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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNING MINUTES 1952-06-25 235 MIVUTFS OF THE TWENTY-THIRD REGULAR MEETING OP THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION The twenty-third regular meeting of the Livonia City Planning Commission was held on Wednesday, June 25, 1952 at the Court House Building. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Dallas Hay at approximately 8:10 PM. Members present: George Bentley Helen Byers Edwin Conway Dallas Hay Robert Maclntyre Members absent: Harold Bower, Clarence Jahn and Walter Russell. Chairman Hay announced that inasmuch as there were several people present to appear before the Commission, the minutes of the previous meeting would not be read. Mr. Hay advised the assembly that the first business to be discussed was Petition #52. Sheldon Land Company. Parts 2 and 3 of the petition hM been tabled, and he then asked Miss Byers to read parts 2 and 3 of the petition. Part two requested a zoning change from R,-1-A to S•3. Part three requested a zoning change from R-1-A to B-i-B. Mr. Wm Brashear, City Attorney, arrived at approximately 8:15 PM. The Chair called on Mr. Blakley of Sheldon Land Company, who stated that the petition has been changed since the meeting with Rosedale Gardens Civic Assn. At the present time, the only changes are on Roseland, Orangelawn, Woodring and Shadyside. Mr. Maxwell Feed of Sheldon Land Company said that they are ready to with►. drawn their request to change a certain zoning from R•1-A to R-1-B. We are concerned with R0.3 district. Mr. Feed asked Mr. Blaldley how,. far the duplexes would go in the 11.3 area, and Mr. Blakley advised within a block and a half of Farmington. The dui- plexes would serve as a barrier to the multiples on the other side. Miss Byers asked Mr. Blakley if he thought it good planning to have this type of home on one side of the street and single homes on the other side. Mr. Blakley said they would have to change that. It had been unnoticed.. Miss Byers asked if they were providing adequate parking area, and Mr. Blakley advised that parking, garbage disposal, etc. had all been taken into consideration. We own the square mile, he said., and a long time ago we were planning on multiple dwellings on Hubbell but never went thru with the original plans. The Planning Commission hal received two copies of the resolution adapted June 13, 1952 by Rosedale Gardens Civic Assn which. Mr. Hay read: URFSOLVE), the Rosedale Gardens Civic Association offers no objection to present Sheldon Land Company building proposal if they 'continue with good brick construction as proposed in duplex and multiple dwellings. Motion made by Rudy Kleinert, seconded by Richard Golze and unanimously approved.* Signed Lowell Jacobs, President Eleanore Curie, Secretary Rosedale Gardens Civic Association 237 Chairman Hay called on Y#. Jacobs, President of Rosedale Gardens Civic Assn. who advised that there was nothing further to say as it was the desire of the members at the meeting (approx. 60) to adopt the resolution in favor of Sheldon1s revised plans. The Chair called on Mr. Carson Johnston, 11032 Cranston - Mr. Johnston asked, "Has the petition been changed?" Mr. Hay advised Mr. Johnston that they have reduced the original petition, not asking for Part 3. Mr. Johnston addressed the assembly and contended that multiple dwellings should be facing Farmington Road only, and then he read the following err• cerpts from some literature published by Sheldon Sons Sales Company several years ago: "A home site section, in order to be preserved for the people who dwell there must have the protection of SIZE. Three or four streets of beautiful homes are not sufficient to withstand the inroads of time, but mast sooner or later yield to the encroachment of the poorer properties. One mile square section finally selected is the finest piece of land that was to be found. Ample size constitutes your protection. Here you will not be harmed by industrial expansion or undesirable neighborhoods. The boundaries are made into business frontage lots, which serve as "city walls" for this carefully restricted suburban community. Rosedale Gardens is not a renting district, but a development of home owners. Property is what is made of it. Its quality lies in the location of the land, in the restrictions, in building and ownership in the value-.protection it offers, in the type of people who live there and in the character of the firm which is back of it," Mr. Johnston said he is against this change to duplex as it is entirely against what was promised 25 years ago. He objected to R-2 and asked, "When is it going to end?" Mr. J. B. Folsom - "What Carson just related is true. I know things have changed, I was present at the Civic Association meeting, and I am con,. corned. Farmington.Road at that time was zoned for what they now want. The people around these districts involved seem to be nonchalant about all this. Is the off-street parking all set?" Miss Byers advised that the Planning Commission probably would not pass on this until the new Zoning Ordinance is in effect to protect the people. Mr. Richard Golze, 9928 Fairfield Street - "I reside in one of the new residences in the area, The most opposition is the objection to homes of less than 1,000 square feet in area. The objection started to diminish when we realized the entire plan. The majority of the people, when they noticed the type of duplexes, approved that as a buffer zone. The entire board and the entire association agreed to that proposal if the type of homes were to be constructed as they planned and promised. Mr. Johnston said that the Civic Association has no authority whatsoever. He said, "I donTt think they are the ones to say what we will have and what we will not have." Mr, Jacobs said that all members of the Civic Assn. were given notificar- tion of the meeting with the Sheldon Land Company and there were about 60 persons there. Anyone was welcome to present their views at the IL meeting, Edwin Conway made a motion to recommend to the City Council approval of the revised petition of Sheldon Land Company. 239 Mr. Conway asked permission to withdraw the motion. Granted. There followed a general discussion and the concensus was that the decision should wait until all members of the Commission are present* When the discussion was ended, a motion was duly e by Bentley, seconded by Conway, and it was RESOLVED, to table Petition #52 until later for a further discussion by the Planning Commission. A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following: AYES: Bentley, Conway, Maclntyre, Hay and Byers NAYS: None Chairman Hay called on Mr. Edward A. Lees of the Real Estate Dept. of the Michigan Bell Telephone Company, Mr. Hay then asked Miss Byers to again read the letter of April 23, from Michigan Bell. Mr. Lees said that he had been in touch with Mr. Waring, Planning Consul- tant, and on the basis of the fact that he was drawing up something new for Livonia, Mr. Lees suggested the inclusion of this "essential service clause". He said he would like to exclude the inclusion of ntelephone exchange buildings." Define the public utilities services and because these are necessary to furnishing of the utilities service, they should be exempt from the normal zoning ordinance. We want a building where you provide for shopping, etc. Miss Byers and Mr. Conway read paragraphs from the new proposed Zoning Ordinance for Mr. Lees. Mr. Lees said, "If you go ahead with the ordi- nance as you now have it, there would be no serious objection. As you establish your districts* consider the inclusion as a permitted usage by specific reference." At 9:15 PM, Mr. Lees left the meeting. Mr. John Daugherty, 7934 Manor, Dearborn. representing Marvin's Robinhood. Subdivision #2 was present and the Chair called on him. Miss Byers read Taring and Johnsons recommendation regarding the Subdivision. The Planninc Commission discussed the Subdivision with Mr. Daugherty and ad- vised him that the name should show a replatting is being made of Lots 11 to 18 in the original Robinhood Subdivision on Curtis Avenue. Other changes were discussed and Mr. Daugherty said he would be glad to make the changes recommended, Mr. Daugherty left at 9:30 PM. The Chair then called on Mr. Ray Voyce, 18969 Doris and IsTr. Carl Wikstrom, 18461 Doris, regarding O'Connor and Porter Subdivision (NE 1/4 of Section 11, Doris between Seven Mile and Curtis). These men were seeking advice re changing the zoning from AG-1--B to AG-1-A in order to retain a "high class" neighborhood inasfar as limiting the floor space for homes in that district. It wc}s explained that the best restriction would be R,-1-A or RUFA for what they had in mind, offering the most protection. The RIF zoning was explained to them and they thought that it might serve their requirements; Mr, Brashear further explained that the city has nothing to do with the subdivision restrictions. The cityss duty is to enforce the zoning law and the restrictions are merely agreements between the property owners. There was a short discussion. Upon a motion duly made by Edwin Conway. seconded by Bentley, and it was 241 RESOLVED, that O1Connor and Porter Subdivision in the NE 1/4 of Section 11, located on Doris Ave. between Seven Mile Road and Curtis Ave. be changed from its present classi- fication AC--1-B zoning to an RtTFA zoning on the new proposed zoning map. A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following: lest Bentley, Maclntyre, Conway, Hay and Byers NAYS: None Miss Byers read a letter dated June 23, from the City Attorney regarding a copy of a letter sent to H. Pratt on Petition #54, Joseph S. Klein, Jr. and wife. The letter requested a legal description of the property to be rezoned and further stated that the petition appears to contain a description of a larger parcel than was mentioned by Mr. Pratt. Next, Miss Byers read a letter from Waring and Johnson dated June 19th. 1952 regarding parking facilities at the proposed post office location stating the ratio of four to one should be used, etc. The letter pointed out that employes will probably drive to work in addition to the normal customer usage and dock area needed, therefore, the parking space is of utmost importance. Miss Byers read a copy of a letter dated June 19, 1952 to Mr. Spanich from Donald Wilson, Building Inspector, regarding the potential parking problems at the proposed post office location. Serving with Mr. Spanich on the parking committee are Messrs. Jim Elis and Lou Humpert. Next, Miss Byers read a letter from the Livonia Township School District dated June 25th from C. T. Cook regarding the regular meeting of the Joint Study Committee held on June 21, 1952 stating that the following resolution was adopted: uRESOLVBD, that the Planning Commission consult with the committee before approval of future subdivisions to in- sure future school sites." Following a short discussion, a motion was duly made by Robert Maclntyre, seconded by Edwin Conway, and it was RESOLVED, that inasmuch as Mr. Waring of Waring and Johnson, attends the meetings of the Joint Stucky Committee, that he be appointed to act as a mediator between the two boards. A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following: AYES: Bentley, Conway, MacIntyre, Hay and Byers NAYS: None Next, Miss Byers read a copy of a letter dated June 24th from the City Clerk to the Dept. of Parks and Recreation regarding a resolution adapted by the City Council pertaining to the purchase of property for a park site from the C. Wilson Estates Miss Byers read Petition #59, T. 0. and Marie Harris, 13400 Merriman, Petition #60, requesting permission to close the Melvin►-Oporto alley from Dover to Grandon Woods, and petition #61, 18984 Filmore, request- ing permission to close alley. Upon a motion duly made by George Bentley, seconded by Edwin Conway and vmarimously carried, it was 243 RESOLVED, to refer Petitions #59, 60 and 61 to Mr. Raring for recommendations+ EMr. Brashear said that he would like to talk about the new zoning ordinance coming up for hearing, in particular, the setback required for factories, etc. After receiving a call from Schott and Sheldon in Detroit, he thought it more than worthy of consideration that a 200 foot setback would definite- ly work a hardship on small factories by devouring the entire parcel. Upon a motion duly made by Conway, seconded by Bentley and unanimously carried, it was RESOLVED, to revise the setback requirements in M.r2 districts to prevent hardship for small parcels and at the same time retaining the setback as to Plymouth and Schoolcraft and residential areas. The next public hearing will be July 30th, 1952 and will be published on July 11, 1952 in the "Livonian". Miss Byers suggested that the Sheldon Land Company petition #52, be tabled until the new ordinance is passed as it will cover the parking area, etc. Upon a motion duly made by Robert Maclntyre, seconded by George Bentley and unanimously carried, it was RESOLVED, to table Petition $52 until the next special meeting to be held on July 2, 1952. E Upon a motion duly made by Conway, seconded by MacIntyre and unanimously .carried, it wan RESOLVED, that this meeting be adjourned.. Thereupon, at approximately 10:45 PM, Chairman Hay declared the meeting adjourned. 21_44" & ,„_,..) Helen E. Byers, Sectary ATTESTED: ce ...e / Dallas Hay, Chat ..