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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNING MINUTES 2018-03-13 MINUTES OF THE 1,119th PUBLIC HEARINGS AND REGULAR MEETING HELD BY THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LIVONIA On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, the City Planning Commission of the City of Livonia held its 1,119th Public Hearings and Regular Meeting in the Livonia City Hall, 33000 Civic Center Drive, Livonia, Michigan. Mr. Ian Wilshaw, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Members present: Sam Caramagno Glen Long Betsy McCue Kevin Priddy Peter Ventura Ian Wilshaw Members absent: Carol Smiley Mr. Mark Taormina, Planning Director, and Ms. Margie Watson, Program Supervisor, 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 2018-02-02-03 WADE SHOWS Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the first item on the agenda, Petition 2018- 02-02-03 submitted by Wade Shows, Inc. requesting waiver use approval pursuant to Section 11.03(1) of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance#543, as amended, to conduct a carnival in the parking lot of Sears, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Livonia, consisting of amusement rides, games and food concessions from May 17, 2018 through May 28, 2018, inclusive, on property at 29500 Seven Mile Road, located on the northwest corner of Seven Mile Road and Middlebelt Road in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 2. March 13, 2018 28521 Mr. Taormina: This is a recurring request to hold a fundraising carnival within the parking lot of the Sears department store located at the northwest corner of Middlebelt and Seven Mile Roads. This falls under the provisions of 11.03(i)(3) of the Zoning Ordinance where carnivals are treated as a waiver use. They are allowed to operate for a period not to exceed two weeks. Wade Shows is the operator for this particular event. They have been the operator for a number of years with Rotary Club being the fundraising beneficiary. The duration of the carnival is for approximately 12 days running from May 17 through May 28. These dates generally correspond with the week before Memorial Day weekend and then through the weekend. The carnival would be closed and dismantled on Monday, Memorial Day. The hours of operation from Monday through Friday are 4:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. and then Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The layout of the carnival is the same as it has been for the past several years. It would occupy the southeast corner of the Sears parking lot. The RV parking and all of the storage for equipment would be located in the southwest corner. As you can see on the general diagram, it still allows for ample parking for the Sears department store. With that, Mr. Chairman, I can read out the departmental correspondence. Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, please. Mr. Taormina: There are six items of correspondence. The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated February 16, 2018, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Engineering Division has reviewed the above referenced waiver use approval request. The address of#29500 Seven Mile Road is correct for the subject parcel, and should be used in connection with this petition. The legal description provided for the property does not close per surveying standards, but is sufficient to describe the parcel for this petition. We have no objections to the proposed petition, although the following items should be noted: (1) Should the carnival have the need to occupy, or should any of the associated activities impact either of the Seven Mile Road or Middlebelt Road right-of-way, a permit from Wayne County will be required as both roads are under their jurisdiction. (2) All sanitary sewage from the site, recreational vehicles or campers shall be disposed of properly. (3) Should the operators need to have water provided for their facilities, they should contact the City of Livonia Water Department to obtain the proper equipment, including a water meter with backflow preventer." The letter is signed by David W. Lear, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The second letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated February 26, 2018, which reads as follows: "This office has March 13, 2018 28522 reviewed the site plan submitted in connection with a request to conduct a carnival in the parking lot of Sears, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Livonia, consisting of amusement rides, games and food concessions from May 17, 2018 through May 28, 2018 inclusive, on property at 29500 Seven Mile Road, located on the northwest corner of Seven Mile Road and Middlebelt Road, in the Southeast% of Section 2. We have no objections to this proposal with the following stipulations: Commercial kitchen Hood and Duct fire suppression shall be a UL 300 system and comply with NFPA 96. Note: This requirement applies to any temporary cooking facilities located on the site referenced above that utilize grease as a media (e.g.-carnival concession trailers and food trucks)."The letter is signed by Keith Bo, Fire Marshal. The third letter is from the Division of Police, dated February 16, 2018, 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 Brian Leigh, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The fourth letter is from the Inspection Department, dated March 5, 2018, 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 fifth letter is from the Treasurer's Department, dated February 23, 2018, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Treasurer's Office has reviewed the address connected with the above noted petition. At this time, there are no outstanding amounts receivable for taxes. Therefore, I have no objections to the proposal." The letter is signed by Lynda Scheel, Treasurer. The sixth letter is from the Finance Department, dated February 16, 2018, which reads as follows: "I have reviewed the addresses 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 Coline Coleman, Chief Accountant. That is the extent of the correspondence. Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions of the Planning Director? Mr. Long: So the last day of the carnival is Sunday at 11:00 p.m. They close it down and then they break it down on Monday, or are they open on Monday and then break it down after? Mr. Taormina: We can check with the petitioner to see if they are open on Monday, Memorial Day. I'm not exactly sure of that. Mr. Long: Okay. Thank you. March 13, 2018 28523 Mr. Ventura: Mr. Taormina, I take it then that since the RV's have been moved to the southwest corner of the lot, there have been no objections or complaints by the surrounding residents. Mr. Taormina: I'm not aware of any complaints. Previously, these activities were on the northerly part of the property closer to residential and they did generate some complaints. A few years back, it was relocated to the front part of the site, and since then, I'm not aware of any complaints. Mr. Ventura: Thank you. Mr. Wilshaw: Is the petitioner here this evening? We will need your name and address for the record please. Joanna Hardesty, Wade Shows, Inc., P.O. Box 51730, Livonia, Michigan 48151. And Pat Zucal. Pat Zucal, Livonia AM Rotary Club, 30855 Rayburn Street, Livonia, Michigan 48154. Mr. Wilshaw: Thank you. Ms. Hardesty: I can answer the question about if we're going to be open on Memorial Day. That is the plan. We do want to operate on Memorial Day. It likely will be much earlier than 11:00 p.m. Just when the crowds start to dissipate, we'll close down, but we do want to have that holiday available to us. Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. Is there anything else that you'd like to add while you're on the microphone? Ms. Hardesty: I don't think so. It's the same thing we've done for several years now. No changes. Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. This is an opportunity to promote the event to our vast television audience. I know you've been successful operating this for a number of years at this location. Ms. Hardesty: Yes. Mr. Wilshaw: Is there any questions for our petitioner? Mr. Long: How long does it take to break down all the rides and to clear the site? March 13, 2018 28524 Ms. Hardesty: We start from the time we close the midway and we go to the wee hours in the morning, sometimes through the night, to get those down. So we'll be out of there by Tuesday, probably noon. Mr. Long: So if you stayed opened until 6:00 p.m. on Monday night or 8:00 p.m., you'll be out of there by noon. Ms. Hardesty: Absolutely. Mr. Long: Thank you. Mr. Caramagno: Has this event always taken place leading up to Memorial Day? The same last year? Ms. Hardesty: Yes. Mr. Caramagno: I just don't remember it like that. Where do the rides go after this event? Where is the next stop on the schedule? Ms. Hardesty: Roseville, I believe. Mr. Caramagno: So you've got a short haul when you break it down. When does that show start? Ms. Hardesty: We go weekend to weekend. I don't know off the top of my head with our schedule because we have a couple units that will be here, but it's either there or it could be St. Mary's just down the road. They're Greek Orthodox. They're Michigan Fun Fest that they do. I think we're doing that one as well. That one will open up on Thursday. Roseville, the same would be Thursday. So turnaround is pretty fast. Mr. Caramagno: So you've got incentive to break them down and get them out of there quick. Ms. Hardesty: Absolutely. Mr. Caramagno: Okay. Thank you. Mr. Long: What is the inspection process on the rides? Ms. Hardesty: The rides are inspected by the State. When they arrive and our first event is in Sterling Heights this year and the rides will be all inspected at Sterling Heights, and they will be tagged by the State inspectors that they've passed. So those tags will be on that and I think we have an inspection here with the City. We apply for inspections here, and I believe that they look for those tags to March 13, 2018 28525 make sure that those rides are inspected. We have safety inspectors on staff and we also have third party inspectors that come in and check them with every spot that we go. So when we leave Sterling Heights and we arrive in Livonia, we not only have our own safety inspectors, but we bring in a third party that inspects as well, every single week. Mr. Long: That's where I was going. So they're inspected each time they're broken down and then reassembled? Ms. Hardesty: Absolutely. Mr. Long: Thank you. Mr. Wilshaw: Is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against this item? Seeing no one coming forward, is there anything else that you'd like to finish with? Ms. Hardesty: Just thank you for your consideration and your support over the years. We appreciate it. Mr. Zucal: Thank you for your support. Mr. Wilshaw: With that, I will close the public hearing and ask for a motion. On a motion by McCue, seconded by Caramagno, and unanimously adopted, it was #03-15-2018 RESOLVED, that pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held by the City Planning Commission on March 13, 2018, on Petition 2018-02-02-03 submitted by Wade Shows, Inc. requesting waiver use approval pursuant to Section 11.03(1) of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance#543, as amended, to conduct a carnival in the parking lot of Sears, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Livonia, consisting of amusement rides, games and food concessions from May 17, 2018 through May 28, 2018, inclusive, on property at 29500 Seven Mile Road, located on the northwest corner of Seven Mile Road and Middlebelt Road in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 2, which property is zoned C-2, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 2018- 02-02-03 be approved subject to the following conditions: 1. That the carnival shall be limited to the dates as specified by Wade Shows, Inc., which are May 17, 2018 through May 28, 2018, inclusive; March 13, 2018 28526 2. That the proposed carnival operation shall be confined to the area as illustrated on the aerial layout plan submitted as received by the Planning Commission on February 6, 2018; 3. That all rides, food concessions, booths and all other equipment and apparatus relating to the operation of the carnival shall be located at least sixty feet (60') distant from the Seven Mile and Middlebelt Roads right-of-way lines; 4. That the temporary housing and storage of other trucks and equipment associated with the carnival shall be parked or stored within the extreme southwestern portion of the Sears parking lot, but no closer than sixty feet (60') from the Seven Mile Road right-of-way line; 5. That the hours of operation shall be limited to the following: Monday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; and on the weekends, Saturday and Sunday, and Monday, May 28, Memorial Day, from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; and 6. That access to fire hydrants is provided for the Fire Department. Subject to the preceding conditions, this petition is approved for the following reasons: 1. That the proposed use complies with all of the special and general waiver use standards and requirements as set forth in Sections 11.03 and 19.06 of the Zoning Ordinance #543; 2. That the site has the capacity to accommodate the proposed use; 3. That the use of the subject property for carnival purposes will not interrupt the normal traffic flow and circulation in the area and will not impede access to Sears or Livonia Marketplace; and 4. That no reporting City department objects to the proposed use. 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? March 13, 2018 28527 Mr. Taormina: Mr. Chair, if the maker of the motion would consider a change to Condition 5. The carnival starts on Monday, Memorial Day, a little bit earlier than 4:00 p.m. Is that correct, Joanna? Ms. Hardesty: Yes. Mr. Taormina: We can correct the language to indicate the hours on Memorial Day from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mr. Wilshaw: Are the maker and second okay with that? Ms. McCue: That's fine. Mr. Caramagno: Good. Mr. Wilshaw, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving recommendation. Good luck with your carnival. ITEM #2 PETITION 2018-02-02-04 TMADE STUDIOS Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2018- 02-02-04 submitted by TMade Studios requesting waiver use approval pursuant to Section 16.11(f) of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended, to operate a dance and yoga studio at 12908 Farmington Road within the Livonia Trade Center, located on the east side of Farmington Road between the CSX railroad right-of-way and Schoolcraft Road in the Northwest '/4 of Section 27. Mr. Taormina: This is a request for waiver use approval to operate a dance and yoga studio within a building that is zoned for industrial purposes. This is the site of the Livonia Trade Center, which is on the east side of Farmington Road. The zoning is M-1, Light Manufacturing. This property and all the surrounding properties are similarly zoned for manufacturing purposes. Approval to operate this type of use in an M-1 district does fall under the provisions of 16.11(f) of the Zoning Ordinance which allows for recreational facilities and athletic training schools within the zoning. One of the key criterion in determining whether a use of this type is appropriate is making sure all the parking and ingress and egress to the facility does not pose a safety hazard or interfere with the normal industrial traffic in the area. The Livonia Trade Center is a site that contains four buildings with frontage on Farmington Road. The site also has frontage at the rear on Westmore Avenue. Altogether this property is about 6.8 acres in size. It measures March 13, 2018 28528 360 feet in width by roughly 820 feet in depth. Buildings A and B, which are located on the front half of the site, the westerly portion near Farmington Road, are both about 28,000 square feet, whereas the two rear Buildings C and D measure about 22,000 square feet in total size. TMade Studios would occupy a unit that is located in Building D. This unit is about 3,400 square feet in size. It has exterior doors on both the north and south sides of unit, but the door on the north side is accessible only by means of a pedestrian-only walkway that runs between this building and Building C. The northerly part of the unit includes a vestibule and a couple of offices, and the remaining back section would be utilized as the yoga and dance studio. In terms of parking, there are roughly 250 parking spaces available at the Livonia Trade Center. There are parking spaces adjacent to this unit that would be available. This is the fourth such request for indoor recreational facilities at the Livonia Trade Center. In 2013, we granted approval to two operations, one was a dance studio that is known as Dance Innovations in Building B. The second is a gymnastics training facility which was approved as Ignite Gymnastics in Building D but it's now called Tailor Made Gymnastics. Last fall, we granted approval to another yoga and martial arts studio called 10th Planet Michigan, which is also in Building D, the same building where this user would be located. With that, Mr. Chairman, I can read out the departmental correspondence. Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, please. Mr. Taormina: There are four items of correspondence. The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated February 16, 2018, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Engineering Division has reviewed the above referenced petition. We have no objections to the waiver use at this time. The existing parcel is assigned a range of addresses from #12900 to #12976 Farmington Road, with the address of#12940 Farmington Road being assigned to the overall parcel. The submitted legal description is for the incorrect parcel, and should be changed to reflect the correct lot. (The incorrect sidwell number was used on the petition). The correct sidwell number should be 106-02-0004- 000, not 106-02-0001-000 as was filled out on the petition form. The existing building is currently serviced by public water main, sanitary sewer and storm sewer. Should renovations to the building require alterations to the existing services, drawings will need to be submitted to this department to determine if permits will be required. Also, should the owner need to complete work within the Farmington Road right-of-way, permits from the Wayne County Department of Public Services will be required."The letter March 13, 2018 28529 is signed by David W. Lear, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The second letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated February 21, 2018, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan submitted in connection with a request to operate a dance and yoga studio on property located at the above referenced address. We have no objections to this proposal."The letter is signed by Keith Bo, Fire Marshal. The third letter is from the Division of Police, dated February 16, 2018, 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 Brian Leigh, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The fourth letter is from the Inspection Department, dated March 6, 2018, which reads as follows: "Pursuant to your request, the above-referenced petition has been reviewed. The petitioner's proposal is a change in use. This would require that the proposed space must conform to all current barrier free codes, building codes and all mechanical codes and standards. These requirements will be addressed further at time of plan review if this project moves forward. This Department has no further objections to this petition."The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Director of Inspection. The fifth letter is from the Treasurer's Department, dated February 23, 2018, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Treasurer's Office has reviewed the address connected with the above noted petition. At this time, there are no outstanding amounts receivable for taxes. Therefore, I have no objections to the proposal." The letter is signed by Lynda Scheel, Treasurer. The sixth letter is from the Finance Department, dated February 16, 2018, which reads as follows: "I have reviewed the addresses 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 Coline Coleman, Chief Accountant. That is the extent of the correspondence. Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions of the Planning Director? Seeing none, would the petitioner please come forward? We will need your name and address for the record please. DeAshia Taylor, TMade Studios, 30026 Kimberly Court, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48336. Mr. Wilshaw: Is there anything else you'd like to add to what you've already heard so far tonight? Ms. Taylor: No. Mr. Wilshaw: Do we have any questions for our petitioner? March 13, 2018 28530 Mr. Caramagno: Does the main entrance to your building come from the garage door side or between the buildings? Where is the main entrance going to be? Ms. Taylor: Between the buildings. Mr. Caramagno: I think you have a rollup garage door on the back of the building. What are your thoughts there? I assume that door works, goes up and down. Ms. Taylor: For ventilation. Mr. Caramagno: For ventilation? So if you roll that door up, that gives you obviously outside access. Do you have any plans to have a gate there or something to keep folks from just coming and going from your building? What do you do there for purposes of, not necessarily security, but just people walking in out of the parking lot into your building? Ms. Taylor: Our roll up door is not right on the ground. We're up in the air. So if they're coming up to the door, all we can see is their head. They would literally have to jump into the door to get into it. Mr. Caramagno: I know there's some that are ground level, some that are loading dock height, but even so, when you open the door, what do you put across there, a chain or something, to keep folks from stepping out over there and falling down on the ground? Ms. Taylor: We could put a chain or a gate. We can put something up there. Mr. Caramagno: I think something should be there. It's a loading dock and you don't want folks to be talking or the way people text these days and take one step too many and the next thing you know they're lying on the floor out there. Ms. Taylor: We could put a gate up. Mr. Caramagno: Okay. Good. Ms. McCue: What type of improvements do you need to make? Ms. Taylor: The floor is concrete so we're redoing the floor and we're putting mirrors up and paint. Ms. McCue: Thank you. March 13, 2018 28531 Mr. Priddy: I had an opportunity to visit the location this weekend. What are your hours of operation expected to be? Ms. Taylor: In the evenings, the first class will start around 5:45. We'll probably do one or two classes a night, and they'll be earlier on Saturdays. Mr. Priddy: Do you know how the traffic is with all the other adjacent ones? Ms. Taylor: It's not really bad because most of the other ones are for kids and they're mostly drop-offs. Mr. Priddy: And parking seems to be adequate for your needs? Ms. Taylor: Yes. Ms. McCue: Do you have any other locations, and what will your student base be at this location? Ms. Taylor: This will be for adults. We would like to move full time over here. We're in Southfield right now. We outgrew that one on Eight Mile and Lahser in another industrial complex. So we're moving over here full time from Southfield. Ms. McCue: And your other location, is it predominantly children? Ms. Taylor: It's not the same as this business, but we also own Taylor Made Cheerleading Factory. I misunderstood that question last week, Mr. Ventura, when you asked me. I thought you were asking if it was the same business and it's not. It's a completely different entity, different business, different tax ID number, but we own that one as well. Mr. Ventura: Thank you. Ms. McCue: Okay. Thank you. Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any other questions? Is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against this item? Seeing no one coming forward, is there anything else you'd like to tell us, Ms. Taylor, about your business before we make our decision. Ms. Taylor: No. That's it. Mr. Wilshaw: With that, we can close the public hearing and a motion would be in order. March 13, 2018 28532 On a motion by Long, seconded by McCue, and unanimously adopted, it was #03-16-2018 RESOLVED, that pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held by the City Planning Commission on March 13, 2018, on Petition 2018-02-02-04 submitted by TMade Studios requesting waiver use approval pursuant to Section 16.11(f) of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended, to operate a dance and yoga studio at 12908 Farmington Road within the Livonia Trade Center, located on the east side of Farmington Road between the CSX railroad right-of-way and Schoolcraft Road in the Northwest 1/4 of Section 27, which property is zoned M-1, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 2018-02-02-04 be approved subject to the following conditions: 1. That the Overall Site Plan, labeled Sheet No. S-1, prepared by F. Matthew Ray Architect, as received by the Planning Commission on February 13, 2018, is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; 2. That adequate off-street parking be provided in compliance with Section 18.38(12) of the Zoning Ordinance; 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; and 4. That the Petitioner shall not engage in any form of solicitation for business within the public right-of-way of Farmington Road. 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, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. March 13, 2018 28533 ITEM #3 PETITION 2018-02-08-03 ALDI Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2018- 02-08-03 submitted by ALDI Inc. requesting approval of all plans required by Section 18.47 and 18.58 of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended, in connection with a proposal to construct a commercial development, including an ALDI food market and a multi-tenant retail commercial building, at 29330 Schoolcraft Road, located on the northeast corner of Schoolcraft and Middlebelt Roads in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 24. Mr. Taormina: This site plan petition involves the redevelopment of a 3.5 acre parcel located at the corner of Schoolcraft and Middlebelt Roads. This is the site of the former Chi Chi's restaurant which closed sometime around 2004 and was demolished in 2011. The site is currently vacant with the exception of a pylon sign along Schoolcraft Road and portions of the original parking lot which still remain. The new proposed uses would include an ALDI food market as well as a separate retail sales building. The property is roughly 286 feet in width, which is the frontage along Middlebelt Road, and has a depth of roughly 520 feet on Schoolcraft Road. The property is zoned C-2, General Business. Both uses are treated as a permitted use under the C-2 district regulations. The site plan shows that the easterly half of the parcel would be developed with the food market. This building would be one story in height and roughly 22,150 square feet in size. It would be setback roughly 84 feet from Schoolcraft Road and roughly 13.5 feet from the east property line. The overall building dimensions are 144 feet by 178 feet. Customers would enter the market in the southwest corner of the building. Enclosed cart corrals are shown on the south and west sides of the building where the pedestrian sidewalk will be widened to about 15 feet. Store deliveries would occur on the north side of the building where a truck well shown. This is also the main service area that includes the enclosed trash dumpster within the truck well area. As the grade drops, the plan shows a protective fence running along the top edge of the truck well. The floor plan submitted with the application shows the store layout. Most of the space is devoted to a large retail display area. There are several check-out lanes, meat coolers, freezers, stock area, office, lockers, restroom and utility, and then the warehouse and receiving area. The main building materials include brick and fiber cement cladding. Aluminum composite panels are shown on the upper part of the building, and a material called Kalwall, which is a translucent panel, is shown on the upper part of the building to allow some natural light to enter the interior of the store. Above the main entrance in the southwest corner of the building the roofline is March 13, 2018 28534 sloped. This feature extends to an overall height of roughly 28 feet. The majority of the building, however, is roughly 20 feet in height, which is well within the height limitation of the C-2 district. The multi-tenant retail building is situated on the westerly portion of the site. The distance between these two buildings would be roughly 195 feet. This building would also be one-story in height and would measure 5,200 square feet in size. From the Middlebelt Road/Schoolcraft Road rights-of-way, the building would have setbacks of 79 feet and 78 feet, respectively. The building could accommodate either a single user or up to four tenants. All of the units would face towards Middlebelt Road. The south endcap or the corner unit would also face Schoolcraft Road. It would be constructed out of mostly brick and block on the lower portion of the building, and the upper half of the façade would be an E.I.F.S. material which is a dryvit. At the very top of the building, there is a standing seam metal screen that would hide any rooftop mechanical equipment. This building on average would be at a height of 27'-6", well within the height regulations of the C-2 district. Primary access to the development would be from two existing driveways. There is one from Schoolcraft Road about midway on the site that aligns with a traffic signal at the first expressway crossover located east of Middlebelt. This is a 35- foot wide drive approach that allows for right turn movements, both in and out of the site, as well as traffic straight in for vehicles crossing over from eastbound Schoolcraft. There is a second drive on Middlebelt Road. This is a private access road that runs coterminous with the north property line, and it provides not only access at two locations for the proposed development, but also provides access to several other businesses including the Olive Garden, Comfort Inn, Buckingham Offices as well as the Henry Ford Medical Center. Regarding the parking requirements, this site would operate under a cross-access and shared parking agreement between the two users. Parking is based on a ratio of one space for every 150 square feet of useable floor area. Looking at the size of both buildings, the total required parking to satisfy the ordinance would be 112 spaces. The site plan provides for 127 spaces, so it is compliant with the ordinance. What is not so obvious on this plan is where the stormwater detention system would be located. It will be underground and is identified in the middle of the site below the parking spaces between the two buildings. It would not be visible above ground. The entire system would have to be developed beneath the parking lot. In terms of landscaping, roughly 17 percent of the site is devoted to greenspace. This complies with the ordinance which requires a minimum of 15 percent. This is a newer plan from the study session. There were some suggestions about improving the landscaping along Schoolcraft Road. Some of the changes March 13, 2018 28535 include spacing the trees on the southeasterly part of the frontage and adding some additional plants. Those are in the form of plantings between the parking lot and sidewalk that would be provided along Schoolcraft Road. They are showing roughly 276 perennials in this area including daylilies and switch grass. All lawn areas would be sodded and all landscaping irrigated. In terms of site lighting, there are two different types of lights provided on the site plan. Type A poles would be 20 feet in height and Type B poles would be 25 feet in height. As the petitioner explained at the study session, the slightly taller poles are needed because of the spacing between the landscape islands in the central portion of the site to accommodate the stormwater detention system. Lastly, in terms of signage, as a single developed parcel at the corner of two major roads. ALDI would be allowed two walls signs, one facing Schoolcraft and one facing Middlebelt. Each tenant in the retail building is also allowed a sign equal to one square foot for each one lineal foot of frontage. The ALDI wall signage is allowed to be roughly 119 square feet on the side of the building facing Middlebelt Road. The ordinance allows for a second wall sign facing in the direction of Schoolcraft measured at one-half the area of the main sign, or 59.5 square feet. What the petitioner is showing on the plans are two signs of equal size, both 76 square feet. So while the total of the two signs, 152 square feet, is less than what would be allowed if they were conforming at 119 square feet and 59.5 square feet, or at 178 feet roughly, it still needs to go to the Zoning Board of Appeals because the sign that faces Schoolcraft Road is larger than 59.5 square feet. Other than that, the sign plan as it relates to the wall signs, is completely conforming. The new monument sign that would be added to the northwest corner of the property would be a conforming ground sign. It would be limited to 8 feet in height and 40 square feet in total area, identifying ALDI as well as three additional tenant panels. Lastly, with respect to the other pylon sign, the second ground mounted sign, it is a valid non- conforming structure. This sign was approved at a height originally of 25 feet. The petitioner, rather than just refacing the sign, would like to replace it. There were two options provided. The one that is preferred by Staff is one that would lower the height of the sign by roughly five feet and it would provide the two signs, side-by-side, identifying ALDI as well as Comfort Inn. The total of each one of those panels is roughly 120 square feet in size, totaling 240 square feet. The modified proposal under Option One would replace that sign entirely and provide the two panels side by side. With that, Mr. Chair, I'd be happy to read out the correspondence. Mr. Wilshaw: Yes, please. March 13, 2018 28536 Mr. Taormina: There are six items of correspondence. The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated February 14, 2018, 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 existing parcel is assigned the address of#29330 Schoolcraft Road. The legal description included with the submitting drawings appears to be correct and is acceptable to this office. The existing parcel is currently serviced by public utilities, and the owner is showing extensions to service both new buildings. No calculations have been included with the submitted set of drawings, so we cannot determine impacts to the existing systems at this time, although it is anticipated that any new discharges from the site will be less than with the previous development. It should be noted that the developer may wish to contact MDOT regarding the drive entrance from Schoolcraft Road on the south edge of the site. Improvements may need to be made to the existing curbing at the crossover light to allow traffic to enter the site from the crossover, instead of having to use Middlebelt Road to access the site. Also, any improvements made within the Middlebelt Road right-of-way will require permits from Wayne County."The letter is signed by David Lear, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The second letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated February 21, 2018, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan submitted in connection with a request to construct a commercial development, including an ALDI food market and a new free standing commercial building on property located at the above referenced address. We have no objections to this proposal with the following stipulations: (1) Subject building(s) are to be provided with an automatic sprinkler system, and on site hydrants shall be located between 50 feet and 100 feet from the Fire Department connection. (2) A fire access road shall be provided with not less than 20 feet of unobstructed width and have a minimum of 13 feet 6 inches of vertical clearance in accordance to 18.2.3.4.1.1 and 18.2.3.4.1.2 of NFPA 1, 2015. (3) An approved turnaround for fire apparatus shall be provided where access is dead-ended and is in excess of 150 feet in length. The turnaround shall have a minimum turning radius of fifty-three feet wall to wall and an inside turning radius of twenty- nine feet six inches. The authority having jurisdiction shall approve the grade, surface, and location of the fire lane. (Or open up the dead end into the adjacent parking lot.) (4) T or Y turnaround arrangements shall be permitted. (5) Knox Box installation is required for Fire Department access." The letter is signed by Keith Bo, Fire Marshal. The third letter is from the Division of Police, dated February 16, 2018, which reads as March 13, 2018 28537 follows: "I have reviewed the plans in connection with the petition. I have no objections to the proposal." The letter is signed by Brian Leigh, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The fourth letter is from the Inspection Department, dated March 8, 2018, which reads as follows: "Pursuant to your request, the above-referenced petition has been reviewed. A variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals would be required for excess size of signs. This Department has no further objections to this Petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Director of Inspection. That is the extent of the correspondence. The fifth letter is from the Treasurer's Department, dated February 23, 2018, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Treasurer's Office has reviewed the address connected with the above noted petition. At this time, there are no outstanding amounts receivable for taxes. Therefore, I have no objections to the proposal." The letter is signed by Lynda Scheel, Treasurer. The sixth letter is from the Finance Department, dated February 16, 2018, which reads as follows: "I have reviewed the addresses 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 Coline Coleman, Chief Accountant. That is the extent of the correspondence. Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions for the planning staff? Mr. Priddy: Mark, in the letter from the City Engineer, they're talking about the crossover belonging to MDOT. Does that include the stop light as well? Mr. Taormina: I think they are referring to what improvements potentially could be done, not only with the curbing but also with the traffic signal. Mr. Priddy: Thank you. Mr. Ventura: Mark, a clarification on the height of the sign on Schoolcraft. In the written remarks that you refer to, you say that Option One appears to maintain a similar height to what exists today, and Option Two increases the height. But down in the recap of our regular meeting, you say that Option One appears to reduce the height of the sign by five feet and you prefer Option One. Can we confirm that it does actually lower the sign? Mr. Taormina: That was based on a conversation I had with the owner of the property who confirmed with the sign company that the distance from grade to the bottom edge of the box would be about 8 to 12 feet, and then the box itself would be another 10 feet. So we were looking at roughly 18 to 20 feet as being the overall height, not March 13, 2018 28538 including the support structure on the top. We prepared the resolution to that effect. Mr. Ventura: Great. Thank you. Mr. Wilshaw: Is the petitioner here this evening? We will need your name and address for the record please. Mark Kellenberger, ALDI Inc., 2625 N. Stockbridge Road, Webberville, Michigan 48892. Thank you. Good evening. Among those with me this evening is the owner of the property, Thomas Guastello; Sam Glennen, Director of Real Estate for ALDI, and Ron Estes with Center Management. I don't know how to follow that presentation. It's pretty complete, but we're very excited about the project. A long-awaited redevelopment of the property here at the northeast corner. We're excited to be a part of it. We have a new elevation that is included in your packet.We're excited to bring that forward, a modernization if you will of kind of the ALDI look. As Mark indicated, 5,200 square foot multi-tenant retail building more towards Middlebelt,just over 22,000 square feet for the ALDI, our parking, landscaping. I should note we took your comments from the study session, revised that to put some buffering between the parking and Schoolcraft Road. Excited about the development. I think we're compliant with all except for the signage, and we'd really like to get this project underway. With that, I'd like to answer any questions you may have. Mr. Wilshaw: Do we have any questions for the petitioner? Mr. Long: Will you be selling beer and wine at this location? Mr. Kellenberger: We do sell beer and wine, yes. Mr. Long: Is that private label? Mr. Kellenberger: Most of it is private label. There's a few national brands, but the majority of it is private label. Mr. Long: And the license is already secure and everything? Mr. Kellenberger: We will be applying for the license through the State of Michigan and through the City of Livonia as required. Mr. Caramagno: Sir, you're with ALDI. Is that right? Mr. Kellenberger: That's correct. March 13, 2018 28539 Mr. Caramagno: So when you talk about the ALDI, is only the ALDI building your responsibility? Mr. Kellenberger: We will be responsible for 100 percent of the ALDI, much of the parking. We will be working with the property owner, but they will be responsible for the 5,200 square foot multi-tenant building. Yes. Mr. Caramagno: Thank you. Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions from the Commissioners? Seeing none, is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against the granting of this petition? Seeing no one come forward, a motion would be in order. Mr. Taormina: If I could point out, Mr. Caramagno, on Items 3 and 7 we have revised plan dates. On a motion by Caramagno, seconded by Priddy, and unanimously adopted, it was #03-17-2018 RESOLVED, that the City Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 2018-02-08-03 submitted by ALDI Inc. requesting approval of all plans required by Section 18.47 and 18.58 of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended, in connection with a proposal to construct a commercial development, including an ALDI food market and a multi-tenant retail building, at 29330 Schoolcraft Road, located on the northeast corner of Schoolcraft and Middlebelt Roads in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 24, be approved subject to the following conditions: 1. That the Site Plan marked SP dated February 6, 2018, prepared by Desine Inc., is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; 2. That simultaneous with the review of the engineering plans for the project, the Petitioner shall submit a request to the Wayne County Road Commission and MDOT regarding the feasibility of upgrading the signal at the crossover to aid motorists exiting the site onto Schoolcraft Road; 3. That the Landscape Plan marked Sheet No. L-1 dated March 9, 2018, as revised, prepared by Vert Verde Landscape Architecture, is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; March 13, 2018 28540 4. That all disturbed lawn areas, including within the road rights-of-way, shall be sodded in lieu of hydro-seeding; 5. 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 Department and thereafter permanently maintained in a healthy condition; 6. That the Elevation Plan for the ALDI Food Market marked Drawing No. A.201, dated February 21, 2018, prepared by Mosure L.L.C., is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; 7. That the Elevation Plan for the multi-tenant retail building marked A101, dated March 12, 2018, prepared by DeWulf Associates Architects is hereby approved; 8. That any visible 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 buildings; 9. That the enclosure gate for the refuse container shall be made of solid panel steel construction or durable, long- lasting solid panel fiberglass. The trash dumpster area shall be maintained and closed when not in use; 10. That this site shall meet either the City of Livonia or the Wayne County Storm Water Management Ordinance, whichever applies, and shall secure any required permits, including soil erosion and sedimentation control permits; 11. That the wall signs for the ALDI Food Market as depicted on the Exterior Elevations drawing, Sheet A-201, dated February 21, 2018, and Signage and Pavement Marking Notes and Details, Sheet DT2, dated February 6, 2018, are hereby approved, subject to approval of the Zoning Board of Appeals for excess sign area; 12. That this site is allowed two (2) ground-mounted signs including one (1) on Middlebelt Road as depicted on Sheet DT2, dated February 6, 2018, and the other on Schoolcraft Road shown as Option One as prepared by Fairmont Sign Company, dated February 21, 2018, as revised, provided the sign shall not exceed an overall height of twenty feet (20') as measured from the average grade at the base of the sign to the top of the sign box; March 13, 2018 28541 13. That no LED lightband or exposed neon shall be permitted on this site including, but not limited to, the buildings or around the windows; 14. 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; 15. 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 16. 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 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: Is there any discussion? One thing I did want to note is we have had a number of meetings on this item over an extended period of time now. I want to thank the petitioner for working with the City on this petition. A lot of people wondered what's going on there, so now they know. With that, please call the roll. 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 #4 PETITION 2014-02-08-02 VICTOR EAST Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, request for a one-year extension of Petition 2014-02-08-02, which previously received approval by the City Council on April 21, 2014 (Council Resolution #104-14), to construct a one-story office-research building (Victor East) on property at 37640 Seven Mile Road, located on the north side of Seven Mile Road between Newburgh Road and Victor Parkway in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 6. Mr. Taormina: This is a site plan petition that was originally filed in 2014 and was approved for a one-story, 54,000 square foot office research building. As part of that 2014 petition, we've since approved three one-year extensions. The petitioner is here this evening seeking March 13, 2018 28542 a fourth one-year extension, and he can give us an update on the status of the property. Thank you. Mr. Wilshaw: And there is no correspondence on this item? Mr. Taormina: No, nothing any recent. Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions for Mr. Taormina? Seeing none, the petitioner is here. Would you like to add anything to what's already been said? Josh Suardini, Etkin, 29100 Northwestern Highway, Suite 200, Southfield, Michigan 48034. Good evening. Not a lot to add, but we continue to market the building with the hope that we either find an office tenant or we try to find some other use. I know I"'ve talked to you guys before about reaching outside the bounds a little, and we're starting to do that. I'll answer any other questions that you have. Mr. Wilshaw: Are there any questions for the petitioner? Seeing none, thank you for coming tonight. Is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against this item? Seeing no one coming forward, a motion would be in order. On a motion by Ventura, seconded by Caramagno, and unanimously adopted, it was #03-18-2018 RESOLVED, that the City Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that the request for a One-Year Extension of Petition 2014-02-08-02 which previously received approval by the City Council on April 21, 2014 (Council Resolution #104-14), to construct a one-story office-research building (Victor East) on property at 37640 Seven Mile Road, located on the north side of Seven Mile Road between Newburgh Road and Victor Parkway in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 6, be approved subject to the following conditions: 1. That the request for an extension of waiver use approval by Etkin Management, L.L.C, in a letter dated February 15, 2018, is hereby approved for a one-year period; and 2. That all conditions imposed by Council Resolution #104-14 in connection with Petition 2014-02-08-02, which permitted the construction of a one-story office-research building, shall remain in effect to the extent that they are not in conflict with the foregoing condition. March 13, 2018 28543 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 #5 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1,118TH Public Hearings and Regular Meeting Mr. Caramagno, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Approval of the Minutes of the 1,118th Public Hearings and Regular Meeting held on February 27, 2018. On a motion by Priddy, seconded by Ventura, and unanimously adopted, it was #03-19-2018 RESOLVED, that the Minutes of 1,118th Public Hearings and Regular Meeting held by the Planning Commission on February 27, 2018, are hereby approved. A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following: AYES: Priddy, Ventura, Long, Wilshaw NAYS: None ABSENT: Smiley ABSTAIN: Caramagno, McCue Mr. Wilshaw, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the 1,119th Public Hearings and Regular Meeting held on March 13, 2018, was adjourned at 8:00 p.m. CITY Py1L NNING COMMISSION f Sam Caramagno, Secretary --(4111e. ATTEST: Ian Wilshaw, Chairman