CADILLAC - Three Cadillac men were expected to be arraigned today for their role in the sexual assault against a 27-year-old woman, who was found unconscious in a playground on Marble Street Tuesday morning.

Officers responded to the location at 8:49 a.m. Tuesday morning to investigate a report of an injured woman. The woman was found with injuries to her face as well as other injuries and was passing in and out of consciousness, according to Cadillac Public Safety Director Jeff Hawke.

Hawke said a witness called 911 after finding the woman in the area. Officers were able to determine she had been sexually assaulted and arrested the three men based on information the officers received when they arrived at the scene.

The woman was transported to Mercy Hospital Cadillac where she was in serious condition Tuesday. Hawke said it took “several hours” to identify the woman.

The Cadillac Police Department was assisted in the investigation by troopers from the Michigan State Police Post and detectives from the Wexford County Sheriffs Department.

The men are ages 17, 18 and 21. The suspects are being held in Wexford County Jail pending arraignment on felony sexual assault charges. Several police officers were seen collecting evidence at the scene, where yellow police tape blocked a fenced entrance to the playground. Hawke said the incident is not connected to Cadillac Area Public Schools. The playground is located behind Cooley Alternative High School.

Hawke Tuesday afternoon it was unknown if the victim knew the suspects. Hawke said it was unknown whether the assault occurred at the playground or whether it occurred somewhere else and the victim was simply discovered there.

It is Cadillac News policy not to release the name of sexual assault victims.

CADILLAC - Residents of Clam Lake Township made their voices and their votes heard loud and clear Tuesday, rejecting a developer’s request to transfer 80 acres of land to the city of Cadillac with the intent to develop a major commercial property.

After polls closed at 8 p.m., the will of the people was clear with 445 no votes compared with 109 yes votes.

It took a while for the township to get its final tabulation after its primary ballot equipment failed. A second piece of equipment was brought in after polls closed in order to reach the final count.

Turnout exceeded 550 voters.

“It tells me the voters think it’s very important to maintain the master plan that’s in place,” said Clam Lake Supervisor Darrell Kelley. “The voters took time to research this and move forward with the planning the county and Clam Lake Township have developed.”

Based on the rules of annexation, the ballot initiative means the township board does not have to take further action.

“Clam Lake Township will not be entering a 425 agreement with the city at this point,” Kelley said.

Based on the resources the developers have already committed to the project, Kelley said he expects to hear further from TeriDee.

Does this mean the project is dead?

“We’ll be meeting and reviewing our options and going forward from there,” said developer Jim Vanderlaan of TeriDee LLC.

Disappointment was the main word Vanderlaan used to describe his feelings upon hearing the news. He said TeriDee still hopes to create jobs to boost the local economy.

“I’m disappointed with the negative messages and the misconceptions that were spread,” Vanderlaan said. “I felt we were very transparent with the project.”

TeriDee hoped to develop an 80-acre parcel immediately east of U.S. 131 on M-55. The goal was to transfer land to the city of Cadillac, thus allowing water and sewer to be extended to the parcel.

The hope was to accommodate several box stores, a hotel, restaurant and other commercial entities. The project has been estimated to create 850 to 1,000 jobs.

Throughout the day, voters had no qualms discussing their votes.

“I’m against it. That’s why I came out to vote. (If the proposal goes through), we’ll be paying higher property taxes, there are several buildings they can use and it would increase traffic - we would need a stoplight � it’s terrible now (as it is),” said Betsy Clark.

Jennifer Harrison said a lack of detail prompted her opposition.

“There has been absolutely no detail given. The information they’ve provided seems very evasive and doesn’t seem very credible. I’m not willing to vote for a proposal that I’m not given full disclosure. I heard maybe there will be a strip mall, but that’s not the quality of jobs we need in this area,” Harrison said. “I’ve seen retail businesses closing in the area before, so I don’t think building small retail is the way toward growth. We need manufacturing or Fortune 500 jobs - higher income compared to minimum wage. We have enough of these (minimum wage jobs).”

Resident Loretta Hubbard worries about the land between the TeriDee property and the city of Cadillac.

“We don’t know about the land in between - if that will be in the city or not. Where will the borders be? And we would be paying city taxes, which are higher, and Cadillac has empty malls and stores that they can use,” she said.

Cadillac News reporter Kayla Kiley contributed to this article.