Alma Planning Commission denies proposal to rezone facility to house migrants

ALMA, Mich. — The Alma Planning Commission voted 4-2 to deny the request to re-zone a former nursing home that would have housed children and teen migrants who crossed into the United States from the southern border.

Bethany Christian Services was proposing to house 36 migrant boys at the Michigan Masonic Home on Warwick Drive in Alma.

The boys, ages 12 to 17, crossed the southern U.S. border without parents or guardians and do not have legal status in this country.

The boys were to be housed at the facility for a maximum of 45 days.

The Alma City Commission will now take the planning commission's recommendation for a discussion at a future meeting.