For years, Ford has been working to open its BlueOval battery production plant in Marshall with significant pushback from a local opposition group called the Committee for Marshall—Not the Megasite.
A long-running lawsuit regarding the zoning of the land the plant sits on was dismissed on Feb. 25 by an appellate court, and the path appears clear for Ford to begin production. But the opposition committee said it’s seeking another appeal.
A years-long legal journey
The plant broke ground in 2023 and had support from Marshall city officials and a group called the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance — or MAEDA.
In 2022, the city of Marshall and the township of Marshall had created a joint planning commission through an agreement called the Master 425 Development Agreement. In early 2023, the Marshall Township Joint Planning Commission voted 4-2 against rezoning a large 741 acre parcel in Marshall for industrial use that would allow Ford to begin construction on the BlueOval megasite…