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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNING MINUTES 2011-04-19MINUTES OF THE 1,007TH PUBLIC HEARINGS AND REGULAR MEETING HELD BY THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LIVONIA On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, the City Planning Commission of the City of Livonia held its 1,0071h Public Hearings and Regular Meeting in the Livonia City Hall, 33000 Civic Center Drive, Livonia, Michigan. Mr. Lee Morrow, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Members present: R. Lee Morrow Lynda Scheel Carol A. Smiley Gerald Taylor Ian Wilshaw Members absent: Ashley Krueger Mr. Mark Taormina, Planning Director, and Ms. Margie Watson, Program Supervisor, were also present. Chairman Morrow informed the audience that if a petition on tonighfs agenda involves a rezoning request, this Commission makes a recommendation to the City Council who, in tum, will hold its own public hearing and make the final determination as to whether a petifion 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 detenninafion as to whether a plat is accepted or rejected. If a pefifion 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 pefifions upon their fling. 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 2011-03-03-01 VACATING LIBRARY DR. Ms. Scheel, Secretary, announced the first item on the agenda, Pefifion 2011-03- 03-01 submitted by the City Planning Commission, pursuant to Council Resolution #74-11, and Section 12.08 of the Livonia Code of Ordinances of the City of Livonia, as amended, to determine whether or not to vacate Library Drive at a total vacation length of 1,003.18 feel, located between Five Mile Road and Civic Center Drive in the Northwest 114 of Section 22. April 19, 2011 25597 Mr. Taormina: This is a request to vacate a portion of Library Drive which is located on the Civic Center campus. The purpose of the street vacation, together with the dedication of new right-of-way for the extension of Civic Center Drive, are actions that are needed to finalize the construction of the ring -road and the parking lot improvements that occurred in the summer of 2010. It is also needed to update the City's Act 51 maps. The Act 51 program is administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation and provides funding to communities for planning, programming, operating and constructing public transportation systems. The right-of-way being vacated consists of two segments that are located adjacent to the main library. The first section begins at Five Mile Road and extends south for about 472 feet and is located between the library and the new court house. The second part heads west and then runs along the south side of the library for a total distance of approximately 530 feel. The total length is just over 1,000 feet. The portion that runs east and west behind the library is not part of the reconfigured parking lot area, and this north -south leg will be re - described and dedicated along with the extended portion of Civic Center Drive, which now constitutes a majority of the ring - road. The southerly section of the new ring -road starting from Farmington Road and running east and west along the southern edge of the Civic Center Library and City Hall parking lots would be designated as right-of-way and become part of Civic Center Drive. The remaining portion of the new ring -road running north and south between the Civic Center Library and the new court house would be designated as Library Drive. These designated rights-of-way and new ring -road would be added to the Act 51 map. Thank you. Mr. Morrow: Are there any questions of the Planning Director? Mr. Taylor: Mark, what you're telling me is, if I'm going east on Civic Center Drive and by the time I get almost halfway up, that drive turns into Library Drive? Mr. Taormina: Basically, that is correct. Mr. Taylor: That doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm sorry. I mean people don't know if they are on Civic Center Drive or Library Drive. But all we're doing is vacating, right? Mr. Taormina: That is all we're doing. It will be determined later how it will be signed. April 19, 2011 25598 Mr. Morrow: Because this is a petition that was brought forward by the Planning Commission, I'm going to ask if there is anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against the granting of this petition? Seeing no one coming forward, I will close the public hearing on this agenda item and ask for a motion. On a motion by Wilshaw, seconded by Scheel, and unanimously adopted, it was #04-11-2011 RESOLVED, that pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held by the City Planning Commission on Apnl 19, 2011, on Petition 2011-03-03-01 submitted by the City Planning Commission, pursuant to Council Resolution #74-11, and Section 12.08 of the Livonia Code of Ordinances of the City of Livonia, as amended, to determine whether or not to vacate Library Drive at a total vacation length of 1,003.18 feel, located between Five Mile Road and Civic Center Drive in the Northwest 1/4 of Section 22, which property is zoned PL, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 2011-03-03-01 be approved for the following reasons: 1. That this vacating is needed to finalize the construction of the Civic Center Campus ring -road and parking lot improvements; 2. That the vacated right-of-way would be replaced by the right-of-way of new road system (new ring road), once the new road system has been designated and added to the ACT 51 map; and 3. That no reporting City department or public utility has objected to the proposed vacating. FURTHER RESOLVED, that notice of the above hearing was given in accordance with the provisions of Section 12.08.030 of the Livonia code of Ordinances, as amended. Mr. Morrow: Is there any discussion? Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carded and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. April 19, 2011 25599 ITEM #2 PETITION 2011-03-02-01 BLUE PLATE DINER Ms. Scheel, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2011- 03-02-01 submitted by Bob Modes requesting waiver use approval to operate a full service restaurant (Blue Plate Diner) at 32614 Seven Mile Road within the Loveland Plaza retail center, located on the north side of Seven Mile Road between Merriman Road and Farmington Road in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 3. Mr. Taormina provided background on the item and presented a map showing the property under petition plus the existing zoning of the surrounding area. Mr. Morrow: Is there any correspondence? Mr. Taormina: There are four items of correspondence. The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated April 8, 2011, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Engineering Division has reviewed the above -referenced waiver use petition to operate a full service restaurant. The legal description provided closes and correctly describes the overall parcel. The address is verified to be 32610 Seven Mile Road. By copy of this letter, we are notifying the property owner of record that should a full service restaurant eventually be opened at this site, care must be taken as regards grease management. The owner will want to be sure that the restaurateur utilizes Best Management Practices regarding the disposal of grease to avoid costly sewer problems." The letter is signed by Kevin G. Roney, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The second letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated March 30, 2011, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan submitted in connection with a request to operate a full service restaurant on property located at the above referenced address. We have no objections to this proposal." The letter is signed by Ead W. Fesler, Fire Marshal. The third letter is from the Division of Police, dated April 7, 2011, which reads as follows: 7 have reviewed the plans in connection with the petition. 1 have no objections to the plans. However, 1 noted a collapsing storm sewer drain that is located near the front entrance of the parking lot near the southeast corner. This storm sewer has already begun to collapse and will pose a danger to vehicular and pedestrian traffic as it worsens." The letter is signed by John Gibbs, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The fourth letter is from the Inspection Department, dated April 19, 2011, which reads as follows: "Pursuant to your request, the above -referenced petition has been reviewed. The following is noted. This petition is a change of use and would require that the building meet all April 19, 2011 25600 current Michigan Building Codes, including the Michigan Barrier Free Code. This will be addressed further at the time of our plan review if this project moves forward. This Department has no further objections to this petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Assistant Director of Inspection. That is the extent of the correspondence. Mr. Morrow: Mark, did the Inspection Department pick up on what the Traffic Bureau had indicated? Mr. Taormina: Not in their correspondence, they did not. Mr. Morrow: We'll make that known to him so he can pursue that with the property owner. Mr. Taormina: Yes. Mr. Morrow: Are there any questions for Mark? Seeing none, you're the petitioners, I assume? You heard the presentation. Is there anything you'd like to add to or comment on at this juncture? We'll need your name and address for the record. Bob Modes, Blue Plate Diner, 34026 Navin, Livonia, Michigan 48152. No. Brandon Kritzman, New Perspective Architects, 15195 Farmington, Suite 100, Livonia, Michigan 48154. Mr. Morrow: Thank you, gentlemen. Does the Commission have any questions? Mr. Taylor: Do you have other restaurants? Mr. Modes: I own an ice cream store in Redford and I have a catering company. Mr. Taylor: I was just wondering. There was a Blue Plate restaurant on the east side where they were going to carry guns. It was in the newspaper. Maybe that was part of yours. Ididniknow. Mr. Modes: No. Ms. Scheel: Can you tell me what the hours of operation will be? Mr. Modes: Right now, we're tentatively planning on 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Ms. Scheel: Currently, you're not planning on any outdoor seating? April 19, 2011 25601 Mr. Modes: No. Ms. Scheel: What type of menu will you have? I can sort of guess, a diner. Mr. Modes: During the day, it's going to be regular kind of diner food. At night, we're going to do a family style dinner where you come in and gel your whole meal. We cater in the evenings so we're going to carry that over to the restaurant. Ms. Scheel: Okay. Thank you. Mr. W Ishaw: I was going to ask about the style of restaurant that its going to be, but I kind of got that. I assume, Mr. Kritzman, you're working on the design of the build out? Mr. Kritzman: We actually just signed a contract with Mr. Modes and his partner, Maria, just yesterday. We were brought into the project quite Tale. That's not a floor plan that we prepared, but we will be working with them moving forward. Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. The only question I had about the floor plan was I didn't see any refrigeration or any food storage area. Mr. Kritzman: I could comment on several things that I would improve upon from their preliminary drawings. We understand we're going to have to have dry storage, refrigerated area, freezer area. Those are all things we'll be including in the drawings as we move forward, in addition to the FOG requirements and any other restaurant related items. What they have up to now is a preliminary drawing that was designed by someone else just to help them start to explore whether or not a restaurant was going to be a viable enterprise in this location. Mr. Wilshaw: Okay, but no storage of anything would be outside, as far as food products, just grease and some sort of a trap. Mr. Kritzman: Correct. At this point, we look at the floor plan and think that there is far more than enough space for what we think we're going to need. We don't anticipate any exterior storage, refrigerated or otherwise. Mr. Wilshaw: Mr. Modes and Mr. Kritzman, do you both understand the comments that were made earlier in regards to the dumpster and the grease trap and the need to have that all in an enclosed area? Mr. Modes: Yes. April 19, 2011 25602 Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. It sounds good to me. Thank you. Ms. Smiley: You're looking to go with 52 people and a full service restaurant? Mr. Modes: Yes. Ms. Smiley: And you've had some experience in catering. How many years have you been doing that? Mr. Modes: About five or six years. Usually on a normal weekend, we cater for 2,000 people. Ms. Smiley: Can you tell me why you picked this location since it is a waiver? Mr. Modes: Its close to my house and I go to the dry cleaner next door. Ms. Smiley: Very convenient. Okay. Thank you very much. Mr. Morrow: You're being broadcast to the community. We're giving you every opportunity to put on a commercial. You do understand in your zoning classification you are not entitled to this many seals. It will require from the City Council a separate resolution giving you permission to increase the number of seats in that particular zoning. Mr. Modes: Yes. Mr. Morrow: If there are no other comments, I'm going to go to the audience. Is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against the granting of this petition? Seeing no one coming forward, I will close the public hearing and ask for a motion. On a motion by Scheel, seconded by Smiley, and unanimously adopted, it was #04-12-2011 RESOLVED, that pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held by the City Planning Commission on April 19, 2011, on Petition 2011-03-02-01 submitted by Bob Modes requesting waiver use approval to operate a full service restaurant (Blue Plate Diner) at 32614 Seven Mile Road within the Loveland Plaza retail center, located on the north side of Seven Mile Road between Merriman Road and Farmington Road in the Southwest 114 of Section 3, which properly is zoned C-1, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City April 19, 2011 25603 Council that Petition 2011-03-02-01 be approved subject to the following conditions: 1. That the maximum customer seating count shall not exceed fifty two (52) seats; 2. That approval to operate a full service restaurant (Blue Plate Diner) within the Loveland Plaza commercial center shall be permitted only under the circumstances that the special waiver use requirement limiting the number of seats in a C-1 zoning district be waived or modified by the City Council; 3. That this restaurant shall provide a grease container, which shall be adequately screened from public view either within the existing dumpster enclosure or within in a separate enclosure; 4. That the collapsing storm sewer catch basin and drain located near the front entrance of the parking lot near the southeast corner shall be repaired; 5. 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 6. That no LED lighthand or exposed neon shall be permitted on the site including, but not limited to, the building or around the windows; and 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 10.03 and 19.06 of the Zoning Ordinance #543; 2. That the subject site has the capacity to accommodate the proposed use; and 3. That the proposed use is compatible to and in harmony with the surrounding uses in the area. April 19, 2011 25604 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. Morrow: Is there any discussion? Mr. Taormina: A friendly request for an amendment, and that would be to incorporate the suggestion from the Division of Police with respect to repairs to the storm sewer catch basin. Mr. Morrow: That's a good addition. Do you represent the client here tonight or the property owner? Mr. Kritzman: Just the client here this evening, representing that one tenant space. Mr. Morrow: So we will incorporate the remarks from the Traffic Bureau as part of the motion. Is that in agreement by the motion maker and the supporter? Ms. Scheel: Yes, it is. Ms. Smiley: Yes, it is. Mr. Morrow: So amended. Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. Thank you coming and welcome to your new business in Livonia. Hopefully, it will go through. ITEM #3 PETITION 2011-03-02-02 LUIGI'S PIZZA & SUBS Ms. Scheel, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2011- 03-02-02 submitted by Luigi's Pizza & Subs requesting waiver use approval for an outdoor dining patio (seasonal seating)in connection with a full service restaurant at 31530 Plymouth Road, located on the north side of Plymouth Road between Merriman Road and Hubbard Avenue in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 27. Mr. Taormina provided background on the dem and presented a map showing the property under petition plus the existing zoning of the surrounding area. Mr. Morrow: Is there any correspondence? April 19, 2011 25605 Mr. Taormina: There are four items of correspondence. The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated April 8, 2011, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Engineering Division has reviewed the above -referenced waiver use petition for outdoor seating. The legal description provided comectiy describes the overall property. The following language could be added to the legal description to more specifically describe the proposed outdoor patio area: and more specifically, seasonal seating located at the south end of the building, assigned the address of 31530 Plymouth Rd, with the dimensions of approximately 16 feet by 34 feet, and containing approximately 544 square feet. The address is verified to be 31530 Plymouth Road." The letter is signed by Kevin G. Roney, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The second letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated March 30, 2011, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan submitted in connection with a request to use an outdoor dining patio on property located at the above referenced address. We have no objections to this proposal." The letter is signed by Earl W. Fesler, Fire Marshal. The third letter is from the Division of Police, dated March 31, 2011, which reads as follows: We have reviewed the plans in connection with the petition. 1 have no objections or recommendations to the plans as submitted." The letter is signed by John Gibbs, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The fourth letter is from the Inspection Department, dated April 19, 2011, which reads as follows: "Pursuant to your request, the above -referenced petition has been reviewed. The following is noted. This petitioner has shown a deficiency in the number of required parking spaces due to the increase in seating capacity. An additional 12 parking spaces would be required. A variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals would be necessary to maintain the deficient number of parking spaces. This Department has no further objections to this petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Assistant Director of Inspection. That is the extent of the correspondence. Mr. Morrow: Are there any questions for the staff? Mr. Taylor: Mark, if I remember correctly, landbanked parking is not unusual. The first one that comes to mind is Holiday Inn; they had Iandbanked parking. There's been a few more that I think have been approved. Mr. Taormina: That's correct. Mr. Taylor: So this is not an unusual situation April 19, 2011 25606 Mr. Taormina: We've done this in about half a dozen cases, but probably the most notable one, as you indicated, is the Holiday Inn. I think over 100 spaces were landbanked in that case. Mr. Taylor: Thankyou. Ms. Smiley: Mark, is there something they can do with the seating? So in the summer when they want to use the outside patio, could they lake some of the seats from inside and use them outside? Are there a specific number of seats that need to be inside and outside at all times? Mr. Taormina: I think we could work with the petitioner in that sense. If, for example, he doesn't have the demand for the interior seating and wanted to move some of those tables outside, I dont think there would be any objection to that as long as he doesn't exceed the overall parking requirement. That is what we would look at because as he moves seats from inside to the outside, he actually reduces the number of required parking spaces because we have a different standard for outdoor sealing than we do for the interior seating. It requires less parking. That's why we wouldn't have any objections to that. Ms. Smiley: Okay. Thank you. Mr. Morrow: It appears they have a lot of flexibility as it relates to landbanking, reducing seats inside or outside, or going to the Zoning Board of Appeals. That's about a fair estimate. Mr. Taormina: Correct. Mr. Morrow: We will go to the petitioner or his representative. Enrico E. Soave, Kucyk Soave and Fernandes, P.L.L.C., 37771 Seven Mile Road, Suite C, Livonia, Michigan 48152. Good evening. I'm here on behalf of the petitioner, Luigi's Pizza & Subs. A few addifional comments to what Mr. Taormina was slating. We are very flexible in regards to parking. In doing so, this will be part of interior renovations to accommodate a Class C which Liugfs has had since about two years ago. Parking has never been an issue. The seating capacity has never been an issue. We are very flexible and open to a combination of interior versus exterior seating. But in speaking with Mr. Taormina, 18 persons, which meets the minimum in order to landbank the necessary required parking spots, would suffice at this point in time. We don't anticipate that much need to have more than 18 April 19, 2011 25607 persons on the patio at any one point in time. If something changes in the future, depending on what happens after the renovation and actually makes it compatible to accommodate a Class C license, then we would further change and accommodate the actual parking requirements through indoor and outdoor seating. Mr. Morrow: Do we have any questions of Mr. Soave? Seeing none, I will go the audience. Is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against the granting of this petition? Seeing no one coming forward, I will close the public hearing and ask for a motion. On a motion by Taylor, seconded by Wilshaw, and unanimously adopted, it was #04-13-2011 RESOLVED, that pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held by the City Planning Commission on Apnl 19, 2011, on Petition 2011-03-02-02 submitted by Luigi's Pizza & Subs requesting waiver use approval for an outdoor dining patio (seasonal sealing) in connection with a full service restaurant at 31530 Plymouth Road, located on the north side of Plymouth Road between Merriman Road and Hubbard Avenue in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 27, which properly is zoned C-2, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 2011-03-02-02 be approved subject to the following conditions: 1. That the Plan dated March 24, 2011, as prepared by Architecturally Speaking is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; 2. That the landscape materials indicated on the approved Plan shall be installed to the satisfaction of the Inspection Department and thereafter permanently maintained in a healthy condition; 3. That the maximum number of customer seats shall not exceed a total of one hundred eleven (111) seats, including seventy-five (75) interior seats and eighteen (18) outdoor patio seats; 4. That in accordance with Section 18.370) of the Zoning Ordinance, the petitioner shall be allowed to bank up to twenty-five percent (25%) of the total number of required parking spaces; April 19, 2011 25608 5. That the banked parking area shall be maintained as green space and that a future parking plan shall be submitted to the Planning Department, which shall be arranged and designed so that the subject parking spaces can be installed at a later date if the need arises; 6. That the owner shall agree in writing to install such landbanked parking within 180 days of a City Council resolution in which it is determined that such additional parking is needed; 7. That this approving resolution does not grant approval for the use of outdoor speakers in connection with the outdoor patio; 8. That no advertising shall be permitted on any of the seating apparatus of the outdoor patio area; and 9. That the specific plans referenced in this approving resolution shall be submitted to the Inspection Department at the lime the building permits are applied for. Subject to the preceding conditions, this petition is approved for the following reasons: 1. That the proposed use complies with all of the general waiver use standards and requirements as set forth in Section 19.06 of the Zoning Ordinance #543; 2. That the subject site has the capacity to accommodate the proposed use; and 3. That the proposed use is compatible to and in harmony with the surrounding uses in the area. 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. Morrow: Is there any discussion? Mr. Taormina: I think there was a typo in the approving resolution where we indicated 36 outdoor patio seats. That should be adjusted to 18. Mr. Morrow: So noted by the Secretary. April 19, 2011 25609 Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carded and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. ITEM #4 PETITION 2011-03-02-03 DICK SCOTT Ms. Scheel, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2011- 03-02-03 submitted by Dick Scott Classic Motorcycles requesting waiver use approval for the outdoor storage and display of vehicles and motorcycles at 36534 Plymouth Road, located on the north side of Plymouth Road between Levan Road and Newburgh Road in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 29. Mr. Taormina provided background on the item and presented a map showing the properly under petition plus the existing zoning of the surrounding area. Mr. Morrow: One question, Mark. I think you indicated that the vehicle storage principally backs up to a manufacturing area. Mr. Taormina: That is coned. Mr. Morrow: No residential or anything of that nature? Mr. Taormina: There is no residential in the immediate vicinity, and access to that area would be provided from the existing parking area. They would just extend by means of a gravel driveway from the paved areas to the rear portion of the site where the storage area would be located. Mr. Morrow: What is the setback from Plymouth Road to the vehicle storage area? Mr. Taormina: The setback would about be approximately 260 feet. Mr. Morrow: That's almost a football field away. Mr. Taormina: Coned. Mr. Morrow: Okay. Go ahead with the correspondence. Mr. Taormina: There are four items of correspondence. The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated April 8, 2011, which reads as follows: 9n accordance with your request, the Engineering Division has reviewed the above -referenced petition. The legal description as shown on the print provided does not agree with our records. The comect description, as reflected in City records April 19, 2011 25610 is as follows: 29C6 7A Plymouth Levan Industrial TIS R9E L89 P19 WCR Lot 6 also Lot 7 exc the N LOFT thereof. The legal description provided does not note the liber or page number (Liber 89 page 19 Wayne County Records) nor does it mention the north 10 foot exception. It is noted that the paving of the north portion of the lot is labeled `future'. Should the owner wish to proceed with this in the future, an appointment must be made with the Engineering Division to discuss storm water management. The address is verified to be 36534 Plymouth Road." The letter is signed by Kevin G. Roney, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The second letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated April 5, 2011, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan submitted in connection with a request to store and display vehicles on property located at the above referenced address. We have no objections to this proposal." The letter is signed by Earl W. Fester, Fire Marshal. The third letter is from the Division of Police, dated April 7, 2011, which reads as follows: 7 have reviewed the plans in connection with the petition. 1 have no objections to the plans." The letter is signed by John Gibbs, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The fourth letter is from the Inspection Department, dated April 19, 2011, which reads as follows: "Pursuant to your request, the above -referenced petition has been reviewed. The following is noted. (1) The future parking area located to the north must be improved with concrete or plant -mixed asphalt within two years from date of occupancy. The parking area shall be maintained in a smooth, firm, usable and dust -proof condition. (2) The existing parking lot will be in need of repair or replacement in the near future. This Department has no further objections to this petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Assistant Director of Inspection. That is the extent of the correspondence. Mr. Morrow: Thank you. Are there any questions or comments? Mr. Taylor: Mark, does the petitioner know about the public works letter? Mr. Taormina: Do you mean in terms of their need to have this reviewed for stonnwater management? Yes. We've talked to the pefifioner regarding that. I'm not sure if they've met with Engineering Division yet, but they aware that they'll have to meet with them ahead of time. Mr. Taylor: Also, I didn't quite understand about the ground sign. The ground sign that is there now, is it nonconforming? April 19, 2011 25611 Mr. Taormina: It is fully conforming. All they want to do is just change the face of the sign. Mr. Taylor: Just change the panel. Mr. Taormina: Cored. Mr. Taylor: Okay. Thank you. Ms. Smiley: Did you say that they're going to display motorcycles on pads on the grass out front? Mr. Taormina: The plan indicates theywould have four fool bysixfoot concrete pads that would be spaced along the front yard area where they would display the motorcycles during the day. In the evening, they would bring those back inside the building. Ms. Smiley: That was my next question. They go in and out every day. Mr. Taormina: That's correct. Ms. Smiley: Okay. Thank you. Mr. Morrow: Are there any other questions or comments before I go to the petitioner? Seeing none, is the petitioner here? Please come forward. We need your name and address for the record please. Jeff Scott, 7291 Haverhill Court South, Canton, Michigan. Nicole Scott, 917 Andover Drive, Northville, Michigan. Jack Townsend, 14 Chateau, Fenlon, Michigan 48430. Mr. Morrow: Thank you. Is there anything you would like to add to the presentation by Mr. Taormina or comments that you would like to add? Mr. Scott: As you indicated earlier, we're part of the Dick Scott organization. As far as the appearance of the building, if you're familiar with some of our other dealerships, the appearance of the store will be something that the City will be proud of. We don't have any poorly looking dealerships. That's a very important factor for all of our stores. Mr. Townsend: I represent the owner of the property. That particular site has been used over for the years, first of all by Ramchargers, then April 19, 2011 25612 Detroit Speed Shop. The previous tenant in there was actually a motorcycle dealership called Mac Motor Sports. They were in there for about probably less than a year because of the economy. It sort of turned them away and their business went down, but that was the former use of the properly. Mr. Morrow: Thank you. If there are no other comments, we'll see if the Commission has any questions. Do we have any questions? Mr. Wilshaw: Just a question about the concrete pads that are going to be out there. Right now we're looking at possibly giving you 14 pads. How many different model motorcycles do you expect to have available at this dealership? Is that really pretty much all the different models available? Mr. Scott: Victory has about 12 different models. Indian has several, four different models, different colors in that regards. Big Dog has five or six different models. Aprilia, which we only carry the scooters, I believe have five different scooter models also. We're also anticipating possibly taking on the ATV or side-by- side products of Polaris, which is the parent company of Victory. So there would be those also. Mr. Wilshaw Okay. Would you be planning snowmobiles? Mr. Scot: Al this time, I am not planning on snowmobiles. Mr. Wilshaw: The reason I ask is because I'm just thinking of a typical car dealership. They usually highlight three or four models, maybe on display pads or elevated lifts or something like that. Fourteen seems like a lot, but obviously this is a little bit different. Mr. Scot: They're smaller. Mr. Wilshaw: Right. The pictures that were provided in our packet show an Indian dealership that has Dick Scott's name on it. That's your currently facility that you're operating right now? Mr. Scot: In Canton, yes. Mr. Wilshaw: Thatwould move overlo this location. Mr. Scot: That place would close, yes. We're relocating the store. Mr. Wilshaw: Your thoughts about the business right now is that motorcycles are a good viable business, that that's actually coming back. April 19, 2011 25613 Mr. Scott: Most definitely. And I think, as things get better, obviously motorcycles are a luxury item as opposed to a necessity, and we're seeing some definite changes here in the last six months. I think as we go further and the economy continues to recover, I really think it's going to be a good situation. Mr. Wilshaw: Do you think with the way gas prices are going that it's driving some sales with maybe scooters? Mr. Scott: Scooters, yes. A little bit to motorcycles. Gas savings can be a major driving factor for someone to buy a scooter. I don't think that's usually one of the considerations when you're buying a motorcycle for most people. Mr. Wilshaw: Well, certainly names like Victory and Indian are well respected names. It's nice to see names like that coming to a dealership in this area. I appreciate that. Mr. Scott Thanks. Ms. Scheel: Can you tell us what your hours of operation are going to be? Mr. Scott : Right now we have two seasons basically, in season and out of season. From basically March through August, we're open seven days a week, Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In the off season, the other six months of the year, we close Sunday and Monday and keep the same hours the rest of the week. Ms. Scheel: Okay. Thank you very much. Mr. Taylor: Do you think you'll have motorcycles on all those pads all the lime? Mr. Scott : First of all, if it's raining, we're not going to have any out there. In the wintertime, there won't be anything if there is snow on the ground. Basically on nice days, we will. It depends on our inventory. We're not going to move all our inventory out there if we only have 14 bikes. So to answer your question, probably no. We won't have it filled every day. Mr. Taylor: What you said about the rain, that leads to the next question. Are you going to lake them in at night then? Mr. Scott: They come in every night. Yes. April 19, 2011 25614 Mr. Taylor: Everything goes inside at night? Mr. Scott : There will be nothing outside overnight. Mr. Taylor: Do you have enough room inside that building to store 20 more motorcycles than you're displaying already? Mr. Scott Yes. Mr. Taylor: You do. Mr. Townsend: Just to mention that the shop area in the back is about 5,000 square feet. So it's a fairly large shop area. Mr. Taylor: Okay. I've been over there. I'm not particularly crazy about selling used cars or motorcycles or whatever on Plymouth Road, mainly used cars, but the situation we're in right now and all the vacant buildings that we have on Plymouth Road, I see this as a plus plus for Livonia and Dick Scott. There are a few vacant car dealerships down the road to the east. Its loo bad that you couldn't have got one of those, but I understand that some of them are loo big and some of them aren't the right size. This evidently fits your needs, so I have no problem with it. We're filling up a vacant building and that is the good news. Thank you. Mr. Morrow: Anything else? Ms. Smiley: Are one of you going to manage this particular building? You are? Okay. Welcome to Livonia. Also these will be new bikes and you won't be doing any maintenance? Mr. Scott: We will be a full service dealership. We will be selling new motorcycles. We will use motorcycles represented, and we also will be doing full service in the service area of the building. Ms. Smiley: I'm just curious. What is the range on a classic motorcycle, price wise. What would something like that cost? Mr. Scott: Each brand has different price points. The Victory runs from about $11,500. Their top model is about $24,500. The Aprilia scooters will ran from about $2,000 to $6,000. Big Dog and Indian motorcycles are premium high content, high quality motorcycles and they start around $25,000 and will go as high as $40,000. April 19, 2011 25615 Ms. Smiley: Those are serious bikes. Thank you. Mr. Wilshaw: How many other Indians dealers are in the area, or Victory or some of those other premium brands? Mr. Scot: There is only one other Indian dealership in Michigan right now. Indian, real quick, relaunched again in 2009. They currently have about 30 dealers nationwide and they're still growing. Victory has about six or seven dealers in the stale. There's one in Highland. There's one in Lansing. There's one in Utica. They're not as dense, say, as some of the car dealerships. Big Dog, there are three dealers between here, Flint and Lansing, and there's one other in Grand Rapids. So there's four. Mr. Wilshaw: So it's safe to assume that this is going to be a destination for someone shopping for these products. Mr. Scot: Yes. Indian and Big Dog, definitely destination -type products. Mr. Wilshaw: You're going to pull people from all over the metro area then. Okay. Excellent. Mr. Scot: Indian I sell all over the countryto be honest with you. Mr. Wilshaw: Excellent. Very good. Thank you. Mr. Morrow: Before I go the audience, are there any other comments you wanito make to ourvast television audience? Seeing none, I'm going to go to the audience. Is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against the granting of this petition? We'll need your name and address for the record. Alan Zack, Body Rocks Fitness and Racquet, 36600 Plymouth Road, Livonia, Michigan 48150. 1 am the business that is right next door where the health club runs out as well. It is adjacent, fight next to my building's west side. I guess the biggest thing is, you know, I just have a few things to say. I've been around about 20 years. That building, many other buildings, you guys frowned on outside storage, vehicles, things being parked out front. That building itself recently even had to have outside storage leave. There was enclosed fencing with things in back, years past, that had to go because of outside storage. Anything parked out front was a no -no. I mean, I know a lot of people from that business, that location to other ones, even 20 years ago when I wanted to move an auto body shop in Livonia, a beautiful building right next to the railroad, outside storage, you know, totally got turned down, what have you and that nature. So, I guess the biggest April 19, 2011 25616 thing is that I am all about someone wanting to start a business. I'm all about the motorcycle. I'm all about something going in maybe next door to me and that nature and outside storage. I guess the biggest thing is what I'm doing right now is I'm planting seeds for me right now to where, hey, yeah, support it but if I was to come in and do the proper protocol, you know, what I have to do to gel in front of this Board for my building next door, because basically I'm just a corporation. Yeah, there's a health club inside there. I own a construction company also, and you know, I have to multi task to keep things going over there, but yeah, this is good. So when I come in front of the Board and I ask for, if I want outside storage behind my building, because I know what motorcycles and outside storage is, everything else of that nature. I support it, but if I come in and I ask for outside storage behind my building, or if I want to sell cars in front of my building or motorcycles or sell fitness equipment on pads in front of my building, that I'm going to be welcomed in entertaining this because, as we know, a lot of people, not necessarily on your Board right here, have been denied. No, we don't allow that. Period. Not acceptable, you know, and that nature. So yes, I support it, but if I start filling out all the proper protocols, pay my way, and start asking for change of use of my building, I want to be supported just like maybe you're going to do for the next. I'm planting seeds here and I think it's fair. Yeah, I do run a health club business in there, but basically its just a main office for me, and maybe the building can be changed totally to something like that or if the building was sold or if I'm operating it, I want to be able to multi- function it. Motorcycle shop, storing cars from another totally different entity, that means I got something going for me here. Outside storage behind my building. And also, doing the same like things in front of my building because, right now, I can't get away with nothing of that nature. I respect that. I understand that. Go in front of the Board. Again, today I'm planting seeds because if it happens, you'll probably be seeing me soon in that nature. Mr. Morrow: Well, in that regard, every petition which is filed is judged on its own merit. Generally speaking, before you get to the petition stage, its always a good idea to talk to the Planning Department with your ideas. As you say, to kind of go through the procedure, start here initially. Then the petition, as you heard in the opening remarks tonight, the City Council makes the final decision. We can't judge you tonight. We don't know what you're doing, but I think we gel the gist of what you're saying. If I interpret you correctly, you're not opposed to the motorcycle business coming in and being your neighbor. April 19, 2011 25617 Mr. Zack: I'm not opposed to it. I try to run a clean job the best I can with economic things right now. A few hiccups, yes, but you know, I just want to be treated equally if I come in front of this Board and then take it to the next level because I can put pads out front. I can sell fitness equipment. I can sell motorcycles. I can store cars in the back. I can store construction equipment in back. I can do a whole lot. Roush Racing is right behind me. So again, I'm planting seeds here. Mr. Morrow: I think you've said that. I think the Commission gels the thrust of it. Like I say, you're free to file a petition and we'll judge it on the merits of what you're bringing to the City from a planning standpoint. So we appreciate your input. Thank you. Mr. Zack: Thank you very much. Mr. Morrow: Is there anyone else wishing to speak for or against the granting of this petition? Seeing no one coming forward, I'm going to close the public hearing and ask for a motion. On a motion by Smiley, seconded by Taylor, and unanimously adopted, it was #04-14-2011 RESOLVED, that pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held by the City Planning Commission on April 19, 2011, on Petition 2011-03-02-03 submitted by Dick Scoff Classic Motorcycles requesting waiver use approval for the outdoor storage and display of vehicles and motorcycles at 36534 Plymouth Road, located on the north side of Plymouth Road between Levan Road and Newburgh Road in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 29, which properly is zoned C-2, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 2011-03-02-03 be approved subject to the following conditions: 1. That the Plan dated April 1, 2011, prepared by R.G. Myers & Associates, is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; 2. That the outside display shall be limited to motorcycles only, and that the display of any automobiles either within the parking lot or front yard of the subject property shall first require the submittal of a revised site plan and review and approval of the Planning Commission; 3. That the number of motorcycles to be displayed outdoors shall be limited to fourteen (14) within the areas shown on the site plan, and that no motorcycles for sale shall be April 19, 2011 25618 displayed closer than twenty feel (20') from the front lot line; 4. That there shall be no outdoor storage of parts, equipment, scrap material, waste petroleum products or other similar items in connection with the service repair facility, and the overhead doors, when not in use for vehicles entering or exiting the service facility, shall be closed at all limes; 5. That all regular customer and employee parking spaces shall be double striped, including the provision of barrier free parking with proper signage, marking and configuration, and all regular parking spaces shall be 10 feet by 20 feet in size as required; 6. That the Petitioner shall work with staff and the Plymouth Road Development Authority (PRDA) on plans to install additional landscaping and other streetscape improvements (i.e., brick piers and fencing) along Plymouth Road; 7. That all existing landscaped areas shall be cleaned up, re - managed and permanently maintained in a healthy condition; 8. 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; 9. That no LED lighthand or exposed neon shall be permitted on the site including, but not limited to, the building or around the windows; 10. That there shall be no outdoor loud speakers; 11. That the outdoor storage of vehicles shall be limited to the rear yard storage area as shown on the above referenced Plan and shall be maintained in an orderly manner; 12. That the storage yard shall be hard surfaced with crushed rock or gravel prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy by the Inspection Department and shall be maintained in a dust -proof condition, and said storage area shall be properly graded and drained to dispose of all surface water in a manner as approved by the Engineering Division; April 19, 2011 25619 13. That the enure area utilized for vehicle storage shall be enclosed by a fence of a type approved by the Inspection Department; 14. That any lighting equipment added to the site shall be directed and shielded/hooded so as to minimize glare trespassing on adjacent properties and roadways, and that the height of such equipment shall be limited to 20 feet; 15. That the existing asphalt parking areas shall be repaired, resealed and restriped to the satisfaction of the Inspection Department; 16. That only minor repairs and maintenance work on vehicles be conducted at this site, and that repair work shall not include collision repair; and 17. That the specific plans referenced in this approving resolution shall be submitted to the Inspection Department al the time the building permits are applied for. Subject to the preceding conditions, this petition is approved for the following reasons: 1. That the proposed use complies with all of the general waiver use standards and requirements as set forth in Section 19.06 of the Zoning Ordinance #543; 2. That the subject site has the capacity to accommodate the proposed use; and 3. That the proposed use is compatible to and in harmony with the surrounding uses in the area. Further, the Planning Commission recommends the approval of a Conditional Agreement limiting this waiver use to this user only, with the provision to extend this waiver use approval to a new user only upon approval of the new user by the City Council. 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. Morrow: Is there any discussion? April 19, 2011 25620 Ms. Scheel: Mr. Taormina, the Department of Public Works letter mentioned the legal description needed to be corrected. Was that done or does that need to be mentioned in these conditions? Mr. Taormina: No, it would not have to be mentioned. That was just part of their correspondence to you. Ms. Scheel: Okay. Thank you. Mr. Taylor: There was some talk, Mark, about Dick Scott being in a hurry. Should we ask for a seven day waiver? Mr. Taormina: I think there is a resolution to that effect that has been prepared or a letter. Mr. Morrow: I don't see R. Mr. Taormina: Yes, we had talked about that. They have requested a seven day waiver. Ms. Smiley: Do we approve this first, though? Mr. Morrow: Yes. We will get to that in a minute. One thing, Mark, do you think we should have any kind of reference to the PRDA on this motion? I was wondering if I missed it or not. Mr. Taormina: We have that in Condition #6. Mr. Morrow: Okay, good. That takes care of that. If there is no further discussion, we'll have a vote on the approving resolution. Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. There was reference to a seven day waiver. Is there a motion in that regard? On a motion by Smiley, seconded by Taylor, and unanimously adopted, it was #04-15-2011 RESOLVED, that the City Planning Commission does hereby determine to waive the provisions of Section 10 of Article VI of the Planning Commission Rules of Procedure, regarding the effective dale of a resolution after the seven-day period from the dale of adoption by the Planning Commission, in connection with Petition 2011-03-02-03 submitted by Dick Scott Classic Motorcycles requesting waiver use approval for the outdoor storage and display of vehicles and motorcycles at 36534 Plymouth Road, located on the north side of Plymouth Road April 19, 2011 25621 between Levan Road and Newburgh Road in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 29. Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carded and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. Welcome to Livonia. ITEM #5 PETMON 2011-03-08-02 COMERICA BANK Ms. Scheel, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Petition 2011- 03-08-02 submitted by CB Richard Ellis, on behalf of Comerica Bank, requesting approval of all plans required by Section 18.58 of the Zoning Ordinance in connection with a proposal to renovate the exterior of the bank at 31425 Five Mile Road, located on the southwest corner of Five Mile Road and Merriman Road in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 22. Mr. Taormina: This is a petition to renovate the exterior of a commeroial bank building located at the southwest comer of Five Mile Road and Merriman Roads in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 22. Section 22 is the square mile bounded by Five Mile Road to the north, Merriman Road to the east, Farmington Road to the west, and SchoolcraR Road and the 1-96 Expressway to the south. This property is just over one acre. It contains 240 feel of frontage along Five Mile and approximately 205 feel of frontage along Merriman Road. The zoning of the site is OS, Office Services. To the north is a multi -tenant retail building. This is the shopping center that contains Showerman's and Honey Baked Ham. To the south and west are single family homes located within the Livonia Gardens Subdivision, zoned R-1. To the east is a gas station and further east of that is an office building zoned C-2. This bank was originally built in 1978 as a Manufacturers Bank. The exterior of the building has not received any major upgrades since then. The exterior consists primarily of T1-11 wood siding as well as some ceramic tiles. The roofline of the building is flat. A panel brick system is proposed that would be applied over the T1-11 siding and ceramic tiles. This treatment would occur on all four sides of the building. This is a photograph that shows the bank in its current condition. If you look closely, the lighter color on the building is the wood siding and then below that are the files. This is a rendering of what it would like upon completion of improvements. In addition, there would be a new prefnished metal standing seam mansard type roof that would be installed along the roofline. That too would occur on all four sides of the building. This rendering actually shows the color. I'll let the April 19, 2011 25622 architect describe more fully the colors and he might even have some samples of the materials, including the brick and other material, but I believe its a silver color. What is most prominent here is the feature in front of the building which is at the entrance. They would install a lower feature. Its overall height would be approximately 27 feel, and it would be constructed out of the same panel brick that they are using on the rest of the building. It loo would contain a roof element to match what's going around the lop of the existing building. In addition to that, they are showing some changes along the pedestrian entryway. This would increase the vestibule area by only a few square feel. Again, I'll let the architect describe it in greater detail if he would like. Lastly, as it pertains to the drive -up canopy, it would also receive treatment similar to this. There would be a prefinished metal panel fascia on the canopy, as well as a decorative style cornice along the top of the canopy. The columns would also be clad in the same brick as is used in the rest of the building. I can answer questions or go right to the correspondence. Mr. Morrow: Please go the correspondence Mr. Taormina: There are four items of correspondence. The first item is from the Engineering Division, dated April 8, 2011, which reads as follows: "In accordance with your request, the Engineering Division has reviewed the above -referenced petition. The legal description as provided is correct. The proposed modifications are to the building only and no impact on utilities in right-of-ways or easements will result from this work. The address is verified to be 31425 Five Mile Road. We trust this provides you with the requested information." The letter is signed by Kevin G. Roney, P.E., Assistant City Engineer. The second letter is from the Livonia Fire & Rescue Division, dated March 31, 2011, which reads as follows: "This office has reviewed the site plan submitted in connection with a request to renovate the exterior of the commercial building located at the above referenced address. We have no objections to this proposal." The letter is signed by Earl W. Fester, Fire Marshal. The third letter is from the Division of Police, dated March 31, 2011, which reads as follows: "1 have reviewed the plans in connection with the petition. 1 have no objections to the proposal to renovate the exterior of the bank. Parking does not appear to be affected by this renovation, and entry and exit points appear to remain unchanged." The letter is signed by John Gibbs, Sergeant, Traffic Bureau. The fourth letter is from the Inspection Department, dated April 19, 2011, which reads as follows: "Pursuant to your request, the above -referenced petition has April 19, 2011 25623 been reviewed. The following is noted. The petitioner shows a thin brick veneer to be used on all of the exterior walls and not just as an accent feature. It is proposed over different substrates. The Commission and/or Council may wish to clarify this proposal. We do not recommend approving this exterior as proposed. This Department has no further objections to this petition." The letter is signed by Jerome Hanna, Assistant Director of Inspection. That is the extent of the correspondence. Mr. Morrow: Mark, what was their main objection to the brick? I want to make sure I understand it. Mr. Taormina: The letter from Inspection doesn't provide any specifics as to why they object. I suspect they're being very cautious until they actually delve into the details through the plan review process. This is because of the problems we've had in the past with thin brick applications. Originally, when these thin brick materials were applied, the substrate behind it was foam, and over the years has proven to be very problematic. You'll see around town where that type of material was applied, that it falls off. Even portions of this building were constructed that way, and we've experienced problems. Again, they did not have the benefit of, number one, reviewing the details of the plans because that won't occur until the plan review process. Number two, the architect is here to describe to you in greater detail how their product differs from what was done in the past. Again, I think that the comment in this letter is with respect to what the past history has been. We've only had two or three projects since then where a similar type of material has been applied, and I'm not aware that they have any problem on those two sites. I think, thus far, it's been successful. Mr. Morrow: This will be the first full blown thin brick application as opposed to the two prior installations, at least under this type of construction. Mr. Taormina: Yes. As far as the surface area being treated, I would agree with that. Mr. Morrow: This would probably be the largest area. Mr. Taormina: I would agree with that. Mr. Morrow: Are there any other questions of Mark before we go to the petitioner? Seeing none, would the petitioner please come forward? Gentlemen, I think you brought some boards here. April 19, 2011 25624 You might want to set up over here once you've introduced yourselves. Stephen Lechman, Project Manager, Neumann/Smith Architecture, 400 Galleria Offcenlre, Suite 555, Southfield, Michigan 48034. 1 brought along a representative for the company we specified to provide the brick on the building, Troy Smith. Troy Smith, American Panel Brick, 28518 Boston, Sl. Clair Shores, Michigan 48081. Mr. Morrow: Thank you. Are there any questions or comments that you want to add before we go to questions from the Commission? Mr. Lechman: I just brought some boards that are basically the same thing you have slides of. The renderings may have better clarity in terms of the color of the building. Just for representation purposes, I can pull those out. Mr. Morrow: Okay. We have microphone over there. Mr. Lechman: These represent the exterior of the building. You were asking about the brick color. It's nothing unique necessarily. It's an off shade of red. I do not actually have a material sample here today. The standing seam metal roof and the metal cladding that runs continuously above the brick is going to be a standard color that's found on Comerica branches around the City. Its an off color from aluminum. They call it Champagne. It's a muted version of that basically. It's typically the finishes that they use on branches currently. Mr. Morrow: Any olherquestions ofthe petitioner? Ms. Smiley: This is a look that you have on other Comerica banks? Mr. Lechman: Yes. It is their standard. Ms. Smiley: My question was about the tower. From my drawings, it looks like it comes out a ways from the building. Mr. Lechman: Correct. This portion of the wall here has been pulled from the existing wall of the building about a foot and a half to basically provide a symmetrical footprint for this new element to break through the roof of the existing building. It is sitting on the existing location of the existing vestibule. So the entrance into the building is underneath the covered canopy here, which is there currently, and into a pair of doors, which is basically the April 19, 2011 25625 same location we're providing underneath this new basic extension element that breaks above the roof ine. Ms. Smiley: To give it some more character? Mr. Lachman: A little bit more character and, again, it's part of the brand basic footprint image that's been rolled out around town. Ms. Smiley: Were you telling us that this brick has been used at Comerica Park? Mr. Lachman: Yes. The history of thin brick has developed quite a bit since some previous experiences have seen some failure rales. This is an engineered system on panels that's fully supported on the veneer of the existing building, engineered basically to do all the things that the product hadn't done in the past, and that is provide a very wearable durable surface that looks exactly like brick. Frankly, we wouldn't be recommending it if it didn't do that, and also provide great economic advantages to the owner where it was very prohibitive to try to put a traditional brick veneer on this building. And yes, it has been used around town at various locations. Ford Field, I believe, has an interior that's been clad with this and portions of Comerica Park as well. There have been other new buildings that have been put up that have been entirely clad in this material, much larger than this one. Ms. Smiley: Okay. That was my next question. Mr. Lechman: And new construction as well some retrofits. Troy, it you can add anything as to where you might see that. Troy Smith: In Royal Oak, the LA Fitness on the comer of Woodward and 6- 96. That whole building was a precast standup building. That whole building is clad in the same system. Ms. Smiley: Thankyou. Thankyou, Mr. Chair. Ms. Scheel: Is this a project that you plan on doing this year once you gel approved? Mr. Lechman: They are ready to move forward right now. We've completed the documents. They've been submitted to the City for review and we're ready to go. Ms. Scheel: Will this particular branch be open during construction? April 19, 2011 25626 Mr. Lechman: It will not shut. It will be maintained open during the entire course of the renovation work. Ms. Scheel: Okay. Thank you. Mr. Taylor: There was some talk about signage. Did you develop the signage the way it should be or is it under or over signed or do you have to go to the Zoning Board? Mr. Lachman: I understand the signage is being presented to the City via the vendor who works with Comerica. We have not been involved in that process specifically, but I understand that a portion of this, such as the sign on the lower, may require a variance due to the height of the upgrade. We're not involved specifically in that effort here. We provided the portion of the building upon which to place the sign. Mr. Taylor: I know the reason for the panel brick, more or less. There are no brick footings around this building. It's very expensive to put them in now. With the development of the new thin brick, it seems to hold up much better. So I don't really have a problem with it, and this building definitely needed to be refurbished. Mr. Lechman: The thin brick is essentially the same as a full dimensional depth material. Mr. Taylor: One other question. Your company now, it was Williams Brick. Mr. Smith: It was Williams Panel Brick. American Brick Company is the name of our company. And I want to note, the systems that are failing throughout Livonia, we've looked into a lot of them. We've had no failures with the new system in 20 years. We have no records of any failure with the new panel system, the metal panel system. The foam system, there are failures with that system, mainly due to poor upkeep and the ground getting pushed up against the building. That is what is making those panels fail on the foam systems. Mr. Lechman: Its the transfer of moisture from the ground into the panel basically. Mr. Morrow: So what's you're saying is that you don't want your product grouped in with some of the other failing systems that come under the heading of thin brick. Mr. Smith: Yes. April 19, 2011 25627 Mr. Morrow: You do give a 20 year guarantee. Mr. Smith: Yes. We have a 20 year guarantee on the material used with our system, the panel, the mastic, the mortar and the starter strip. Mr. Taormina I think it was pointed out that this material does not go to grade. Mr. Lechman: It is held up above grade to prevent any moisture from getting in behind the system. As such, its fully weeped so that any moisture that does get in, for whatever reason, has a way out al the bottom. It's also vented at the top. So its built just like a traditional brick veneer wall would be that's done correctly to allow moisture that if it does get it, it can gel out and it's not trapped behind it causing the potential failure of the brick itself. This entire system has been engineered basically to adhere to the metal backer panel and move as needed so that failure is not a common condition, or not a condition I've ever seen in the use of this product. Mr. Wilshaw: This is for Mr. Smith first. You're saying that the system you're proposing for this installation has been one that's been used for the past 20 years. Mr. Smith: Yes. The patent on it is roughly 1990. It's been tested and beats all and exceeds all state building codes for Michigan and national. Mr. Wilshaw: So this isn't a system that's just been used in the last few years? Mr. Smith: No. Its been at lead 20 years. Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. So it has a good track record. What would happen if, because this building obviously has a drive-lhru, it's almost inevitable that someone is going to drive into the side wall as they try to gel into the drive-lhru lane. If someone bumps their car into this brick, what's going to happen? Mr. Smith: Its going to do pretty much the same damage that real brick will do. Mr. Wilshaw: And its repairable the same way as real brick would be? Mr. Smith: Its actually a lot easier to repair than real brick. April 19, 2011 25628 Mr. Wilshaw: Okay. For Mr. Lechman, just a couple brief questions. There is a brick wall that currently exists. You can see it on your existing diagram there right near the entrance. Its just a solid brick wall. That is going to disappear, right? Mr. Lechman: Yes. Mr. Wlshaw: What was the purpose of that wall? Mr. Lechman: The purpose of that wall originally will be the purpose of what's left of it as we go forward. There's a column imbedded in one end of its that lucked underneath the portion of the roof that extends over it. So there's a column there. They just extended that out as a design element out past the building envelope onto the site. There's no other purpose. That would be the east end to support the corner of the building. That portion remains as a column and is now clad in new brick veneer. Mr. Wlshaw: So from a security perspective, it actually would be safer to not have that wall there, so someone couldn't hide behind it. Mr. Lechman: It is much less of a security issue at this point going forward if we remove that wall because you are correct. Mr. Wlshaw: Okay. Very good. The reason I ask that is because the building has held up pretty well given the fact that T1-11 doesn't have a huge life span. Its got a very residential appearance to the building. These upgrades appear to enhance the building, make it a little bit more visible but still maintain a professional appearance. I do like the plan that you presented. The one question I would have is, if this brick panel system was not approved by either this body or the City Council, as a Project Manager, what would be Plan B? Mr. Lechman: As opposed to putting a thin brick on the building? Mr. Wilshaw: Exactly. If you couldn't do the thin brick, what would you do? Mr. Lechman: At this point, economically, the addition of real brick veneer would not be feasible. We haven't approached that with our client. The chances are they'd have to reconsider the overall project going forward in terms of how they would approach this. They own the building so they want to remain on that site in Livonia, and it's their mission to bring it up so that it matches the appearance of other sites. We found this being the most economical fit, practical, and basically realistic ft between their standard currently and making this site ft that new look. I would April 19, 2011 25629 not be able to speak on behalf of Comerica as to what they might find to be acceptable as opposed to brick. Mr. Wilshaw: So you haven't considered dryvil or other materials that might work without having the fooling? You just really haven't gone down that road. Mr. Lechman: We would not recommend a dryvil product. We feel it would cheapen the look of the building basically. Mr. Wilshaw: I'm glad to hear that. Mr. Lechman: We would want it to possess a quality that fits its locafion. We fell the brick look the most economical way to make that happen and was the right fit for our client. Mr. Wilshaw: Given what you told me, I tend to agree. Thank you. Mr. Smith: Just to add one thing. There are multiple locafions that this system and brick is being put on throughout the Stale for Comerica Banks. Mr. Morrow: Is there anything else? Are there any final comments that you want to make before I go the audience? Well, I don't see anyone in the audience but I'll ask anyway. Is there anybody in the audience that wishes to speak for or against the granting of this petition? Seeing no one in the audience, any final words? Mr. Lechman: Thank you for your time and your consideration. We look forward to this project getting start very soon actually. Mr. Morrow: Okay. I'll ask for a mofion. On a motion by Scheel, seconded by Taylor, and unanimously adopted, it was #04-16-2011 RESOLVED, that the City Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 2011-03-08-02 submitted by CB Richard Ellis, on behalf of Comerica Bank, requesting approval of all plans required by Section 18.58 of the Zoning Ordinance in connection with a proposal to renovate the exterior of the bank at 31425 Five Mile Road, located on the southwest comer of Five Mile Road and Merriman Road in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 22, be approved subject to the following conditions: April 19, 2011 25630 1. That the Plan marked Sheet A001 dated February 16, 2011, as revised, prepared by Neumann Smith Architecture, is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; 2. That the Building Elevations Plan marked Sheet A202 dated February 16, 2011, as revised, prepared by Neumann Smith Architecture, is hereby approved and shall be adhered to; 3. That the thin brick material shall be % inches thick and installed in accordance with the manufacturer's written instructions as specified in the Project Manual dated February 23, 2011 prepared by Neumann Smith Architecture and shall be installed to the satisfaction of the Inspection Department; 4. 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; 5. 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; 6. That no LED Iighthand or exposed neon shall be permitted on this site including, but not limited to, the building or around the windows; 7. 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, 8. 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. Morrow: Is there any discussion? Mr. Taylor: Mark, I don't whether we need it to put in another comment maybe between six and seven: That this petition is approved with the new and improved panel brick by American Brick Company. I say that because most petitions that come before April 19, 2011 25631 the Planning Commission and the Council ask for a full face four inch brick. Do you think that would be smart to put that in? Mr. Taormina: Yes. We can reference the more detailed plans. I know there was a full set of plans presented. What we will do is be more specific in terms of the type of panel brick system that is being approved as part of this petition. Mr. Morrow: Are we going to add something to the motion? Mr. Taormina: I think what was requested was a new condition. We'll move it up to condition three. Mr. Morrow: If the maker and support agree, we'll make sure that addition goes forward. Ms. Scheel: Isupport it. Mr. Morrow: Any other discussion? We've heard from the Inspection Department. When you go before Council, come fully prepared to present the material that we saw last week at the study session, and any other building materials or panels. They may not require it, but you'll be prepared in case they ask for it based on what we heard from the Inspection Department. Based on this, I'm assuming we'll go ahead with the vote Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. Based on the approval, I think you've convinced the Planning Commission that this particular type of brick will work. Ms. Smiley: Did I understand that they wanted to expedite this just in case it slops raining in Livonia? Mr. Morrow: I have no knowledge of any type of waiver. Ms. Smiley: Did you ask for a seven day waiver? Mr. Lechman: We would like to expedite this if at all possible. I'm not familiar with the procedure required to do so, but we would like to. They're positioned right now to be able to begin construction within a month. Mr. Morrow: I guess what Mrs. Smiley is saying, we can waive the seven days but it would be up to you or someone else to get with the City Council President who controls his agenda and see if you April 19, 2011 25632 can gel it added on a timely basis. We have no idea what it is, but you could work with Mark in that regard. If someone would like to offer that motion. On a motion by Smiley, seconded by Scheel, and unanimously adopted, it was #04-17-2011 RESOLVED, that the City Planning Commission does hereby determine to waive the provisions of Section 10 of Article VI of the Planning Commission Rules of Procedure, regarding the effective dale of a resolution after the seven-day period from the date of adoption by the Planning Commission, in connection with Petition 2011-03-08-02 submitted by CB Richard Ellis, on behalf of Comerica Bank, requesting approval of all plans required by Section 18.58 of the Zoning Ordinance in connection with a proposal to renovate the exterior of the bank at 31425 Five Mile Road, located on the southwest corner of Five Mile Road and Merriman Road in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 22. Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. You have your seven day waiver. Hopefully, you can pick up the pace. It's always nice seeing new things come into Livonia, but its also nice to see prior sites being upgraded so they look better. We appreciate Comerica and your architectural firm working in that regard. Thank you very much. It1:1 k'QUI-MWIr➢f6IrIUKKA911/_10h419Yol9=1i41=1 k, 11Ν40 H.Ye11i Ms. Scheel, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Capital Improvements Program for years 2011-2016. Mr. Morrow: Mark, would you like to add anything to this? Mr. Taormina: Attached for your review and consideration is the preliminary Capital Improvements Program (CIP) that incorporates the recommendations from the various City Departments and outlines a schedule of public capital expenditures over a six- year period beginning in 2011 and ending in 2016. This is something that we do every couple years. It is basically a planning document that serves as a tool to assist the City Council in preparation of the budget. Its actually a six year capital improvement plan that provides a list of all of the anticipated capital expenditures over that time flame and also April 19, 2011 25633 includes potential funding sources for each project. This is something that is required by statute. I'll answer any questions that you may have. Mr. Morrow: Does the Commission have any questions? Ms. Scheel: Mark, on the sheet that we have in front of us, it says April 17 Regular Meeting and then the third whereas refers to April 17. Should those say April 19? Mr. Taormina: Yes. I apologize. I must have been looking at last year's calendar or something. Thank you for picking up on that. On a motion by Smiley, seconded by Taylor, and unanimously adopted, it was resolved that #04-18-2011 WHEREAS, pursuant to slate law, the City Planning Commission is responsible for the preparation of a Capital Improvements Program for the ensuing six years; and WHEREAS, the 2011 — 2016 Capital Improvements Program, prepared through a joint effort of several City departments, has been submitted to the City Planning Commission for consideration; and WHEREAS, a duly -noticed City Planning Commission public meeting was held on April 19, 2011; and WHEREAS, the Capital Improvements Program presents a realistic program to aid in the determination of a complete fiscal planning strategy for the City of Livonia; and WHEREAS, the City Planning Commission stands ready to do all things necessary to cooperate with the Mayor and City Council in maintaining a functioning program of capital improvements and capital budgeting for the City of Livonia; therefore BE IT RESOLVED that the City Planning Commission hereby adopts the 2011 — 2016 Capital Improvements Program; and BE IT RESOLVED that the City Planning Commission recommends the City Council adopt this Capital Improvements Program and use it as a guide to funding priority capital projects with the program. Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. It will go on to City Council with an approving resolution. April 19, 2011 25634 ITEM #7 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1,006m Public Hearings and Regular Meeting Ms. Scheel, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda, Approval of the Minutes of the 1,006'" Public Hearings and Regular Meeting held on March 1, 2011. On a motion by Taylor, seconded by Wilshaw, and adopted, it was #04-19-2011 RESOLVED, that the Minutes of 1,006th Public Hearings and Regular Meeting held by the Planning Commission on March 1, 2011, are hereby approved. A roll call vole on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following AYES: Taylor, Wilshaw, Scheel, Morrow NAYS: None ABSENT: Krueger ABSTAIN: Smiley Mr. Morrow, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the 1,007'" Public Hearings and Regular Meeting held on April 19, 2011, was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. CITY PLANNING COMMISSION Lynda L. Scheel, Secretary ATTEST: R. Lee Morrow, Chairman