the work or the cost alone, residents have begun forming the Zeeland-Jamestown Preservation & Legacy Coalition, a community based group focused on:

• Supporting residents participating in the state review process

• Coordinating communication and outreach

• Sharing information about the project

• Raising funds for legal and expert representation

• Preserving the long-term character of the area

In recent weeks, organizers say they’ve seen a surge of interest from people across Zeeland and Jamestown who want to get involved. What began as a handful of neighbors comparing notes has grown into a coordinated effort that spans roads, neighborhoods, and township lines. Many describe the experience as unexpectedly unifying. Longtime farmers, new families, and residents from a wide range of backgrounds have found common ground in wanting to protect the character and future of their community.

“This has turned into a literal movement,” one organizer shared. “People from all across Zeeland and Jamestown are coming together to protect our homes, farmland, and future.”

Organizers say the coalition is still in its early stages, but interest has been strong.

For those unable to attend the June 20 event, donations can be made via a check mailed to the Zeeland-Jamestown Preservation & Legacy Coalition, PO Box 155, Zeeland, MI 49464 or through the coalition’s online platform at: Zeffy Donation.

Organizers say every contribution—large or small—helps ensure that local residents have the resources they need to participate meaningfully in the process. Residents involved in the effort stress that this is not about one property, one family, or one opinion. It’s about the long term future of Zeeland and Jamestown— the farms, homes, landscapes, and traditions that define the community. “This is about protecting the place we call home,” one organizer said. “And we’re just getting started.”

With the June 20 event approaching, enthusiasm continues to build and families are preparing for a morning of fun. Neighbors are linking arms, and Ottawa County is about to see the power of a united community coming together.

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