HomeMy WebLinkAbout1,166 - March 9, 2021 signedMINUTES OF THE 1,166th PUBLIC HEARINGS AND REGULAR MEETING
HELD BY THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF LIVONIA
On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the City Planning Commission of the City of Livonia
held its 1,1661h Public Hearings and Regular Meeting via Zoom Meeting Software.
Mr. Ian Wilshaw, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Members present: David Bongero Sam Caramagno Glen Long
Betsy McCue Carol Smiley Peter Ventura
Ian Wilshaw
Members absent: None
Mr. Mark Taormina, Planning Director,
Scott Miller, Planner IV,
and
Stephanie
Reece, Program Supervisor, and Debra
Walter, Clerk -Typist were
also
present.
Chairman Wilshaw informed the audience that if a petition on tonight's agenda
involves a rezoning request, this Commission makes a recommendation to the City
Council who, in turn, will hold its own public hearing and make the final
determination as to whether a petition is approved or denied. The Planning
Commission holds the only public hearing on a request for preliminary plat and/or
vacating petition. The Commission's recommendation is forwarded to the City
Council for the final determination as to whether a plat is accepted or rejected. If a
petition requesting a waiver of use or site plan approval is denied tonight, the
petitioner has ten days in which to appeal the decision, in writing, to the City
Council. Resolutions adopted by the City Planning Commission become effective
seven (7) days after the date of adoption. The Planning Commission and the
professional staff have reviewed each of these petitions upon their filing. The staff
has furnished the Commission with both approving and denying resolutions, which
the Commission may, or may not, use depending on the outcome of the
proceedings tonight.
ITEM #1 PETITION 2021-02-02-02 Shake Shack
Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the first item on the agenda, Petition 2021-
02-02-02 submitted by SPP Investors II, L.L.C. requesting approval
of all plans required by Sections 11.03(n)(3), 18.47 and 18.58 of
the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance No. 543, as amended, in
connection with a proposal to re -develop the site, including
demolishing the existing restaurant (Romano's Macaroni Grill),
constructing a full -service restaurant with drive-thru facilities
(Shake Shack), and constructing a bank with drive-thru facilities, at
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39300 Seven Mile
Road,
located on the northeast corner
of Seven
Mile and Haggerty
Roads
in the Southwest '/o of Section
6.
Mr. Taormina: This is a request to redevelop the northeast corner parcel at
Seven Mile and Haggerty Roads. The zoning of the property is
C-2 (General Business). The site in question is 2.9 acres in area.
It has 600 feet of frontage on Seven Mile Road and roughly 200
feet of frontage on Haggerty Road. This is the site of the former
Romano's Macaroni Grill. The existing restaurant is one-story in
height and about 8,200 square feet in area. It is located at the
west end of the site, approximately 110 feet from the Haggerty
Road right-of-way. Macaroni Grill was approved with a maximum
seating capacity of 280. Parking, as you can see from the survey,
is located on the west, south, and east sides of the building. Most
of the parking is on the east side and extends all the way to the
edge of the property. There is an open drain and contiguous
wetland that exists along the north side of the property. The
proposal seeks to demolish and remove the existing restaurant
and replace it with two new freestanding buildings, including a
new full -service Shake Shack and a branch bank. The Shake
Shack would be on the west end of the property in the same
general location as the existing restaurant and is identified on the
plans as Proposed Parcel A. The bank would be on the east side
in an area currently used for parking and is identified as Proposed
Parcel B. Both new buildings would have drive-thru facilities. The
proposed Shake Shack would be one-story in height, with a gross
floor area of 3,487 square feet. It would contain 74 interior seats,
and 70 exterior seats for a combined total of 114. Outdoor
seating is shown along the east and south sides of the building.
The building would be setback about 123 feet from Haggerty
Road and 81 feet from Seven Mile Road. The submitted floor
plans show the general layout of the restaurant, including the
dining area, kitchen, and bathrooms. The dining area would be
in the front part of the building. There are no details, at this time,
regarding the arrangement of the seating area. The drive-thru
service facility is planned along the Haggerty side of the building.
Two traffic lanes serving the drive -up will commence on the east
side of the building. There would be separate pre -order and order
menu boards provided for each lane. All traffic around the east,
north, and west sides of the building would be one-way, moving
in a counterclockwise direction. With both lanes operating, any
chance of by-passing the drive-thru would not be available until
after cars have transitioned into a single lane, which is on the
north side of the building. Once an order is complete, exiting
vehicles would have the choice of turning right and exiting on to
Haggerty Road or turning left to a driveway that exits on to Seven
Mile Road. The exterior finish would mostly consist of fluted
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concrete panels, which is the area shown in white, and cement
fiber vertical siding, which is the darker shade. A limited amount
of brick is shown along the north and west sides of the building
and would be painted with a mural as illustrated in this color
rendering. Above the entrance, the outdoor patio and the pick-
up window, the plans show being covered with structural
canopies. This would be the outdoor seating area along the east
side of the building. That canopy would wrap around to the south
elevation with the front entrance to the building, and then looking
at the drive-thru side, there would be separate canopy above the
pick-up window. At this time, the plan for the bank is only
conceptual. When a user is identified, detailed plans would need
to be submitted for a formal review. The pad is shown having a
setback of about 80 feet from the right-of-way of Seven Mile
Road. The total building size is just under 3,400 square feet. The
main entrance would be on the south side of the building facing
Seven Mile Road. Drive -up window service is shown on the east
side and it includes a canopy that will extend 40 feet from the side
of the building. The drive-thru operations include three ATM
lanes. After completing a transaction, vehicles would loop around
the back of the building, turn south at the northwest corner of the
building and then exit out to Seven Mile Road. Two existing
driveways provide ingress and egress to the site. Both of those
would remain. There is one on Haggerty and one Seven Mile
Road. The drive approach on Haggerty would remain in its
current configuration. The one on Seven Mile Road would be
retrofitted to allow for right -in and right -out operations only.
Currently, both driveways are unrestricted in terms of their turning
movements. As for parking, the site plan shows a total of 101
parking spaces. There are 72 parking spaces shown on Parcel
A and 29 spaces on Parcel B. Parking for full -service restaurants
is based on the number of customer seats, both interior and
exterior, as well as the number of employees plus two additional
spaces for drive -up operations. Shake Shack would require 72
parking spaces and the bank would require 18 spaces. For both
uses, the required parking is 90 spaces. With over 100 spaces
available, the site plan meets the parking requirement. A fully
detailed landscaping plan was submitted with the application.
Storm water management would presumably be handled by
means of an underground detention system located beneath the
parking lot and drive aisles. Dumpster locations include one that
would be along the north edge of the parking lot about 75 feet
east of the restaurant. A second dumpster is shown near the
northwest corner of the bank building. The walls would all be six
feet in height. Site lighting is shown at 25 feet in height. This
would have to be lowered by five feet to a total height of 20 feet
in order to comply with the City's outdoor lighting policy. We have
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29888
not reviewed the petition in terms of signage. With that, Mr.
Chairman, I can read out the departmental correspondence.
Mr. Wllshaw: Yes, please.
Mr. Taormina: The is item is from the Engineering Division, dated February 51
2021, which reads as follows: `in accordance with your request,
the Engineering Division has reviewed the above referenced
petition. We have no objections to the proposed project at this
time. The parcel is assigned the address of #39300 Seven Mile
Road. The existing building is currently serviced by public water
main and sanitary sewer, as well as private storm sewer. The
submitted drawings indicate revisions to the building services, but
do not have detailed information to determine if there will be any
impacts to the existing systems. Also, storm detention is not
addressed in the drawings, but the Developer will need to meet
the Wayne County Storm Water Ordinance requirements. Should
the development move forward, detailed Engineering drawings
will need to be submitted to this department for permitting. The
submitted drawings indicate that the property is to be split into
parcels, which will require the recording of easements across the
easterly parcel to ensure utility services remain uninterrupted.
The existing sanitary service will need to be cleaned and
inspected, and may need to be upgraded to a publicly -owned
system should the property be split. It should be noted that the
developer will be required to obtain a Wayne County permit for
any work occur within the Seven Mile Road or Haggerty Road
right-of-way's." The letter is signed by David W. Lear, P.E.,
Assistant City Engineer. The next letter is from the Livonia Fire
& Rescue Division, dated February 10, 2021, which reads as
follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan submitted in
connection with a request to construct a commercial building on
property located at the above referenced address. We have no
objections to this proposal." The letter is signed by Greg Thomas,
Fire Marshal. The next letter is from the Division of Police, dated
February 10, 2021, which reads as follows: "I have reviewed the
plans in connection with the petitions. l have one concern in
regard to the proposal. The Seven Mile and Haggerty area
already has a very high traffic volume throughout the day. I
believe locating this business at that location has a high potential
to add to the traffic congestion and also increase the amount of
vehicle crashes." The letter is signed by Scott Sczepanski,
Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The next letter is from the Inspection
Department, dated March 9, 2021, which reads as follows: "
Pursuant to your request, the above referenced Petition has been
reviewed. 1. The parking lot shall be repaired and restriped as
necessary. Parking spaces shall be 10' wide and 20' deep and
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29889
double striped. 2. Signage has not been reviewed. A variance
from the Zoning Board of Appeals would be required for any non-
conforming Signage. This Department has no further objections
to this Petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Director
of Inspection. The next letter is from the Finance Department,
dated February 19, 2021, which reads as follows: " I have
reviewed the address connected with the above noted petition.
The following amounts are due to the City of Livonia: False Alarm
delinquent charges (2/1/2021): Total Due City of Livonia
$2,852,50" The letter is signed by Connie Kumpula, Chief
Accountant. The next letter is from the Treasurer's Department,
dated February 24, 2021, which reads as follows: `In accordance
with your request the Treasurer's Office has reviewed the name
and addresses connected with the above noted petition. At this
time there are taxes due." The letter is signed by Lynda Scheel,
Treasurer. The last letter is from the Assessment Department,
dated February 8, 2021, which reads as follows: "The plans
submitted by SPP Investors II, L.L.C. requesting the approval of
plans to re- develop the site at 39300 Seven Mile to demolish the
existing restaurant and to construct a new restaurant and a bank.
We have no objection to this proposal other than to comment that
if the new restaurant (Shake Shack) and bank are going to be
owned individually and want separate tax bills, a Lot Split will
need to be initiated." The letter is signed by Kathie Siterlet,
Residential Appraiser. That is the extent of the correspondence.
Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions of the Planning Director?
Ms. Smiley: Are these pieces of property owned separately? Parcel A and
Parcel or
Mr. Taormina: No. This is a single parcel currently.
Ms. Smiley: Okay. So, we don't really need lots li right?
Mr. Taormina: At this time, no. It is not a prerequisite to review the site plan.
Ms. Smiley: Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you Ms. Smiley. Mr. Long?
Mr. Long: Mr. Taormina, how long has this site been vacant? How long has
Macaroni Grill been gone?
Mr. Taormina: I think it is going on a year since the restaurant closed, but I am
not sure. Maybe the petitioner knows precisely. I think a little
over a year.
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29890
Mr, Long: I will ask them as well. In that year, this is the first thing that has
come before us for a proposed reuse that has come before us,
correct?
Mr. Taormina: That is correct.
Mr. Long: Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Long. Any other questions of our planning staff?
Mr. Ventura: Mr. Taormina, did you receive... at least I am under the
impression that you received some additional traffic information
between our study session and tonight. Is that true?
Mr. Taormina: That is true. That information should be provided in your e-
packet.
Mr. Wilshaw: Any other questions Mr. Ventura? Anyone else with any
questions?
Mr. Taormina: I do know that he is experiencing some Internet problems.
Mr. Ventura: I didn't hear anything, I apologize.
Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Ventura, you broke up a little bit. Did you want to repeat that?
Mr. Ventura: I am sorry. I am not sure if you can hear me again?
Mr. Wilshaw: You
broke up Mr. Ventura. What
you might
want to
try to
do is
turn
your video off and see if that
helps your
audio.
I have
seen
that
sort of improve the
bandwidth
a bit if you
just
go
audio
only.
Mr. Ventura: Okay. Video is off. How is the audio doing?
Mr. Wilshaw: We hear you fine.
Mr. Ventura: Mark, did you hear my question?
Mr. Taormina: You had asked whether or not new traffic information was
received between the study and this meeting, and the answer is
yes. That should be available in your e-packet.
Mr. Ventura: Okay. I have not seen that. Can you tell us what the
comparison... can you summarize the reports conclusions for the
traffic generated by drive-thru restaurants such as this one versus
a sit-down restaurant like the Macaroni Grill?
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Mr. Taormina: I don't have the traffic analysis in front of me. We do have the
traffic engineer available on the call. Going from memory after
reading portions of the report, it was clear to me that the
development as proposed will increase the amount of traffic to
the site. How significant that is can be measured in terms of
percentage increase in trip generation. I believe the engineer can
explain exactly what that is. In terms of changes, the report
indicates that there will be restrictions on the turning movements
on to Seven Mile Road. That was something that was
recommended by Wayne County in early discussions that the
developers had with the County regarding this issue. There has
yet to be a decision whether there would be restrictions on turning
movements from the Haggerty approach. Those could be time
sensitive, i.e.. certain times of the day when left-hand turns would
be prohibited from that driveway. That is a just a very rough
description. Again, the traffic engineer is here, and she will be
able to respond in detail to your questions.
Mr. Ventura: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, after last weeks study session I
reached out to Sargent Sczepanski to ask him questions about
why he was do definitive about his objection to this petition. He
shared with me the Michigan State Police accident statistics at
this intersection. In the last year of operation of the Macaroni
Grill, there were 60 accidents at this intersection, and 10 of them
were head-on collisions. A total of 24 were moving, where the
cars were moving, and the balance were rear -ending collisions.
This is a fairly dangerous, or very dangerous intersection already
and that is without a drive thru. I am sorry that I didn't have time
to share this data with the commissioners, but I have the report
from Sargent Sczepanski, the State Police report and would be
happy to share it both with my fellow commissioners and
petitioner. Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Ventura. That is good information to have, and I
am glad you followed up with them on that. It is a little unusual
when we hear the traffic division make this objection. It is not
something that they do too often. It is good that we followed up
on that. Any other questions or comments from the
commissioners for Mr. Taormina before we go to the petitioner?
If not, out petitioner and their representatives are in the audience.
We are going to ask that you click raise hand so we can identify
you. What I will do is give you the opportunity to unmute yourself.
You don't have to do that immediately, but you can certainly do
that when the time is appropriate, and you wish to speak. I will
give each of you that opportunity. There are four right now.
There is Mr. Williams, Ms. Kroll, Mr. Erickson, and Ms.
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Palmaesso. Good evening. Mr. Thompson as well. Mr. Williams,
I believe you are going to start for us?
Eric Williams, Stonefield Engineering & Design, 607 Shelby Street, Ste. 200,
Detroit, MI. We are here on behalf of the applicant, SPP Investors
II LLC. Mr. Erickson is here on their behalf and additionally we
have Julie Kroll with Fleis & Vanderbrink, our traffic consultant
and Allison Palmadesso from the Shake Shack team. We are
hoping we have all the right people in front of you so we
can... obviously respond to each and every question accordingly.
As Mark alluded to, we are seeking waiver -use approval for the
site located at 39300 Seven Mile Road. Probably more
commonly known as the Macaroni Grill located at the northeast
corner of Haggerty and Seven Mile Roads. We have worked with
Mark and staff and the Wayne County Road Commission over
the last few months to come up with a plan for this property. It
has been rather challenging due to the site dimensions. As Mark
mentioned, it is extremely long and narrow. We obviously have
a pretty expansive frontage along Seven Mile Road and then we
are also tied to our existing access points in terms of location.
This is further exacerbated by the open drain to the north which I
think we obviously discussed at the last meeting, but there is an
existing retaining wall that is shown on the plan with the line with
the X's through it. This is an existing wall and obviously as
construction commences and we have demolition work occur and
things of that nature, this is going to be closely looked at by our
site contractor and structural engineers. So, as Mark said, the
site is C-2 (General Business). The proposed uses are both
waiver -uses and I think it was important for Mark to point out that
at this point the bank with drive-thru facilities is conceptual. Once
Mr. Erickson and his team lock up a tenant, we will be back in
front of you for any tweaks to the site plan and obviously the floor
plans and detailed elevations. To walk everyone through the site,
and I don't want to belay the matter because Mark obviously did
a great job in describing what is going on here. I think the big
point is that when you look at this site today, it is obviously a
prominent corner within this city. I think the year is correct in
terms of when this site was closed. I know that Chip and his team
have been working hard to find tenants and solidify deals and
obviously make this property viable again. What we like about
this plan is that we are able to keep the Shake Shack or the
proposed Shake Shack building in almost the exact location of
the Macaroni Grill, except for cutting the buildings square footage
in half, essentially. So, the building is more or less in the exact
same location. By reducing the square footage, we were able to
activate the southeast corner of the site, or the area just adjacent
to Chippewa. In terms of what is out there today, you have a sea
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of asphalt on the east side, and we have been able to now' ..I
shouldn't say now because it is obviously conceptual, but based
on the setbacks, the site circulation, the number of parking
spaces, we have been able to activate that side of the site. Mark
had questioned some of the easement agreements, so what SPP
Investors is looking to do is essentially split these two properties
so that they are two freestanding parcels, and they will enter into
a reciprocal easement agreement. That would allow for the
function of shared utilities, shared access, and I am sure there is
a plethora of other agreements within that, but I think most
importantly the shared access to allow vehicles to go between
sites. With that I would like to pass it over to Julie so she can
speak on the adjustments that we have made to access the
conversations that we have had with the county and obviously
walk the commission through her findings with the traffic on the
site.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Williams. We will go to Ms. Kroll. As Mr. Williams
already started out, we do ask that you start with your name and
address for our record for our minutes. Ms. Kroll, I believe you
are up.
Julie Kroll, Flies & Vanderbrink, 27725 Stansbury Blvd., Ste. 195, Farmington Hills,
Mi. Mark, I think I saw you had the traffic study on one of those
tabs. So, I just kind of want to walk you through kind of how we
do the traffic study. When we started with this, we started with a
baseline traffic that we used for most recently for the Beaumont
property, which is as you know, to the east of here. That study
included a lot of background traffic. We included the Chick-Fil-A
development that is just north of here, St. Joes medical office
building development, the Haggerty Center that is just north of
here, the Shostack office building, which is actually in Northville,
and then of course the Beaumont medical. We also included the
recommended improvements that were coming with the
Beaumont, which included the addition of the traffic signal at CBS
Fox Drive and the optimizing of the traffic signals along Seven
Mile Road and Haggerty. That was assumed as our baseline for
evaluating this site. Then we took the trips generated by this
development and added them on top to figure out what was going
to be the traffic impact associated with this POD. If you can scroll
down to table E1 that is on page 6... there you go. This is where
we look at the trip generation for the site. So, you can see the
trip generation from the Macaroni Grill and then right below it you
will see the trip generation associated with the Shake Shack
operation. One thing that I want to point out is you will see a line
item in there that says pass -by trips. I am not sure how many of
you are aware of the term pass -by trips and I will briefly explain it
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for those that aren't familiar. What pass -by trips are are people
that are already on the road and they turn into a use and then
continue on their route home or wherever they may be going to.
A good example is like on my way to work I will stop in and grab
coffee at Starbucks and I will turn into Starbucks, get my coffee,
and then turn right back out and keep going on my trip to
wherever I am heading in the morning. This is very typical of
commercial type uses. There is an IT trip generation manual
provides pass -by trip percentages for our use and calculations.
So, what you are seeing here for turnover restaurants such as the
Macaroni Grill, you are going to see less pass -by trips. People
will actually leave their house with their family and go eat dinner
at a Macaroni Grill and then go back home. Whereas what you
are seeing with a Shake Shack or these fast -casuals or fast-food
restaurants, you are going to see more people jump in the drive-
thru or just run in and grab some food really quick and head on
home. That is where we are seeing the reductions. It isn't
actually new trips generated. These are people that are already
on Haggerty Road or Seven Mile Road that are just diverting off
their trip to run in and grab some food on their way home. When
we look at the actual new trips associated with the Macaroni Grill
and compare that with the new trips associated with the Shake
Shack, you can see that the new trips generated by the
developments are actually pretty comparable. Since most are not
open in ... they aren't open in morning for breakfast, we are really
just looking at that ingress in the afternoon. When I look at the
comparison of the Macaroni Grill and the Shake Shack, I am
seeing 27 in on both and then 25 out. Mostly because you go to
the Macaroni Grill and it takes you longer... you are going to
spend, potentially, over an hour rather than the Shake Shack
which you will be in and out in less than an hour. That is why the
ingress and egress for p.m. for Shake Shack is almost identical
and it's not for a high turnover such as Macaroni Grill. When I am
looking at the peak hour trip generation associated with two, they
are very comparable. Then we add the bank on top of that and I
have to say, the bank you have to take with a grain of salt
because the banking that is evaluated in the trip generation
manual is based on how people used to bank and it hasn't quite
caught up to how now people bank, which is much more on their
phones and ATM's. This is more of people going to the bank and
having an interaction with a teller, which... so you are seeing a
higher trip generation, but I just wanted to make you aware of
that. We did evaluate it. We felt it was more conservative for this
study to include the higher trip generation for the bank. Overall,
what you are seeing in the bottom line is the overall net increase
in trips associated with the development is what you see in that
bottom line there and that is what we are adding to the roadway
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network. In the end it is 66 cars in the p.m. When you are in the
grand scheme of how much traffic is going through the
intersection of Haggerty and Seven Mile, 66 cars is actually a
pretty low number because a lot of that trip is on pass -by traffic.
It is already on that road and they are just diverting their trip to
use these particular land uses. So, then I wanted to talk a little
it about distribution. I think if you scroll down, Mark, on the next
table, table E2, there is a distribution. We have two different
distributions. One is for new trips, and one is for pass -by trips. If
we are looking at the number of pass -by trips, for example, we
see the majority of traffic in this area is heading westbound in the
afternoon and then heading north and south. We are looking at,
in the afternoon, about only 20% of the traffic that would be
heading back to the east and the remaining 80% heading north
or south or west off the site. New trips we are looking at 70% of
the traffic will either go north, south, or west with only 30% going
east. Then if I say that I have 30% new trips that are going east,
so then I am only talking about 15 cars that we are looking at that
would have to make some sort of decision of how to head back
east during those p.m. peak hours. That is a relatively small
number. To the question about site access and safety... that was
a big thing with our conversation with Wayne County. They
wanted... they added those restrictions for the site access on
Seven Mile Road because of the safety concerns that the officer
brought up about crashes. What we are trying to do with the right
in and right out is not to hinder people from going back east, it is
to prevent crashes associated with vehicles exiting and making a
left hand turn out of there and having those crashes. What we
are trying to do is reduce the crash potential associated with the
proposed operation by adding that right in right out on Seven Mile
and then during the p.m. peak hour they would restrict the egress
left turn for the same reason. For the rest of the day, we found
that on Haggerty we could still allow full movements there
because we didn't have as many conflicts as we do during the
p.m. peak hour where we have the high volume of traffic there.
The improvements that we recommended in coordination with
Wayne County were really to improve the safety and address that
concern from the officer.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. Thank you, Ms. Kroll, for that presentation. We will see if
there is anyone else on your team that wants to speak. If not, we
will go to questions. I think there are some questions relevant to
traffic. We will give your team a full chance to present first though.
Mr. Williams, is there anyone else on your team to present?
Mr. Williams: Mr. Wilshaw, I believe Allison Palmadesso did want to give a brief
rundown on operations of Shake Shack and how customers can
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place orders and
pick up orders. I think
that is
important in the
distribution
of the
business that they plan
to see
there.
Mr. Wilshaw: Sounds good. Ms. Palmadesso, how are you? Good evening.
Allison Palmadesso, Shake Shack. I will keep it brief. I just wanted to jump in and
talk a little bit about our operation and then kind of where we fall
in the conversation of dine -in versus drive-thru and all of these
different uses. Shake Shack really thinks of itself, not only as fast
casual but we actually refer to ourselves as fine casual dining.
We really strive to make all of our restaurants a true community
gathering place for the communities that we go into. We are
really excited to be in the City of Livonia. To talk how we do or
how we will be doing drive-thru is that the drive-thru would be
dedicated only to people who are driving up and ordering on site.
However, there are a lot of different ways that our guests can get
their food. We still plan on having a robust dine -in program. We
have over 50 seats on our patio and over 60 seats within our
restaurants so people can still order dine -in. Additionally, you can
order to -go at the restaurant and then another thing that I want to
highlight was that you know increasingly people are looking to do
digital channels to order food. We purposely have those guests
come into the Shack to pick that up food. So, people ordering
food on our app ahead of time or delivery partners like Uber Eats
and Grubhub and all of that do also have to come into the Shack.
I am just hoping that explaining that will give a little piece of mind
as it relates to the volume of cars that we would see in the actual
drive-thru lane. We definitely anticipate using that inner lane
primarily and making that really clear so that cars can move freely
throughout this site and try to alleviate some traffic concerns.
That's it.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay, great. This is your first location that has adrive-thru,
correct?
Ms. Palmadesso: Yes. We currently do not have any other drive-thru' s.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay great. Anyone else on your team that is looking to present
before we go to questions?
Mr. Williams: I think we are all set, and we are ready to answer any questions
and hear from anyone in the public.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay, thank you, Mr. Williams. Any questions for our petitioners
from any of the commissioners?
March 9, 2021
29897
Mr, Ventura: I guess, Mr. Williams, I will direct this question to you and if I am
directing it to the wrong person, I apologize. I understand that
you approached the owners of the property to the north to seek
permission to exit from Macaroni Grills site onto the road that is
contiguous with this property to the east, is that correct?
Mr. Williams: Yes sir. That is correct.
Mr. Ventura: He declined to grant that permission, is that correct as well?
Mr. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Ventura: Ms. Kroll, during our study session when we talked about traffic
coming from the east that would want to return to the east, you
indicated that the solution was for customers to exit on
northbound Haggerty and go up and enter the site to the north,
travel east on the private road and (inaudible) goes north and
south and exits on Seven Mile Road immediately adjacent to the
site. That same road that the owner of that private road has
declined to give you access to. That was your answer. Am I
right?
Ms. Kroll: I just wanted to clarify that a little bit if I could. There is multiple
ways that vehicles can head back to the east. During the off peak
period vehicles will be able to exit on to Haggerty Road and turn
to go left and turn another left to go on Seven Mile Road. During
the off peak period vehicles can exit on to Seven Mile Road and
turn right and then turn left to go south on Haggerty and then
come around on the public roadways through Chippewa from the
south.
Mr. Wilshaw: Sorry about that. Go ahead, Ms. Kroll.
Ms. Kroll: There are multiple ways that vehicles could exit the site and get
back to the east. They can use either of two driveways and then
during those peak hours in the p.m, they could either turn right
and go the north or turn left and go to the south and turnaround
and come up Chippewa from the north or the south. Knowing that
they accessed... to the north is a private roadway, however, the
access to the south is a public roadway.
Mr. Ventura: Okay, thank you. I have to tell you that I shop at the Home Depot
across the street from the site at least once a week and the
likelihood of anybody exiting this Macaroni Grill site and getting
into the left turn lane to go south on Haggerty Road is going to be
highly problematic. That intersection is backed up past the
location of this exit almost all the time. That is going to create a
March 9, 2021
29898
very dangerous situation, but that is my opinion. I have lived
there a long time and have been going to that store for years, so
I have a ton of experience there. I guess the other thing that
puzzles me is that if you look at the population of Livonia and the
four communities to the west, Livonia is 60% of the total
population, yet you are saying that westbound traffic is going to
be 80% of the stops at this restaurant and only 20% of the people
are going to want to go back east. Somehow that doesn't square
with just the number of people that are there to visit that
restaurant. I don't understand how that can possibly work. There
just aren't enough people to west of the site to represent 80% of
the traffic, unless everybody in Northville, Northville Township,
Plymouth, and Plymouth Township has a special affinity for
Shake Shack. Failing that, majority of the population is to the
east of this site and I don't know how they are going to represent
only 20% of the trips. Can you elaborate on that at all, Ms. Kroll?
Ms. Kroll: Sure. So, let me clarify that I... it was 20% of the pass -by trips in
the p.m. were eastbound. People heading eastbound towards I-
275 with the majority of traffic actually going north and south on
Haggerty Road and the remaining 26% headed westbound. It
wasn't all going west. It was distributed north and south on
Haggerty and in addition to westbound during the peak hours.
We are seeing that during the peak hours the majority of traffic is
not headed eastbound. 80% of the traffic is headed westbound.
Mark, do you still have that table E2?
Mr. Ventura: I understand what you are trying to (inaudile) I guess (inaudible).
Thank you, Mr. Wilshaw.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Ventura. Any other questions from any of the
other commissioners for our petitioner?
Ms. Smiley: Have you had an opportunity to talk with Livonia PD or the State
Police about your assessment as it differs so much from theirs?
Mr. Wilshaw: I think that question would be for Ms. Kroll.
Ms. Kroll: I guess ... Mark, can you repeat what the office indicated in the
letter?
Mr. Taormina: Mr. Chairman, with your permission.
Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, Mr. Taormina.
Mr, Taormina: Thank you. It reads: "1 have reviewed the plans in connection
with the petitions. I have one concern in regard to the proposal.
March 9, 2021
29899
The Seven Mile and Haggerty area already has a very high tramu
volume throughout the day. I believe locating this business at
that location has a high potential to add to the traffic congestion
and also increase the amount of vehicle crashes." That letter is
signed by Scott Sczepanski, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau, City of
Livonia.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Taormina. Ms.Kroll?
Ms. Kroll: Based on that letter he...l don't believe that he had an opportunity
to review the data that was presented in the traffic study. It
sounded like he was basing his information on his thought about
traffic impact and no I would say we have not had an opportunity
to speak with the police about that, regarding the traffic impact
here. Like I said, in regard to safety we did work with Wayne
County who is the permitting agency regarding their
recommendation for site access and safety for this site.
Ms. Smiley: Okay, thank you. Who is the neighbor to the north that they don't
want to go into an agreement with them about letting them access
into their property? Who owns that?
Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Taormina, that is the AMC property, right?
Mr. Taormina: Yes. So, that is the Pentagon Association. It is a condominium
association made up of five (5) co -owners or units, including the
three restaurants, the AMC theatre, and the hotel.
Ms. Smiley: They don't want them to exit into their property? Is that right?
Mr. Taormina: I did not have any communication with the association or their
I anagement company regarding this proposal. As was indicated
by Mr. Williams, they did reach out to them and were unable to
secure any type of agreement to get access to that adjacent
roadway.
Ms. Smiley: Okay, thank you. Were they also the one that didn't want
Beaumont to use the road?
Mr. Taormina: It is the same road. I am not aware that any agreement has been
reached between Beaumont and the Association for similar
access but from the opposite side.
Ms. Smiley: Okay, thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Ms. Smiley. Any other questions from any of the other
commissioners?
March 9, 2021
29900
Mr. Bongero: I guess this is for Ms. Kroll. Like Pete, I am in that Home Depot
a lot and I happen to be there on Saturday, and it was probably
three o'clock and Home Depot was crowded. If felt like if I wasn't
an aggressive driver, I could have sat there for a long time on
trying to get back on to Haggerty Road. In front of me was an
elderly driver and they are very apprehensive to make the move
to get out there because Haggerty was lined up like Pete said.
There was some frustrated people behind me laying on the horn
and I was like... that is where I think trouble lies. Because
somebody is going to get startled or whatever and tend to want
to get out just because everyone is on them to move. Does the
traffic study take that into account? Do you know what I am
saying? If I didn't get aggressive, I would have sat there a lot
longer. It is packed.
Ms. Kroll: To make a right turn or left turn on to...
Mr. Bongero: Left. I was trying to go north on Haggerty.
Ms. Kroll: So, during the peak p.m. when we are expecting the higher traffic
volumes the county has restricted left turning movements on
Haggerty at this site access drive because of the reason you just
described. It is a safety concern. There is concerns about delays
for egress left turns on that approach. So, they have
recommended to prohibit left turn during the p.m. peak. During
the off-peak periods, there is less traffic that would be conflicting
that would allow those movements to occur to make a left turn.
At the Seven Mile access, they fully restricted it to right -in and
right -out, so no left turns will be permitted. Both of those were
based on safety and operations.
Mr. Bongero: Okay, thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Bongero. Any other questions for our petitioners?
If not, is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for
or against this item? If so, please click raise hand and we will
recognize you and give you an opportunity to speak. I don't see
anybody clicking the raise hand. Mr. Williams, we will go back to
you as our sort of main representative of the petitioner and see if
there is anything else you would like to add to this before we
make our decision on this item.
Mr. Williams: I think we are all set. Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, sir. So now I will close the public hearing and ask for
a motion.
March 9, 2021
29901
On a motion by Ventura to deny, seconded by Bongero, due to lack of support, the
motion failed.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
NAYS: McCue, Smiley, Long, Wilshaw
AYES: Bongero, Ventura, Caramagno,
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
On a motion by McCue, seconded by Smiley, and adopted, it was
#03-08-2021 RESOLVED, That pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held
by the City Planning Commission on March 9, 2021, Petition
2021-02-02-02 submitted by SPP Investors II, L.L.C. requesting
approval of all plans required by Sections 11.03(n)(3), 18.47 and
18.58 of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance No. 543, as
amended, in connection with a proposal to re -develop the site,
including demolishing the existing restaurant (Romano's
Macaroni Grill), constructing a full -service restaurant with drive-
thru facilities (Shake Shack), and constructing a bank with drive-
thru facilities, at 39300 Seven Mile Road, located on the northeast
corner of Seven Mile and Haggerty Roads in the Southwest'/4 of
Section 6, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to
the City Council that Petition 2021-02-02-02 be approved subject
to the following conditions:
That the Site Plan identified as Drawing C-3, dated February
3, 2021, as revised, prepared by Stonefield Engineering &
Design, is hereby approved, and shall be adhered to, except
that construction of a building on Parcel B shall not occur
until and unless a separate waiver use/site plan is submitted
for review by the Planning Commission and approved by
City Council.
That the Landscape Plan identified as Drawing C-8, dated
February 3, 2021, as revised, prepared by Stonefield
Engineering & Design, is hereby approved, and shall be
adhered to.
That all disturbed lawn areas shall be sodded in lieu of
hydroseeding.
4. That underground sprinklers are to be provided for all
landscaped and sodded areas and all planted materials
shall be installed to the satisfaction of the Inspection
March 9, 2021
29902
Department and thereafter permanently maintained in a
healthy condition.
5. That the Exterior Elevation Plans for the restaurant,
identified as Sheet No. A201 & Sheet No. A202, both dated
January 13, 2021, as revised, prepared by Aria Group, are
hereby approved, and shall be adhered to.
6. That all rooftop mechanical equipment shall be concealed
from public view on all sides by screening that shall be of a
compatible character, material, and color to other exterior
materials on the building.
7. That the maximum customer seating count for the restaurant
shall not exceed a total of 114 seats, including 74 interior
seats for the restaurant and 70 outdoor patio seats.
8. That no advertising shall be permitted on any of the seating
or table apparatus of the outdoor patio area.
9. That only one (1) menu order board sign is allowed per
stacking lane in accordance with the sign standards set forth
in Section 18.50H.
10. That the three walls of the trash dumpster areas shall be
constructed of masonry that complements the design of the
building. The enclosure gates shall be of solid panel steel
construction or durable, long-lasting solid panel fiberglass.
11. That the restaurant shall provide disposal of grease waste
in accordance with Section 13.20.380 of the City Code of
Ordinances.
12. That the proposed construction shall meet the Wayne
County Stormwater Ordinance, including detention
requirements, and the Petitioner shall secure all required
permits, including soil erosion and sedimentation control.
13. That all new pole -mounted light fixtures shall not exceed a
height of twenty feet (20') and shall be aimed and shielded
to minimize stray light trespassing across property lines and
glaring into adjacent roadways.
14. That only conforming wall signage is approved with this
petition, and any additional signage shall be separately
submitted for review and approval by the Zoning Board of
Appeals.
March 9, 2021
29903
15. That no LED lightband or exposed neon shall be permitted
on this site including, but not limited to, the building or
around the windows.
16. That unless approved by the proper local authority, any type
of exterior advertising, such as promotional flags, streamers
or sponsor vehicles designed to attract the attention of
passing motorists, shall be prohibited.
17. That the specific plans referenced in this approving
resolution shall be submitted to the Inspection Department
at the time the building permits are applied for; and
18. Pursuant to Section 19.10 of Ordinance #543, the Zoning
Ordinance of the City of Livonia, this approval is valid for a
period of one (1) year only from the date of approval by City
Council, and unless a building permit is obtained, this
approval shall be null and void at the expiration of said
period.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That notice of the above hearing was
given in accordance with the provisions of Section 19.05 of
Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYES: McCue, Smiley, Long, Wilshaw
NAYS: Bongero, Ventura, Caramagno,
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Mr. Wilshaw: Is there any discussion?
Mr. Wilshaw, Chairman, declared the
motion is carried and
the foregoing
resolution
adopted. It will go on
to City Council with
an approving
resolution.
ITEM #2 PETITION 2021-02-02-03 Emerson Oaks
Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2021-
02-02-03 submitted by Infinity Homes and Company requesting
special waiver use approval pursuant to Sections 20.01 and
20.02A of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance #543, as
amended, to develop a Planned Residential Development under
the Single -Family Clustering option (Emerson Oaks), consisting
of thirty-five (35) site condominium lots, on the property at 28400
March 9, 2021
29904
West Chicago Avenue (former Wilson Elementary School site)
located on the north side of West Chicago Avenue between
Harrison and Middlebelt Roads in the Northwest'/4 of Section 36.
Mr. Taormina: This is a proposal to develop a planned residential development
under the single-family clustering option. The location is the
former Wilson Elementary at the northwest corner of West
Chicago and Harrison. This property is 8.74 acres in area and is
a perfect square. It is 617 feet by 617 feet. The property is
currently being rezoned from PL (Public Land) to R-1 (One family
residential). Council gave first reading on December 2, 2020, R-
1 conventional lot size requirements are 7,200 square feet per lot
with a minimum 60 feet per lot width and 120 feet per lot depth.
The cluster option allows for reduced lot sizes to preserve open
space and overcome natural and other unique obstacles or
constrains that pose challenges to developing a site using
conventional design standards. In the case of R-1 zoning, the
maximum permitted density is four dwelling units per acre for a
single-family cluster. For the subject property, which is 8.75
acres in size, the maximum number of units would be 35, The
submitted plan for Emerson Oaks shows exactly 35 site
condominium lots. As you can see from the plan, access would
be from both Harrison and West Chicago. A new road identified
on the plans as Parkside Court would extend north from West
Chicago for a distance of approximately 420 feet and would end
at a cul-de-sac. The other road, which is named Tulipwood,
would extend west from Harrison for a distance of approximately
410 feet, where it would intersect with Parkside Court. Both roads
would be public and have a right-of-way width of 50 feet in lieu of
the standard 60 feet. The new roads would provide access to 30
of the 35 home sites. The other five units would front on and have
direct access from West Chicago. Those are identified as lots 1
thru 5. Sidewalks would be provided in front of all the lots and
the new sidewalk system would also join with the existing public
sidewalks along both Harrison and West Chicago Ave. Under the
clustering option there is no minimum lot size requirement.
Instead, the Zoning Ordinance establishes minimum standards
for front yard setbacks and spacing between buildings. In the R-
1 zoning district, the minimum spacing between buildings is 10
feet. The majority of the lots in this development measure 52 feet
by 115 feet for a lot area of 5,980 square feet. A management of
the sites storm water runoff would occur in the northeast corner
and would be in the form of an open system that includes a
forebay for pretreatment and a main detention basin. There are
several open space areas located throughout the development,
including within and around the detention basin. This area
measures approximately 20,680 square feet. There is one along
March 9, 2021
29905
the west side of the property totaling roughly 28,800 square feet.
Other open space areas are along a portion of West Chicago
equal to about 2,390 square feet and along Harrison Ave. totaling
4,700 square feet. Also included is the dedication of land in the
northeast corner to the City of Livonia. The subject land, which
measures approximately 40 feet along Harrison by 309 feet
would be improved to provide additional parking at Clements
Circle Pool. The dedicated area equals 13,921 square feet and
would add 44 parking spaces to the existing parking lot. Storm
water runoff from the expanded parking lot would be directed to
and managed via the new detention basin which lies immediately
to the south. The additional spaces are needed to accommodate
the peak summer pool hours. The superintendent of Parks and
Recreation, who is present this evening, has reviewed the plans
and is in full support of the parking lot improvements. Added
together, the open space and dedicated land, total 70,501 square
feet or 1.61 acres which equates to 2,014 square feet per lot.
This is substantially more than the 760 square feet per lot that is
required for new subdivisions. A landscaping plan has been
submitted. It is fully detailed, and it shows a variety of plantings
throughout the condominium subdivision, including along the
sites frontages on West Chicago and Harrison. Along the north
and west sides of the property there are also street trees provided
for each of the lots. With that, Mr. Chairman, I can read out the
departmental correspondence.
Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, please.
Mr. Taormina: The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated February
16, 2021, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your
request, the Engineering Division has reviewed the above
referenced petition. We have no objections to the proposed
project at this time. The property is assigned the address of
#28400 West Chicago Avenue, and the legal description included
on the plans submitted by the owner appears to be correct, and
should be used to describe the parcel. The proposed
development is currently serviced by public water main, storm
and sanitary sewers, and the submitted drawings indicate that
new utility connections will be constructed to service the
proposed parcel layout. Easements will need to be provided for
the new water and sanitary sewers, as well as portions of the
storm sewer that are to be maintained by the City. At this time,
Exhibit `B" drawings have not been provided to show proposed
easements, so we cannot determine if the proposed easements
are correct. The proposed construction will be required to meet
the Wayne County Stormwater Ordinance, including detention
requirements. Detention is shown on the preliminary plans, and a
March 9, 2021
29906
full review of the proposed development will be completed when
plans are submitted for permitting, although it should be noted
that the Developer will be required to submit soil borings for
roadway and detention areas indicating soil makeup and water
level elevations (regular and seasonal). The submitted drawings
indicate that the proposed roadways are to be 27' wide, centered
within a 50' wide right-of-way. Current Engineering Department
standards require roadways to be a minimum of 31' wide, and a
minimum right-of-way width of 60`. The submitted drawings
indicate the proposed roadway is to be named Parkside Court,
but it should be noted that `Parkside" is already used by another
roadway in the City. The Developer will need to rename the
proposed roadway to a unique street name, or use an existing
name that is in alignment with the proposed road. `The letter is
signed by David W. Lear, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The next
letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated February
101 2021, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the
site plan submitted in connection with a request to construct site
condominiums on property located at the above referenced
address. We have no objections to this proposal with the following
stipulations: Using the city of Livonia Department of Public Works,
Engineering Division, Site Plan Design Standards (Pg. 11 of 32)
as a guide, fire hydrant spacing for multiple single-family home
sites must at a maximum, be spaced every 500 feet. The Fire
Prevention Division is requesting the placement of an additional
fire hydrant at the corner of Parkside and Tulipwood. Either at lot
21 or 8."The letter is signed by Greg Thomas, Fire Marshal. The
next letter is from the Division of Police, dated February 10, 2021,
which reads as follows: '7 have reviewed the plans in connection
with the petition. I have no objections to the proposal."The letter
is signed by Scott Sczepanski, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The
next letter is from the Inspection Department, dated March 9,
2021, which reads as follows: "Pursuant to your request, the
above -referenced petition has been reviewed. This Department
has no objections to this petition," The letter is signed by Jerome
Hanna, Director of Inspection. The next letter is from the Finance
Department, dated February 19, 2021, which reads as follows: "
1 have reviewed the address connected with the above noted
petition. As there are no outstanding amounts receivable (general
or water and sewer), I have no objections to the proposal." The
letter is signed by Connie Kumpula, Chief Accountant. The next
letter is from the Treasurer's Department, dated February 9,
2021, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request,
the Treasurer's Office has reviewed the name and addresses
connected with the above noted petition. At this time there are
taxes due, (even though the current property owner is exempt
from most, they do pay for street lighting) but they are not
March 9, 2021
29907
delinquent until March 2, therefore 1 have no objections to the
proposal.."The letter is signed by Lynda Scheel, Treasurer. Next,
we have a few emails to read out. The first one is from Mark
Trybus, dated February 21, 2021, which reads as follows: `I live
just across the street on Hartel & W. Chicago. I really like the
Green Space and or Park area as it exists. I DO NOT want to
have to see Condos Blocking the View of the Park. This area is
supposed to be a flood plane for the Water Pumping Station that
exists right there. I also like the open area as it stops the NOISE
of the Vehicles Speeding up & Down W. Chicago from echoing
across the street into My Backyard. I live at 9444 Hartel St. My
Name is Mark Trybus. I have lived here since 1984. 1 worked for
the City of Livonia for more than 36 years. Over the years I have
noticed that the Planning Commission has made many
Boneheaded decisions. You have caused many Businesses to
Leave the City. You have also Stopped Many Companies from
having a Business here. In fact the Planning Commission was so
Boneheaded that we DO NOT have a Downtown Area. We DO
NOT have a Entertainment Area. Surrounding areas like
Plymouth, Canton, Westland all have these areas. All we have is
a Big Money Pit called Greenmeade. We were Not allowed to Use
it for Many Music or entertainment type ventures because of the
reasons only known to old Fogey's. Again, Please leave Us
Citizens some Green Space so that We won't have to Pay a fee
to see A Real Blade of Grass in some old Museum." The next
email is from Derek Parrott, dated March 1, 2021, and reads as
follows: "Livonia Planning Commission, I am sending this e-mail
in regards to the proposed condominium development at 28400
West Chicago Avenue between Harrison and Middlebelt Roads
in the Northwest Y4 of Section 36. 1 am writing to express my
concern and reticence of a condo development smack in the
center of our neighborhood. The homes in our neighborhood
consist of mid-century homes built primarily in the late 1940s and
any 1950s, and possess a consistent aesthetic charm that
contributes to our sense of community. If the lot is to be rezoned
for residential needs, I would very much prefer that it be
developed in a consistent style with the rest of the neighborhood.
Looking at the designs for two of Infinity Homes developments in
Livonia (Heritage Square and Dover Court) I feel that a glut of
twostory condos would be little more than a nice looking pimple
on our neighborhood. I choose the word pimple specifically, a
blemish is the first thing that will catch ones eye, and similarly,
this development would be equally difficult to ignore as a series
of nigh -identical two-story condos will quickly dominate the
skyline from all directions. If Infinity Homes would like to develop
smack in the center of our neighborhood, I think it would be both
more appropriate and tasteful, to adhere to the look and feel that
March 9, 2021
29908
the community possesses as opposed to slapping down rows of
condos that do little to serve or represent the history of our area.
Thank you." The last email is from Beth Graham, dated March 8,
2021, and it reads as follows: "My name is Beth Graham and I
live at 28815 West Chicago sf. I am concerned about Infinity
Homes building on the former Wilson School site. I do not think
they should be allowed any exemptions or special waivers. I have
visited Infinity Homes nearby development at Park West on Ann
Arbor trail and there are issues here which would negatively
impact the surrounding neighborhood. Since 2019 or earlier the
site at Park West has been bare dirt. I looked at it last year when
a few structures had gone up. The site was extremely messy with
huge piles of dirt leaking into the nearby streets, piles of trash and
rubble. The homes are at least twice the size of the typical homes
surrounding, and have the garage as the main feature facing the
street which is not a friendly and walkable appearance. As of now,
in March 2021, the site appears even worse. This is a road along
the outside of the development, equivalent of Harrison or West
Chicago st for the site under consideration. Piles of trash, lumber
and dirt are out in the open and dirt runs into the street. With the
schools nearby and Clements Circle park and pool adjacent to
the Wilson School site, there are unattended kids walking by
constantly. The sidewalk here have been closed off to hold piles
of dirt. The lots under construction, including open foundations,
have no fencing or security around them that I could see. There
is trash and debris all over, which is blowing against the
neighbors fences and into their yards along with the dirt from the
are ground. After 2-3 years time only a few houses have
completed. What will the impact be on the Clements Circle pool,
and to our roads and sidewalks, to have a site like this under
construction for many years? There will be dirt blowing off it all
summer into the pool. I am also unhappy because the Infinity
Homes has stated that they will cut down any existing trees on
the property and plant new ones. The mature trees at the corner
of W. Chicago and Harrison are of a size that we will not see
again in our life time even if new trees are planted. A number of
the new evergreen trees planted at Park West entrance already
appear to be dying. Here is the Wilson School site in spring. I am
not against houses being built here but I would like to see it done
in a way that is safe and would add to the community and be a
part of it rather than putting up a wall into the middle of if." That
is the extent of the correspondence.
Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions of the Planning Director? If not, the
petitioner is in the audience. Mr. Soave. I am going to give him
an opportunity to address the commission. Is there anybody
else with Mr. Soave that we need to recognize?
March 9, 2021
29909
Rino Soave, 42400 Grand River, Ste. 112, Novi, MI. I believe Greg Donnan with
Arpee Donnan should be on the meeting call. I can't see if he is
on the call.
Mr. Wllshaw: Yes, he is. I will make sure to give him an opportunity to speak
as well. We will start with you. We ask that you start with your
name and address.
Mr. Soave: To start, if brother Rico with Bellagio Homes who presented
last week at the study meeting who is also my partner in the
development side of the project was unavailable this evening, so
I am pleased to discuss with the commission and potential
neighboring residents that are present this new and exciting
upcoming development. As I stated Greg Dorman is also with us
to discuss any civil questions and I think I heard that Ted Davis is
in attendance on behalf of Parks and Rec. Is that correct?
Mr. Wilshaw: That is correct.
Mr. Soave: So, Ted can discuss if there are any questions regarding the
parking lot dedication that Mark explained. As stated, the project
is being proposed as is for 35 new single-family homes and they
will consist of ranch, story and a half which is your Cape Cod, and
two-story colonial floor plans. They consist of a minimum of 1,500
to 2,700 square feet. We typically offer anywhere from 12 to 14
production plans that we build across our communities. We are
currently building some in communities across the city, which I
will explain in a few seconds. So, we offer a pretty good variety
of the plans that we offer, so not every house is going to look the
same. We do have control over floor plans that are being built
side by side in the neighborhood. So, meaning that one buyer
can't come in there and pick... you are illustrating the Traverse
model right now ... a buyer can't come in there and say I want
Traverse on number 19 with elevation A and then another buyer
is going to come in say the I want a Travers on unit 20 elevation
A. We have control over that, so it keeps the architectural
integrity of the community. The project and scope will be very
similar to what we have done and been successful with in the city
over the past three to four years. Our family has been building... I,
myself have been building in the city for several decades now.
To reference a few recent sites that we have done ... the
Washington Park community at Amber Road and Hix which was
50 units was done in 2017 to 2019. Heritage Square at Newburgh
and Six with it finishing up right now. It is 50 new homes. Also,
we are building... and it is in another city, but it is very nearby and
someone reference Parkwest. That is an 80-unit home
March 9, 2021
29910
community ... single-family home community and with Livonia
schools, at Ann Arbor Trail and Farmington. With respect to the
overall subject site, over the past several months we have worked
with various departments within the city. Our engineers and
design team have worked and took into consideration some of
the questions and concerns that were raised at the rezoning
meetings. For example, many residents have expressed their
concern over the limited parking that has been an issue at the
swim club during its peak summer months. We worked with Ted
Davis office to dedicate a portion of property to provide a
community benefit to the residents to alleviate this parking issue.
Given some of the site's inherent challenges, we created a buffer,
as you can see on the conceptual drawing there, of open space
between the property and the adjacent properties. This open
space not only serves the community but also serves as a open
landscape buffer for the treatment facility that is surrounded by
the barbed wire fencing. I was on the meeting last week and it
was kind of news to me, and I asked my brother afterward
because he referenced the barbed wire fencing, he said this is
one of the last... there is only one or two remaining properties
within the city that have barbed wire fencing. I thought that was
kind of interesting. Like I said, this property is (inaudible) up by
the roads and the swim club. The storm water detention facility
as referenced on the plan also creates some beauty and creates
an additional buffer from the newly formed parking lot and the
Emerson community. We believe we came up with what we
consider a great plan for this parcel and we look forward to it
success. Not only for the city but also for its current and future
residents. I am here on behalf of our companies and like I said
our engineer is here so let us know if you guys have any
questions or concerns that get brought up during the meeting.
Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Soave. Are there any questions for our petitioner
from any of the commissioners? If there are no questions from
any of the commissioners for our petitioner, then we do have
people in our audience who are wishing to speak for or against
this item. Anyone who is wishing to do that please click raise
hand so that we can recognize you. We will start with Kim B who
has been patiently waiting. We will give her an opportunity to
unmute herself and start with her name and address, please.
Kimberly Cooley, 28816 Hathaway, Livonia, MI. Like my neighbors, I also live
across the street from the current green space, and I am whole-
hearted disagreement with the rezoning of this area for residential
use and the building of condominiums. I think that building in this
area presents a real safety and traffic concern. The speed limit
March 912021
29911
already is 35 which is, in my opinion, quite high for the area given
that there is an elementary school and a main road not far away.
With increased traffic and increased dwellings within that area,
specifically with single-family unit homes, I think there is a real
potential for an increased population of school aged students and
a great increase in traffic, which is already an existing problem in
the area. Furthermore, I am in agreement with my neighbor Mark
on that I like the green space and my neighbor Beth that those
mature trees are special for the area. It would truly be a shame
to see those go away because it is true that we have limited public
space in Livonia. I think we need to maintain that and really
reconsider the use of this area for commercial or rather residential
development.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay, thank you Kim. We appreciate your comments. We will
take your comments into consideration when we make our
decision. Next, we have Frank S. I will give you a chance to
unmute yourself and again start with your name and number.
Frank Sgambati, 9850 Harrison, Livonia, MI. I wish they could keep those trees
there. I have watched those trees grow, but my concern was
because of past history with that area. When they started
developing ...well, is there any chance of our basements
flooding? Because years ago, that was an issue in that area and
then the city and the school spent a lot of money and time fixing
that area. Now I just hope it doesn't bring back the floods.
Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Sgambati, what we will try to do is give...once we hear from
all of the citizens, we will give a chance to our petitioner to
address any of the questions or concerns that were raised. What
I can tell you is regarding water, storm water management, the
requirements of the County for storm water management is much
stricter than it has ever been of the past. What happens is that
each development that occurs, such as this proposed one, the
storm water must be maintained on that site. Any water that
collects on that site must be maintained, put into a retention area
and then slowly discharged into a sewer system as to not
overwhelm it. We often find that these types of developments
actually improve the water situation for neighboring properties
because it has... right now you have no control system rate on
that property, and they will be putting one in.
Or.
Sgambati: Thank you.
Or.
Wilshaw: Thank you, sir. The next person on our list is Chelsea Ellis. I will
give you a chance to unmute yourself and make your comments.
Thank you.
March 91 2021
29912
Chelsea Ellis, 28659 West Chicago, Livonia, MI. I have a couple concerns with
the proposed project. The first concern being traffic, and usage
flow. West Chicago is already a fairly busy street. Harrison is a
small street that keeps a pretty good amount itself. The
Tulipwood exit on to Harrison might be rather difficult given that
Harrison is a smaller street. In general, I think this is a lot of
houses to try to put into this corner for the sake of traffic that it is
going to generate. Additionally, the corner of West Chicago and
Harrison does get a little busy at times, especially at school time.
The houses that are proposed to have driveways on to West
Chicago, especially lots 1, 2 and maybe even 3 would be difficult
to access during those times. West Chicago does get quite a bit
of foot traffic as well with students walking to and from school with
people heading to the park. I think that is something to consider
too as we are looking at the amount of traffic that these houses
are going to bring into this area, and we want to keep our
pedestrians safe. Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Ms. Ellis. You were quiet at the beginning, but you
did ... we did hear what you were talking about in regard to traffic
with both vehicles and pedestrians. We appreciate your
comments. Is there anyone else in the audience wishing to speak
for or against this item? If so, you can click raise hand and we
will give you a chance to speak. We have Karen Baird. You can
unmute yourself and introduce yourself with name and address.
Please.
Karen Baird, 14195 Westmore, Livonia, MI. I have a daughter that lives in the
neighborhood. A couple of things about this development that I
want to express concern about. One is that retention pond. I
know that we have to have retention ponds by modern zoning but
the retention ponds that I have seen, they seem more like
mosquito swamp generators that really bring down the ability to
enjoy the outdoor space in the summer months. I would be
interested to know what is going to be done to keep the bug
problem down. Another item that I want to ask about or express
concern about is just that the type and style of houses that are
going into this area, they are not in keeping with the general
aesthetic of the neighborhood. I would say they stick out like a
sore thumb and will reduce the enjoyment of the area because of
the lack of green space. Livonia is so congested. I have lived in
Livonia for 35 years and it seems like all the green space has
been gobbled up, especially within the neighborhoods. I hate to
see it disappear because it takes away the charm. I feel the
property values within the neighborhoods. Thank you.
March 9, 2021
29913
Or. Wilshaw: Thank you, Ms. Baird. We appreciate your comments, and we
are going to ... when we go back to the petitioner, we will ask him
if he can address the mosquito and bug control in the retention
ponds and what are his intentions are. We appreciate that
comment. Is there anyone else wishing to speak for or against
this item? If so, please click raise hand. I don't see anyone else.
There was one comment that came through the chat and I will
read it out so that it is in our record. It is from one of our attendees
named Kathryn. She asks "What reason is there to add more
homes? Is it just because we can because the land is there? As
far as I can see the only reason is so someone can make money
by eliminating the only green space that exists in this
neighborhood." I wanted to make sure that the comment was
recognized. If there is no one else in our audience with
comments, I want to go back to Mr. Soave. You have heard some
questions from our residents about traffic, both vehicles and
pedestrian, and also the trees that exist on that property and also
regarding pest management, bug management in the retention
pond area and also water management. If you could address
some of those issues, I would appreciate it.
Mr. Soave: Absolutely. To start with regarding the storm water detention, that
is actually .... I am going to pass that one over to our engineer. I
want to verify that that is going to be a ... Greg, can you verify if
that is going to be a dry pond? If not, we would probably put an
aerator in there like we do in a lot of our other communities where
the water is actively flowing, and it helps alleviate that problem. I
think that Engineering has been trying to get away from the wet
pond and do away with... obviously to phase out the live ponds.
We have had to go back and modify on several projects.
Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Donnan?
Greg Donnan, Arpee Donnan Civil Engineers, 32233 Schoolcraft, Livonia, MI. It
is currently proposed to be a dry pond.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Soave: That alleviates a big concern. When it came up, I was kind of
uncertain about that myself. Engineering has made us go back
in the past and modify the water filled ponds to dry ponds. That
is reassuring for us as well. With respect to the question
regarding greenspace, this used to be, as everyone knows, a
former school so at one point I am not sure...I reached out to
Livonia Public Schools to see at one point how many children/kids
were at this facility. I don't know approximately, but I would
assume for it to being an elementary school there had to be at
March 9, 2021
29914
least 200 to 300 students I would assume. This is actually... from
its prior use was, I know it is green now, but at one point there
was obviously a structure there that was removed. So, any trees
on site... any trees... especially because of its natural beauty, we
try to preserve whatever green space we can on site. You have
trees there that have been matured for several decades or who
knows, probably over 100 years. Those are nice features when
we go and sell a house to somebody. That is nice to have in your
front yard, your back yard. We try to preserve anything we can.
With respect to the basements flooding, I think you said it Mr.
Chairperson, that everything is retained on site. Sanitary is
obviously retained separate and the discharge is to a separate
sanitary discharge. That shouldn't be a concern. The style of the
homes, we know we feel that the homes are built to todays
standards. We have done this before with other communities.
For example, even in Parkwest not too far down the street from
here and granted it is in Westland, but a lot of the same homes
are adjacent to Parkwest are also there. We feel it has been a
good blend. We have gotten a ton of compliments. We get a
bunch of positive feedback on the community and how it was
transitioned. Even Washington Park and the surrounding
neighborhood is very similar. The architecture is very similar to
the surrounding homes at Emerson. I hope that answers some
of the questions.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Soave. Any questions or comments from the
commissioners for our petitioner?
Mr. Caramagno: Rino, there is a question early on or a comment early on about
while the building is being one, controlling the dirt, controlling
the site ... with that question, a site of this size, how long from start
to finish would this site be disrupted?
Mr. Soave: Based on the current housing market, we feel we could probably
be sold out, not built out, I would say within 18 months pending
nothing unforeseen. I am kind of reluctant to say after last year.
I would say about 18 months. Back to the resident's question on
that, I guess I forgot to touch on that. That Parkwest was in the
middle of its development and obviously we got shut down for
COVID so that site sat there for a period of time dormant pretty
much through the winter and obviously at this time last year we
just sat there until pretty much June when we started. Once we
kind of reopened up, getting utilities is a big drag and it still is a
drag. We are still having material shortages and labor shortages.
As many of you know, that has been a big issue. Not only in
Livonia, Michigan, but pretty much across the nation in our
industry. To answer your question, we always do our best to
March 9, 2021
29915
maintain everything on site. We do have clean up personnel that
monitors our sites daily. Parkwest is probably between myself,
my brethren's company, like I said it is 80 homes. It has to be
one of the busiest housing developments that I have see around
Southeastern Michigan. At least, if anyone hasn't been through
there, I would encourage you to do that. If not, there has to be at
least 35 homes going on there at the moment. It is a busy site.
On top of that, during the days and on the weekends, we get an
overflow of traffic at our sales office there. It is a busy site. Some
cases I agree with the resident what they said. The site isn't
always looking its best and I would be lying if I told you every day
it is pristine, but when you have that much construction going on
it is going to look like a construction site at some point.
Mr. Caramagno: Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Caramagno. Any other questions for our
petitioner from any other commissioners? Mr. Taormina.
Mr. Taormina: Mr. Soave, you heard the comment about the dirt and the dust
and it potentially getting into the pool. What can you provide this
evening in terms of mitigating measures to reduce the likelihood
of that happening? If the timing is such that you're timing doing
the heavier earthwork is in the middle of the summer, that
wouldn't bode well on a windy day depending on which way the
wind is blowing. What can you commit to this evening in terms of
trying to keep that down to a minimum?
Mr. Soave: One thing that I think really helps is having a daily...getting a
street sweeper on site daily or as needed. That is really key. With
the construction traffic, obviously there are only so many ways to
get into this community through the existing neighborhood. West
Chicago and Harrison. If we need to get street sweepers out
there daily to keep any sedimentation and obviously, we will
maintain our soil control measures. That is controlled by the city,
so sedimentation is staying out of the storm water system. That
is probably the best way for dust control. It is to probably make
sure the roads are maintained properly. That is what we do
everywhere else.
Or.
Taormina: What about watering?
Or,
Soave: As far as while construction activity is going on?
Or,
Taormina: Yeah. Dust control through watering. Keeping the dust down.
March 9, 2021
29916
Or. Soave: That is something that I think we would just take on a case -by -
case basis. The days you are going to have heavy winds we
would probably have to do that because, like you said, if people
are using the pool and that dust is going in there, that isn't good
for many reasons. But, for the days you have heavy winds or
something, one we may have to refrain from working or two there
will be some kind of dust control.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Soave. Mr. Davis from our Parks and Recreation
Department is also with us this evening. Good evening, Mr.
Davis.
Ted Davis, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Livonia, MI. To address one
of the concerns regarding having the pool next to the construction
site, about three or four years ago after completing construction
on the Clements Circle Pool, people remember in that
neighborhood there was (inaudible) construction with water
mains, gas lines, and they used the former Wilson School site as
a staging area. So, we were able to withstand that and there was
significant construction debris and traffic going on during that
time. Although obviously being next to a construction site is less
than ideal for a swimming pool and keeping it clean. I do feel
confident that we will be able to maintain a quality environment
during the construction. Any help that the developer can provide
(inaudible).
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Davis. Any other questions or comments from
the commissioners? Mr. Soave, just a quick question regarding
the lots that are closest to the pool and I believe they would be
241 25, and 26. That will most likely be the ones to cause issues
with the dust in the pool area given their proximity to that facility.
Is it possible... is there any way to control the timing of when and
how houses are built on those lots so that you could minimize
construction during the summer pool season?
Mr. Soave: Are the concerns from a noise standpoint or going back to dust
and that type of....
Or.
Wilshaw: I think dust is the greater concern.
Or.
Soave: I kind of refrain from committing to that because, as many of you
know, a buyer comes in and wants to purchase a house I really
can't have... if we are signing a contract now and right now our
company has a two -to -three-month backlog as a company. For
everything that we are starting I would hate to tell someone and
will probably lose a sale if I were to say your house won't be
ready ... we couldn't start your house until next November or
March 9, 2021
29917
maybe like next September when the pool is closed again. What
I will commit to is that we will do our best to maintain the dust
control and really with single-family housing, the biggest dust
control would be during the basement excavation and grading.
Really grading is pretty much low density and really you are going
to have... once the house is framed and the rough framing is up,
there is not a whole lot of dust. Maybe when the masons are out
there installing brick, but after that there isn't much else than that.
The basement excavation is probably the worst of it. What we
could commit to is doing that during certain days where again,
weekends are like I said work well because we can't get
inspections during the week. We may have to pick certain days
to do basement excavation. I think that would be the worst of it,
the grading and excavation.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay,
so at least
on this site you are going to commit
to dust
control
measures
to minimize any airborne dust that you
can.
Mr. Soave: Absolutely. Yes.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay, good. Thank you. Any other questions for comments from
any our commissioners? If not, there is one person in the
audience wishing to speak again. I am going to... normally we
don't want to create a back -and -forth debate, but I do want to give
her an opportunity to speak because she has been patiently
waiting to at least (inaudible). I want to do that before we close
out the public hearing. Ms. Baird, you can unmute yourself and
make your comments.
Ms. Baird: Yes, I didn't realize before that the builder is Soave who is the
Sol e builder who rebuilt the house next door to me when it burnt
down in a fire. Soave rebuilt it next door. There have been so
many problems. I had mentioned that drainage pond, but I did
not realize it was the same people. There were problems with
drainage when they built that house. Our land started sloping
down pulling away from our house, falling into the pit of the
basement basically. Since that time the owners have been so
frustrated. They have given up trying to deal with Soave. They
are having problems with drainage around the house. Water
coming into the house from outside. It just puts my mind in a real
state of concern about how they are going to address those kinds
of issues if they couldn't take care of it when it was only one house
next door to me. How are they going to handle it for a whole
neighborhood? I am concerned about the quality of their work.
March 9, 2021
29918
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. We appreciate your comments. We will take that into
account. I am going to go back to Mr. Soave for his last
comments.
Mr. Soave: Just to touch on what that person just said. We have a big family.
Everybody is in real estate. Maybe someone else from my family
possibly built that house. From a business standpoint it doesn't
have anything to do with what we are doing here. Let me be clear
on that. I don't typically build existing homes. We typically build
the larger communities like this, so I don't recall...I don't' recall
Rico building something next to an existing house that burnt
down. Just because it has the same last name doesn't mean it is
affiliated with this project. Just for the record on that.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Soave. We appreciate that. I will close the public
hearing and ask for a motion.
On a motion by Smiley, seconded by McCue, and unanimously adopted, it was
#03-09-2021 RESOLVED, That pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held
by the City Planning Commission on March 9, 2021, on Petition
2021-02-02-03 submitted by Infinity Homes and Company
requesting special waiver use approval pursuant to Sections
20.01 and 20.02A of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance #543,
as amended, to develop a Planned Residential Development
under the Single -Family Clustering option (Emerson Oaks),
consisting of thirty-five (35) site condominium lots, on the property
at 28400 West Chicago Avenue (former Wilson Elementary
School site) located on the north side of West Chicago Avenue
between Harrison and Middlebelt Roads in the Northwest % of
Section 36, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend
to the City Council that Petition 2021-02-02-03 be approved
subject to the following conditions:
1. That the Master Deed and bylaws complies with the
requirements of Article XX, Section 20.01-20.06 of Zoning
Ordinance #543, as amended, and the Subdivision Control
Ordinance, Title 16, Chapter 16.04-16.40 of the Livonia
Code of Ordinances, subject to the following modifications
and exceptions:
- that the first floor of each condominium unit shall be
brick or stone, on all four (4) sides, and the total amount
of brick or stone on each two-story unit shall not be less
than 65% and not less than 80% on one-story
dwellings.
March 9, 2021
29919
that the minimum floor area for each dwelling shall not
be less than 1,400 square feet for one-story ranches
and 1,600 square feet for multi -story cape cods or
colonials.
that all exterior chimneys shall be brick.
2. That the Site Plan identified as SH. 1, dated January 19,
2021, prepared by Arpee/Donnan, Inc. is hereby approved
and shall be adhered to.
3. That the Landscape Planting Plan and Landscape Notes
and Details identified as LP-1 and LP-2, respectively, both
dated January 18, 2021, prepared by Nagy Devlin Land
Design, are hereby approved and shall be adhered to;
4. That streetlights and sidewalks shall be installed throughout
the development to the satisfaction of the Engineering
Department.
5. In the event of a conflict between the provisions set forth in
the Master Deed and bylaws and the requirements set forth
in the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance No. 543, as
amended, the Zoning Ordinance requirements shall prevail,
and the petitioner shall comply with the Zoning Ordinance
requirements.
6. That the petitioner shall include language in the Master
Deed and bylaws or a separate recordable instrument
wherein the condominium association shall reimburse the
City of Livonia for any maintenance or repair costs incurred
for the storm water detention/retention and outlet facilities.
7. That the petitioner shall comply to the satisfaction of the
Engineering Department the recommendations as outlined
in the correspondence dated February 10, 2021 by the
Department of Public Safety, Livonia Fire and Rescue, with
respect to the location and spacing of fire hydrants.
8. The developer and all contractors and subcontractors shall
employ best management practices to prevent, reduce and
mitigate the problems associated with soil erosion and
airborne dirt and dust from migrating off -site, including
provisions for erosion control barriers, daily street sweeping,
watering, and halting earthwork activities on days when the
wind conditions are likely to cause a problem.
March 9, 2021
29920
9. That only a conforming entrance marker is approved with
this petition, and any additional signage shall be separately
submitted for review and approval by the Zoning Board of
Appeals.
10. That all required cash deposits, certified checks, irrevocable
bank letters of credit and/or surety bonds which shall be
established by the City Engineer pursuant to Article XVIII of
Ordinance No. 543, Section 18.66 of the ordinance, shall be
deposited with the City prior to the issuance of engineering
permits for this site condominium development; and
11. Pursuant to Section 19.10 of Ordinance #543, the Zoning
Ordinance of the City of Livonia, this approval is valid for a
period of one (1) year only from the date of approval by City
Council, and unless a building permit is obtained, this
approval shall be null and void at the expiration of said
period.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That notice of the above hearing was
given in accordance with the provisions of Section 19.05 of
Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended.
Mr. Wilshaw: Is there any discussion?
Mr. Wilshaw, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution
adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution.
ITEM #3 PETITION 2021-02-08-01 Gargaro Construction
Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2021-
02 08-01 submitted by Gargaro Construction requesting approval
of all plans required by Section 18.58 of the City of Livonia Zoning
Ordinance #543, as amended, in connection with a proposal to
remodel the exterior of the commercial strip center at 33527,
33529 and 33535 Seven Mile Road, located on the south side of
Seven Mile Road between Farmington Road and Myron Avenue
in the Northeast'/4 of Section 9,
Mr. Taormina: This involves property on Seven Mile Road on the south side just
west of Farmington Road. The zoning is C-1 (Local Business).
This project involves exterior renovations to two adjacent
commercial buildings that are under common ownership.
Combined, the two buildings have about 5,000 square feet of
area and their setback is 50 feet from Seven Mile Road. As you
can see from the aerial, off-street parking is available in front of
March 9, 2021
29921
the buildings with some additional parking located at the rear.
The proposal is to essentially unify the appearance of both
buildings. As you can see, they have similar heights, as well as
similar materials. As proposed the north facing fagades would be
completely remodeled. The existing brick would be replaced with
new brick and cultured stone. There would be a tower element
created for the entrance on the building to the east. Additional
design features include an accent band across the center of the
building. There would be wood beams, as well as a suspended
canopy provided at the tower above the entrance way. Smooth
metal panels across the top and a new opening that would be
installed adjacent to the west entrance. The remaining back
portion of the building would be repainted in order to match the
new color scheme. With that, Mr. Chairman, I can read out the
departmental correspondence.
Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, please.
Mr. Taormina: The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated February 4,
2021, which reads as follows: `In accordance with your request,
the Engineering Division has reviewed the above referenced
petition. We have no objections to the proposed project at this
time. The proposed project is located on two separate parcels
that are assigned the addresses of #33527 and #33535 Seven
Mile Road. The existing building is currently serviced by public
water main and sanitary sewer, as well as private storm sewer.
The submitted drawings do not indicate revisions to the building
services, so we do not believe there will be any impacts to the
existing systems. It should be noted that the developer may be
required to obtain a Wayne County permit, should any work occur
within the Seven Mile Road right-of-way. " The letter is signed by
David W. Lear, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The next letter is
from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated February 10,
2021, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site
plan submitted in connection with a request to construct a
commercial building on property located at the above referenced
address. We have no objections to this proposal." The letter is
signed by Greg Thomas, Fire Marshal. The next letter is from the
Division of Police, dated February 3, 2021, which reads as
follows: `I have reviewed the plans in connection with the petition.
I have no objections to the proposal. " The letter is signed by Scott
Sczepanski, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The next letter is from the
Inspection Department, dated March 9, 2021, which reads as
follows: 'Pursuant to your request, the above -referenced petition
has been reviewed. This Department has no objections to this
petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Director of
Inspection. The next letter is from the Finance Department, dated
March 9, 2021
29922
March 5, 2021, which reads as follows: " I have reviewed the
addresses connected with the above noted petition. The following
water bill charge is due to the City of Livonia: Water Bill charge
(33535 Seven Mile Road): Total Due City of Livonia: $ 584.18
Please contact me if you have any further questions." The letter
is signed by Connie Kumpula, Chief Accountant. The next letter
is from the Treasurer's Department, dated February 3, 2021,
which reads as follows: `In accordance with your request, the
Treasurer's Office has reviewed the name and addresses
connected with the above noted petition. At this time there are
taxes due, but they are not delinquent until March 2, therefore I
have no objections to the proposal."The letter is signed by Lynda
Scheel, Treasurer. That is the extent of the correspondence.
Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions of the Planning Director? If not, Mr.
Taormina, one quick question. I know at our study meeting we
talked briefly about the color rendering and the accuracy of the
color that is on the screen that we see. Did you hear any more
about that?
Mr. Taormina: That information was relayed to the petitioner who is raising his
hand right now and hopefully he has some additional information
for us. But yes, he is aware of that question that was raised at
the study meeting.
Or. Wilshaw:
Okay, great. We will find out from the petitioner more about that.
If there are no more questions for our planning staff, I am going
to go to Mr. Gargaro who is in our audience. Good evening. You
can unmute yourself and start with your name and address.
Mario Gargaro,
33527 Seven Mile Road, Livonia, MI. A couple of things. After our
conversation with Scott Miller, right off the bat he had mentioned
a second tower over this second set of doors to the right-hand
side, which we have added to these elevations. I can email them
back over. I got them back a little late to send them to him last
Friday, but I can email them back to him tomorrow so you guys
can take a look at that. In regard to the selections, I have actually
got a sheet of selections that
I could even put together... some of
the actual selections to bring in if that would be helpful. I do have
names and model numbers of stones and paints and that type of
stuff if that would be helpful.
Or. Wilshaw:
Normally we like to see material samples and of course we are
usually in person to actually see them. It is a bit more difficult
with this whole Zoom thing. If you could at least describe the
colors to use so we can understand... are we
looking at a shade
March 9, 2021
29923
of black or a shade of grey or blue grey? What exactly are you
proposing?
Mr. Gargaro: The brick there is more of a bronzish grey. So, it would almost
be like a dark grey almost you would call it. I know that it doesn't
look like that here. The paint color we would be matching is called
Urbane bronze. It is a Sherwin Williams color. SW7048 if you
want to look it up. That would be kind of representative of the
tone of the brick. Almost like a dark bronzish color.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay, good. That helps. Do we have any questions from any of
our commissioners for our petitioner?
Mr. Bongero: Just one
quick
thing. I think its
great. It came up
at the study
meeting...
Pete
brought it up.
The post sign in
front of the
building.
In the
middle of parking
lot. Is that coming
down?
Mr. Gargaro: That wasn't in the plans. That's grandfathered in and actually the
building to the right ... we own the building. It was the old Bell's
bike and puck and now it's a HVAC company. We lease it. To
be honest, that is where that water bill comes from. We will get
with him tomorrow to make sure it gets paid, but we hadn't
planned on taking it down. We are open to suggestions.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: In all honesty that has been grandfathered in. They rented the
building from us and that sign was there. Obviously he is using it
to put up his sign. We need to talk to him about it. That is part of
his lease.
Mr. Bongero: Okay. I was just inquiring. It came up last week and we needed
clarification on it.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: You wouldn't be able to put that up now, but obviously they are
already there so ya know...
Mr. Bongero: Thank you. The building looks great.
Mr. Gargaro: Thank you very much.
Or.
Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Bongero. Any other questions for our petitioner?
If not, I will go the audience and see if anyone in the audience
wishes to speak for or against this item. There aren't too many
folks left. If so, click raise hand. I don't see anybody wishing to
speak for or against it. I will go back to Mr. Gargaro. Do you have
any other comments you would like to add before we make our
decision?
March 9, 2021
29924
Mr. Gargaro: No. Would you like some of these samples brought in? I could
drop them off with Scott Miller or what would be the best way to
approach that?
Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Taormina, what is your feel on that?
Mr. Wilshaw: Yeah, why don't you coordinate with Mr. Miller to have those
samples delivered and the new renderings provided. This item
still has to go before City Council.
Mr. Gargaro: I understand. WiII do. I will email over the new elevation
rendering with the second tower tomorrow morning, so he has
that.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: It is going to be a huge benefit for the City of Livonia. It will look
real nice.
Mr. Wilshaw: Yeah. That way our planning staff can make sure that the
information gets passed on to City Council for their review and a
chance to look at it if they wish.
Mr. Gargaro: Fantastic.
Mr. Wilshaw: Ms. Smiley.
Ms. Smiley: Yes, is there any discussion with Primo's Pizza about fixing that
place up.
Mr. Gargaro: We thought about mentioning it to Dominic.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: He
wanted
to know what I was
going to do.
We haven't shown
hiIII
this yet.
They are going to
have to step
up. You're right.
Mr. Gargaro: I could mention it to Dominic though. We talk with him all the
time. It would be nice to see the whole thing kind of uniform and
even.
Ms. Smiley: Yes, it would be a welcome addition.
Or.
Gargaro: Okay, I will mention it to Dominic to see if he wanted to get on
board. It would be nice to see...like you said (inaudible)
Or.
Wilshaw: Any other questions or comments from any other
commissioners?
Or,
Ventura: I direct this to
Mr. Taormina. In my packet I can't find
any
letter
from the water
department regarding delinquent water
bills.
I do
March 912021
29925
have a letter from Connie Kumpula, Chief Accountant regarding
delinquent False Alarm charges. It is almost $2,900.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: We never had that our location. I don't know what our tenant
might have did.
Mr. Gargaro: Yeah. That could have been something...the space next door is
rented by a HVAC company. I would have to check with him to
see if that was something that went on there. It's definitely not
our building those couldn't be from. I could check with the tenant
tomorrow to see what that is all about.
Mr. Ventura: Mark, do these charges go with the property like water bills do?
Mr. Taormina: I don't see those false alarm charges. The letter I am looking at
from the Finance Department only references the water bill and I
am not even sure that is delinquent. It just says that there is a
water bill due.
Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, Mr. Taormina, on page138 of our electronic packet there is
a letter dated February 19, 2021 from Connie Kumpula about a
false alarm delinquent charges of $2,852,50.
Mr. Taormina: I don't have that in front on me. I apologize. The Council will not
act on this if there are any past due amounts whether it is this
property or the next one. If it involves this property that is under
petition, they will make sure it is paid before they take final action.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: We paid our water bill. I know the building belongs to me and the
water bill goes to them and if they actually haven't paid it I was
unaware of that. We just found out last week that those things
were delinquent. We will make sure it is taken care of.
Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Ventura, are you okay?
Mr. Ventura: I am good with that. Thank you, Mr. Taormina.
Mr. Wilshaw: Any other questions or comments?
As.
Smiley:
One
more. I'm sorry I
had a
communication
problem there. What
was
the conversation
about
those signs on
a pole.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: There isn't much I can do about that. It really belongs to the
tenant that we lease the building to. That was grandfathered in
with the new sign. Obviously, we can dress it up and fix it up and
make it look a little bit better. It is what it is at this point.
March 93 2021
29926
Ms. Smiley: So, he wants to leave it up?
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: As far as I know he does.
Ms. Smiley: Okay. Because the City is really trying to get away from those.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: I understand that.
Ms. Smiley: And how about in your parking lot too? Isn't it kind of ...
Mr. Gargaro: It makes it little difficult.
Ms. Smiley: Yeah.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: It does. I am not going to say that is not true. For the two
buildings that we have, we do have plenty of parking to service
the buildings itself. Obviously, Primo's park in our lot a lot too,
his clients and his purchasers that buy his goods. The only
reason those bumper posts are there is because everybody was
backing into the sign causing problems.
Ms. Smiley: Okay. If you can get rid of it...it might be better.
Mr. Gargaro Sr.: We will see what we can do.
Ms. Smiley: That would be great.
Mr. Wilshaw: Okay, thank you. Anyone who makes a motion is free to add
language regarding the sign if they wish. That is not something
that is unheard of as far as to do's. Any other questions or
comments from the commissioners before we ask for a motion?
I don't see any other questions or comments.so I will ask for a
motion.
On a motion by Bongero, seconded by Caramagno, and unanimously adopted, it
was
#03-10-2021 RESOLVED, that the City Planning Commission does hereby
recommend to the City Council that Petition 2021-02-08-01
submitted by Gargaro Construction requesting approval of all
plans required by Section 18.58 of the City of Livonia Zoning
Ordinance #543, as amended, in connection with a proposal to
remodel the exterior of the commercial strip center at 33527,
33529 and 33535 Seven Mile Road, located on the south side of
Seven Mile Road between Farmington Road and Myron Avenue
March 9, 2021
29927
in the Northeast '/ of Section 9, be approved subject to the
following conditions:
1. That the Exterior Elevations Plan prepared by GM
Associates, as received by the Planning Department on
February 1, 2021, is hereby approved and shall be adhered
to.
2. That only conforming signage is approved with this petition,
and any additional signage shall be separately submitted for
review and approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
3. That no LED light band or exposed neon shall be permitted
on this site including, but not limited to, the building or
around the windows.
4. That unless approved by the proper local authority, any type
of exterior advertising, such as promotional flags, streamers
or sponsor vehicles designed to attract the attention of
passing motorists, shall be prohibited.
5. That the specific plans referenced in this approving
resolution shall be submitted to the Inspection Department
at the time the building permits are applied for; and
6. Pursuant to Section 19.10 of Ordinance #543, the Zoning
Ordinance of the City of Livonia, this approval is valid for a
period of one (1) year only from the date of approval by City
Council, and unless a building permit is obtained, this
approval shall be null and void at the expiration of said
period.
Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Bongero, since we did have discussion about that pylon sign,
is there any intention or desire to add any language about he sign
or would you rather leave it grandfathered?
Mr. Bongero: I'm fine with it. Just leave it grandfathered.
Mr. Wilshaw: Is there any discussion?
Mr. Wilshaw, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution
adopted. It will go onto City Council with an approving resolution.
ITEM #3 PETITION 2021-02-08-02 Quatro Construction L.L.C.
March 9, 2021
29928
Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2021-
02-08-02 submitted by Quatro Construction L.L.C. requesting
approval of all plans required by Section 18.58 of the City of
Livonia Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended, in connection with
a proposal to remodel the exterior of the commercial strip center
(Plymouth Shoppes) at 29195 thru 29215 Plymouth Road,
located on the south side of Plymouth Road between Garden
Avenue and Middlebelt Road in the Northwest 'Y4 of Section 36.
Mr. Taormina: This petition is similar to the last, in that it involves renovations to
an existing commercial building. This one is on the south side of
Plymouth Road, just east of Middlebelt Road. The zoning is C-2
(General Business). The site size is roughly 1.1 acre with 160
feet of frontage on Plymouth Road. Plymouth Shoppes is a multi -
tenant retail center that contains a gross floor area of a little over
11,000 square feet. As you can see from this aerial photograph,
the off-street parking is located in the front as well as the rear of
the building. The building's existing fagade consists of brick with
large storefront windows. Tenant signage is in the form of
multiple fabric awnings that extend across the upper part of the
building above the windows. The proposed improvements
include replacing the storefront windows, removing the awnings
and adding a series of new parapet walls that would extend above
the building's existing roof line, raising the overall height by about
six feet eight inches to a top elevation of just under 24 feet. As
you can see, the new fagade elements vary in height and width.
They consist of different materials and textures, designed to
make the building appear as if it has off -sets and some relief
along the storefront elevation. The building materials will include
a combination of stack stone, which is cultured stone, a long
board, which I believe is an aluminum product or composite, and
then brick, as well as limestone. There is a metal cap that will run
along the top edge of the parapet. The new design element
would wrap around the east and west elevations for a distance of
roughly 10 feet on either side. No other changes or
improvements are proposed as part of this petition. With that, Mr.
Chairman, I can read out the departmental correspondence.
Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, please.
Mr. Taormina: The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated February 5,
2021, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request,
the Engineering Division has reviewed the above referenced
petition. We have no objections to the proposed project at this
time. The parcel is assigned an address range of #29195 thru
#29215 Plymouth Road with the address of #29195 Plymouth
Road being assigned to the overall parcel. The existing building
March 9, 2021
29929
is currently serviced by public water main and sanitary sewer, as
well as private storm sewer. The submitted drawings do not
indicate revisions to the building services, so we do not believe
there will be any impacts to the existing systems. It should be
noted that the developer may be required to obtain a Michigan
Department of Transportation (MDOT) permit, should any work
occur within the Plymouth Road right-of-way."The letter is signed
by David W. Lear, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The next letter
is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated February, 2021,
which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan
submitted in connection with a request to construct a commercial
building on property located at the above referenced address. We
have no objections to this proposal. " The letter is signed by Greg
Thomas, Fire Marshal. The next letter is from the Division of
Police, dated February 8, 2021, which reads as follows: "I have
reviewed the plans in connection with the petition. I have no
objections to the proposal." The letter is signed by Scott
Sczepanski, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The next letter is from the
Inspection Department, dated March 9, 2021, which reads as
follows: "Pursuant to your request, the above referenced Petition
has been reviewed. 1. The parking lot shall be repaired and
restriped as necessary. Parking spaces shall be 10' wide and 20'
deep and double striped. This Department has no further
objections to this Petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna,
Director of Inspection. The next letter is from the Finance
Department, dated March 5, 2021, which reads as follows: " I
have reviewed the addresses connected with the above noted
petition. The following water bill charges are due to the City of
Livonia: Water Bill charges (29195 Plymouth): Water Bill charges
(29199 Plymouth): Water Bill charges (29215 Plymouth): Total
Due City of Livonia:$ 939.35" The letter is signed by Connie
Kumpula, Chief Accountant. The next letter is from the
Treasurer's Department, dated February 8, 2021, which reads as
follows: `In accordance with your request, the Treasurer's Office
has reviewed the name and addresses connected with the above
noted petition. At this time, there are no taxes due, therefore I
have no objections to the proposal. " The letter is signed by Lynda
Scheel, Treasurer. That is the extent of the correspondence.
Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions of the Planning Director? If not, our
petitioner I believe is in the audience, Mr. Quatro. I am going to
give you an opportunity to introduce yourself and add anything
else that you would like to.
Tom Quatro, 201 N. Park, Ypsilanti, MI. We are the contractor on the job. The
long board is an aluminum panel. It is a wood grain. We have
used it in quite a few other areas. The cultured stone is there.
March 91 2021
29930
As it is described, the limestone is one inch thick, and it goes on
to the thing much like the cultured stone. Basically, it is just a
facelift. It is a dated center, and the tenant wants to ... the owner
of it wants to bring it up to a little more attractive to gain new
tenants. There was some mention of the back parking lot. That
is in the next year project. They do want to do that and take
care of that area in the back, although they want to attract a
couple new tenants first and gain some funds in order to do the
back area. That is about it.
Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you, Mr. Quatro. Are there any questions or comments
for our petitioner?
Ms. Smiley: Are these colors pretty accurate?
Mr. Quatro: Pretty accurate. The limestone is a little whiter than shown on
here. The greys come across really well when you render. The
limestone for some reason it gets almost greyish. It is natural
limestone.
Ms. Smiley: Okay. Then that... is that wood looking or kind of...
Mr. Quatro: Yeah, that has a wood grain. That is called a rose color. I can
drop off samples as well. It is a... it is an engrained wood grain
inside the aluminum, so it looks like wood. It lasts forever.
Ms. Smiley: It is very
attractive. Thank you
It
is probably good if you drop
them off
because Council likes
to
actually look at them.
Mr. Quatro: Okay.
Ms. Smiley: Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any other questions for our petitioner? If not, we will ask
if there is anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or
against this item? Please click raise hand. I don't see anybody
doing that. A motion would be in order.
On a motion by Ventura, seconded by Long, and unanimously adopted, it was
#03-11-2021 RESOLVED, that the City Planning Commission does hereby
recommend to the City Council that Petition 2021-02-08-02
submitted by Quatro Construction L.L.C. requesting approval of
all plans required by Section 18.58 of the City of Livonia Zoning
Ordinance #543, as amended, in connection with a proposal to
March 9, 2021
29931
remodel the exterior of the commercial strip center (Plymouth
Shoppes) at 29195 thru 29215 Plymouth Road, located on the
south side of Plymouth Road between Garden Avenue and
Middlebelt Road in the Northwest'/4 of Section 36, be approved
subject to the following conditions:
1. That the Exterior Elevations an identified as Sheet No. A-
3.11 dated February 2, 2021, as revised, prepared by
Mohamed Nasri Bazna Engineer, is hereby approved and
shall be adhered to.
2. That in within a period of one (1) year from the date of
approval by City Council, the site's front and rear parking
lots shall be repaired, resealed, and restriped as necessary
to the satisfaction of the Inspection Department. Parking
spaces shall be doubled striped at ten feet (10) wide by
twenty feet (20) in length. Also, within that same time frame,
the site's trash dumpsters shall be enclosed. That the three
walls of the trash dumpster areas shall be constructed out
of building materials that shall complement that of the
building. The enclosure gates shall be of solid panel steel
construction or durable, long-lasting solid panel fiberglass.
3. That only conforming signage is approved with this petition,
and any additional signage shall be separately submitted for
review and approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
4. That no LED light band or exposed neon shall be permitted
on this site including, but not limited to, the building or
around the windows.
5. That unless approved by the proper local authority, any type
of exterior advertising, such as promotional flags, streamers
or sponsor vehicles designed to attract the attention of
passing motorists, shall be prohibited.
6. That the specific plans referenced in this approving
resolution shall be submitted to the Inspection Department
at the time the building permits are applied for; and
7. Pursuant to Section 19.10 of Ordinance #543, the Zoning
Ordinance of the City of Livonia, this approval is valid for a
period of one (1) year only from the date of approval by City
Council, and unless a building permit is obtained, this
approval shall be null and void at the expiration of said
period.
March 9, 2021
29932
Mr, WIIShaw: Is there any discussion?
Mr. Wilshaw, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution
adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution.
ITEM #6 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1,165th Public Hearings and
Regular Meeting
Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Approval of
the Minutes of the 1,165th Public Hearings and Regular Meeting
held on February 23, 2021.
On a motion by Caramagno, seconded by Long ,and unanimously adopted, it was
#03-12-2021 RESOLVED, That the Minutes of 1,165th Public Hearings and
Regular Meeting held by the Planning Commission on February
237 2021, are hereby approved.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYES: Long, McCue, Smiley, Bongero, Ventura,
Caramagno, Wilshaw
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Mr, Wilshaw, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution
adopted.
On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the 1,166rd Public
Hearings and Regular Meeting held on March 9, 2021, was adjourned at 9:23 p.m.
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
Sam Caramagn , S cretary
ATTEST:
Ian Wilshaw, airman