HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNING MINUTES 1993-11-30 13128
MINUTES OF THE 675th REGULAR MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS
HELD BY THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
LIVONIA
On Tuesday, November 30, 1993, the City Planning Commission of the City of Livonia
held its 675th Regular Meeting and Public Hearings in the Livonia City Hall, 33000
Civic Center Drive, Livonia, Michigan.
Mr. Jack Engebretson, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. , with
approximately 25 interested persons in the audience.
Members present: Jack Engebretson R. Lee Morrow James C. McCann
William LaPine Raymond W. Tent Robert Alanskas
Brenda Lee Fandrei
Members absent: None
Messrs. John J. Nagy, Planning Director; H. G. Shane, Assistant Planning Director;
and Scott Miller, Planner I, were also present.
Mr. Engebretson informed the audience that if a petition on tonight's agenda
involves a rezoning request, this Commission only makes a recommendation to the
City Council who, in turn, will hold its own public hearing and decide the
question. If a petition involves a waiver of use request and the request is
denied, the petitioner has ten days in which to appeal the decision to the City
Council; otherwise the petition is terminated. The Planning Commission holds the
only public hearing on a preliminary plat and/or a vacating petition. Planning
Commission resolutions become effective seven days after the resolutions are
adopted. The Planning Commission has reviewed the petitions upon their filing and
'`.y have been furnished by the staff with approving and denying resolutions. The
Commission may use them or not use them depending upon the outcome of the hearing
tonight.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the first item on the agenda is Amended Petition
93-8-1-12 by Tri-West Development Corp. requesting to rezone property
located on the south side of Five Mile Road between Bainbridge Avenue
and Henry Ruff Road in the Northwest 1/4 of Section 23 from RUFA to
R-1A.
Mr. Miller presented a map showing the property under petition plus the
existing zoning of the surrounding area.
Mr. Nagy: We have received a letter from the Engineering Department stating
they have no objections to this rezoning proposal. We have also
received a letter from Tim Phillips indicating they would allow
Tri-West Development to rezone Lot 8 in B. E. Taylor's Subdivision
from RUF to R-1.
Mr. Engebretson: Would the petitioner please come forward.
Sam Baki: I am with Tri-West Development. We are proposing to rezone the
property to R-1. I have some copies of the proposed site, how we
want to lay it out, and samples of the ranches we are going to use.
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Mr. Engebretson: So everybody understands what is going on here this evening, this
petition is a rezoning request and the petitioner is offering some
sketches as to how he would propose to plat this property.
Apparently he intends to make some comments regarding these plans.
However, the only issue that is going to be determined here this
evening is whether or not this zoning change is going to occur.
Mr. Baki: We came here before and presented this for less land. We had a
different proposal so we changed the whole proposal to accommodate
what most of the people were against at the first meeting. This
proposal is coming off Five Mile between Henry Ruff and Spanich
Court and it is close to half way between those streets. We have
the lots accommodate the R-1 zoning, which is minimum 60 foot wide
lots and overall square footage of the land is 7200 square feet.
We are proposing to rezone it to R-1 as cluster homes. We are not
going to plat the property. We are going to go as cluster homes on
this site. The proposal for cluster homes is minimum of 10 feet
between homes, which we will accommodate. We are still
accommodating the square footage requirement per lot.
Mr. Tent: Mr. Baki, are these going to be condominiums or a cluster
development?
Mr. Baki: Cluster development type homes.
Mr. Tent: There is no indication they may be diverted to condominiums?
Mr. Baki: No, no condominiums. They are going to be cluster homes.
Mr. Tent: They are all going to be privately owned?
Mr. Baki: Yes.
Mr. Tent: Then each home will be maintained by the owner?
Mr. Baki: Exactly. We are going to, at a later date, request something so
everybody will have their own lot.
Mr. Tent: Mr. Nagy, I see the roadway is 50 feet wide. Is that within our
specification?
Mr. Nagy: If it is to be a publicly dedicated road, it would have to be 60
feet of right-of-way. If it is a private road, it would be under
the jurisdiction of the association and would therefore not be
dedicated to the City of Livonia where we would have to maintain
the roads by way of street plowing, picking up refuse, delivering
the mail and those kinds of things. If it remains private, it
could be a 50 foot road.
Mr. Tent: At this point we are looking at a 50 foot road. Would a 60 foot
road negate any part of this development?
Mr. Nagy: Judging by the dimensions that I see here on the map, and this is
the first time I have seen this layout, it appears widening the
road by an additional 10 feet would have a serious impact on the
depth of the lots.
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Mr. Engebretson: Mr. Nagy, would you clarify what this proposal consists of that
is different from the standard R-1 zoning district where we would
come through with a conventional plat process. I am not exactly
sure I understand the cluster home concept as it pertains to
developing detached single family homes in an R-1 district that
bypasses that process.
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Mr. Nagy: With a conventional plat there is a subdivision plan that is
prepared that would detail the roads, the lot layouts, the lot
sizes and dimensions, and upon the recording of that plat and
improvement of the property individual lots would be sold and homes
built on it and there would be a conveyance of the property to a
property owner and the road itself would be dedicated to the City
of Livonia for maintenance purposes. There would be full street
pavement, sidewalks, etc. It would be like any other subdivision
in the City of Livonia. There is a option within the R-1 zoning
district regulation for a single family cluster. To qualify for
that you would have to submit pursuant to that section of the
ordinance, and there would be a hearing and a plan for the
development of that property that would regulate that development.
It would not be a typical subdivision plan, it would be a site
plan. How that would differ in terms of a physical layout from a
subdivision is that in a cluster you can have the individual homes
clustered together but no more than a maximum of three in a
cluster. It could be one by itself. It could be two or three
sharing a common wall between garages or between some other area.
To qualify for that the sites usually have to have some unique
features. In order to try to cluster you would probably protect
some natural features, like wetlands or some other kinds of things
where the City would determine it is in its best interest to
cluster these homes rather than have them on individual lots to
take better advantage of the site. The roads then become private
roads. It is then the responsibility of all the homeowners within
that cluster project to maintain the roads, to maintain the
grounds, that kind of thing. While the homes would tend to look
like other homes in the City, the association would own in common
all the land area and the roads and they would share a maintenance
agreement for their upkeep.
Mr. Engebretson: It has similarities to a condominium type arrangement but there
are some differences also.
Mr. Nagy: If it is a true cluster. I am not sure whether he is really
talking about a true cluster or is he now talking about the newer
wrinkle in planning, the site condominium. I am not sure but to
answer your question, cluster pursuant to our ordinance is a
variation of a condominium association.
Mr. Engebretson: Could you define more precisely what you mean by a cluster
development?
Mr. Baki: It is like what he explained, a regular subdivision with separate
homes, not attached at all. The only purpose of calling it cluster
homes is because of the principle. To plot a subdivision it takes
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up to two years and we are going as cluster homes to avoid the wait
of two years. That is the only difference. We are following
subdivision standard procedures between lot sizes, etc. except we
are going as cluster homes so we can have them done faster.
Mr. Engebretson: Mr. Nagy, I must ask you what your opinion is as to how long it
takes us to go through the platting process? I know it doesn't
take two years.
Mr. Nagy: That is true. The local unit of government does not take near that
long but in order to record a plat at the state level you not only
have to deal with the local unit of government, you have to deal
with the county and state levels. The DNR gets involved as well in
reviewing those plats. In terms of all those agencies it can take
up to two years, but I have heard of platting property in less than
two years. It all depends on the complexity of the project, how
many subdivisions are already pending at these various agencies.
It can take anywhere from one year to two years.
Mr. Engebretson: I noticed that Livonia Builders, who went through the whole
process during this calendar year, are pushing dirt down there so
obviously it implies that they have gone through all the levels of
government that they need to get approval from. I am just
wondering if this is a valid reason for going this cluster
approach. Are we circumventing some control the City has by doing
this as compared with going through a standard plat process?
Mrs. Fandrei: John, it sounds like we don't have a specific definition for the
cluster concept.
Mr. Nagy: We do have it in the ordinance.
Mrs. Fandrei: Are you comfortable with what you see here?
Mr. Nagy: It is my opinion this property is relatively small and I think the
City would be better served if it were actually platted in the
conventional way. While I certainly can appreciate the time
constraints and desires of this developer to try to bring it on the
market as soon as possible, I just think from our City standpoint
having at least the road publicly dedicated so we are not worried
about the ongoing maintenance, the upkeep, to see that it is
properly built to City standards, I am more comfortable with the
traditional platting process.
Mrs. Fandrei: I would agree. One of my concerns is the 55 x 110 lot size and we
are looking at 20 lots in this small area. Would that 55 x 110 lot
size on the south side of this street, would that meet the
ordinance?
Mr. Nagy: It is 66 x 110 and it would meet the area requirement for the lot.
It would come up with the 7200 square feet minimum lot requirement.
Mrs. Fandrei: We have, that I remember, two privately dedicated roads, Van Road
and I don't remember the other one.
Mr. Nagy: Portions of Van Road and in the new Bayberry Park Development at
Harrison north of Five Mile.
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Mrs. Fandrei: The problem with a small private road like this as I remember,
since I have driven by Van Road for the last 22 years, is garbage.
It is the responsibility of every homeowner and it piles up on
Seven Mile any which way that the homeowners get it out there and
it can be quite a distraction and a mess. I have a problem with
this private dedication. I definitely agree with John that the
"sou. City would be best served if we went through the process. My other
question Mr. Baki, the two at the south end on 1/2 acre lots, were
you still planning on building one of those for yourself?
Mr. Baki: I am not sure yet. We are leaving it open.
Mr. Tent: This is back to Mr. Nagy again. His description of a cluster
development, as I understood it, differs from Mr. Baki's opinion as
to what it would be like. Mr. Baki may be confused. I asked him
the question would it be private ownership and he indicated yes;
would they all be responsible for their exterior maintenance and he
indicated yes; would there be an association involved with the
maintenance and he said no it would be private. In this case,
according to our definition, it would be a common wall and if it
was a cluster it would be similar to what they have at Five Mile
and Harrison.
Mr. Nagy: The Five Mile and Harrison project is, in fact, a cluster
development pursuant to our ordinance. Nothing says you have to
attach them in the cluster. They do not have to be attached. If
they are to be attached, there can be no more than three.
Mr. Tent: What about the exterior common grounds?
Mr. Nagy: There still will be common elements because in order to convey
Nurproperty, they wouldn't be conveying property on a publicly
dedicated road. The land area would have to be held in common.
Mr. Tent: That concerns me. If this were platted as individual homes, it
would be more compatible to the cluster type units. I will defer
this until we get further into that.
Mr. Alanskas: What price range would these cluster homes be?
Mr. Baki: We are starting at $135,000.
Mr. Alanskas: How many square feet?
Mr. Baki: Minimum 1550 square feet.
Mr. Alanskas: Would they have basements?
Mr. Baki: Yes.
Mr. Alanskas: Would they be brick?
Mr. Baki: Some brick. It is open right now. We haven't finalized how much
brick.
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Mr. Alanskas: I was looking at the size of these bedrooms. You have 9'6" x 10' .
They are not very big.
Mr. Baki: This is one of the models. We have different sizes. That house is
1350 square feet. The one with the family room is a total of 1720
square feet. Without the family room it would be 1500 square feet.
We have them as two different square footage.
Mr. Morrow: I want to point out that we are here to talk about zoning tonight.
Certainly our comments are a good input; however, we cannot
condition zoning and if that zoning were to be granted that plan
could change eight times between now and when we get back to it
with either a site plan or plat, and at that time we will certainly
talk about roads and houses and square footage and things of that
nature but right now it is primarily zoning. I don't want the
petitioner to construe what he hears here tonight to necessarily
mean we would condition the zoning if it were approved.
Mr. LaPine: I have two things I want to ask. John, a private road, assuming
this went through as it is, at sometime can the residents of the
sub ask the City to take over the road?
Mr. Nagy: Not unless the residents would bring it up to City standards. The
City doesn't take any roads. A road has to be constructed to City
standards, which would be proper thickness of pavement, proper
width. It would have to be within a right-of-way of sufficient
width to maintain it. If it was initially constructed to City
specifications and then ultimately dedicated, yes the City would
take it over. Nothing says you can't put in a public road and not
plat. You can put in that road to City standards within a 60 foot
right-of-way and dedicate it to the City of Livonia and then go and
develop the balance of the property so then it would be under City
maintenance.
Mr. Baki: We are going to be building this road to City standards because we
are going to allocate this road to the City. As you mentioned
earlier, the only reason we went with a 50 foot wide street was
because of the depth of the property. We are going to build a road
according to City standards because we are planning on allocating
this road to the City.
Mr. LaPine: I guess the other question I have, on one side of the road the lots
are 110 feet deep and the other side is 140. Why can't those lots
that are 140 become 130 and add the 10 feet onto the road?
Mr. Baki: Because we have to be 75 feet away from a major road. We are
building a 30 foot berm so we are still getting about 110 on both
sides as usable lots. The other 30 foot is not usable. It will be
just a green area that is not buildable.
Mr. LaPine: The other point, I agree with Mr. Morrow. We are only talking
tonight about zoning and I understand we always bring up what the
houses are going to be like, etc. , but the question is do we think
this is the right area to have this type of zoning and apparently
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it shows on our land use as residential, therefore, even if we
rezone this and this gentleman decides he is not going to develop
it, in the future whoever develops it the zoning will be there. I
agree with Mr. Morrow we are only talking about the zoning change
at this junction.
`ft. Mrs. Fandrei: You just indicated that you wanted a 60 foot road to be dedicated
to the City, right?
Mr. Baki: No, 50 foot.
Mrs. Fandrei: So you are sticking with the 50. John, can it be dedicated at 50
feet to the City?
Mr. Nagy: It is possible. It would not be the first road at 50 feet wide
that has been dedicated to the City of Livonia. Our standard is 60
feet but there are exceptions.
Mr. Engebretson: Is there anyone in the audience wishing to speak for or against
this proposed zoning change.
Art Oswalt, 30544 Hoy: That is Lot 19. We have had three proposals now. Proposal
number one and two were nice size lots and now I am concerned
because we are looking at 60' x 120' lot sizes and I look at some
of the other ones that are 66' x 110' and the lot sizes seem to be
decreasing down. The other thing is this cluster homes. If we
have to give 10 foot on each side of the lot, that would mean you
would have a lot size or a home that couldn't extend no more than
40 feet. I am confused. on cluster because I thought maybe these
three homes would be together and then you would have 10 foot, 10
foot and 10 foot and then you would move down and have something
`_ completely different. This doesn't fit in with the original
residential use that we were looking at. At this particular time I
am against this proposal. I think there are other ones that could
fit better.
Joseph Kappler, 15071 Flamingo: That is on the corner of Flamingo and Hoy. You
have two houses here and there is only an entrance of 64 feet and
on garbage day where are they going to put their garbage? Are they
going to put it in front of my house which I don't want? On top of
that it is going to tear up the water line.
Mr. Engebretson: Sir, while I don't want to give you the impression I am not
concerned about the points you make, the two lots that border the
area that are in your area are not a part of this proposal. They
have been deleted.
Mr. Kappler: You have a 100 foot circle here. How is the garbage truck going to
turn around?
Mr. Engebretson: I think they can do that. John, 100 feet will allow any fire
truck or other kind of vehicle to make proper turns won't it?
Mr. Nagy: Again, that is not according to City standards. Our requirement is
120 feet. I have a scale with me and I scaled it and it is
actually 120 feet. The cul-de-sac is 120 feet in diameter and
trucks can therefore make the turn.
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Mr. Baki: It could be 120 feet. We have plenty of room at that corner. We
have enough depth to put a 120 foot circle for trucks or anything
to turn around.
Robert Pollock, 30505 Hoy: That is Lot 35. I am also objecting to the rezoning
from RUFA to R-1. First of all, what is the difference between R-1
Now and R-1A?
Mr. Engebretson: The R-1A designation sir that was added to the original proposal
sets a higher standard as to the number of square feet that are
required for each unit and the number of square feet designated by
this A suffix would make the size of those homes compatible with
the other homes in the area.
Mr. Pollock: It is still staying with the 60' x 120'?
Mr. Engebretson: That is correct.
Mr. Pollock: I would still be objecting to that dimension. I think that the
original 1/2 acre lots, of course, is ideal. I understand City
Council doesn't seem to be leaning that way. If anything, I would
like to see a minimum of R-3, 80 foot and with that you would get
three lots for every four and you would still maintain some
relatively decent lot sizes. You could put nicer homes with
bedrooms that were larger and more fitting with the area. Again,
with the cluster home designation, of course that isn't with the
zoning, but it does leave anything to the imagination. Again, with
too many changes already, it doesn't seem like anything has been
well planned out. The private lot as far as Spanich Court as an
original access lot, it was stated that it would be $100,000 to
upgrade that to City standards to use that as an access road and
now we are talking first private and then City. Which way is it
going to go? It just seems like it is almost a show game and guess
which one it is going to be when it ends.
Gene Szewski, 30443 Hoy: That is Lot 37. I object to this because I moved out here
33 years ago to have some openness and now they are trying to put
a house everywhere they can put it. I think we should have the 1/2
acre lots. If they want to build, let them build facing Five Mile
Road on the lots that are there. I object to it.
There was no one else present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Petition 93-8-1-12 closed.
On a motion duly made by Mr. LaPine and seconded by Mr. Morrow, it was
#11-214-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Amended Petition 93-8-1-12 by Tri-West Development Corp.
requesting to rezone property located on the south side of Five Mile
Road between Bainbridge Avenue and Henry Ruff Road in the Northwest 1/4
of Section 23 from RUFA to R-1A, the City Planning Commission does
hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 93-8-1-12 be approved
for the following reasons:
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1) That the proposed change of zoning is supported by the Future Land
Use Plan which designates the subject property for medium density
residential land use.
2) That the proposed change of zoning is compatible to and in harmony
with the surrounding uses in the area.
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3) That the proposed change of zoning will provide for the
continuation of a residential land use for the subject property
thus preventing the encroachment of additional commercial uses in
the area.
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above hearing was given in
accordance with the provisions of Section 23.05 of Zoning Ordinance
#I543, as amended.
Mr. Tent: I am going to support this petition also. I would like to indicate
this is strictly a zoning change now. We are going to get a shot
at the site plan so all we are looking at now is strictly the
zoning and we will get a chance to work with the developer to come
up with something other than the cluster type of homes.
Mr. Engebretson: It is my understanding that it will come back with a site plan.
I would like to go on record as to why I oppose the proposal. I am
concerned that as we move through this process we keep packing more
and more in and this proposal is getting away from the standard R-1
platting process and going to the cluster approach. This zoning,
if granted, with the understanding there are going to be detached
single family homes built there approximately 1550 square feet in
size, which is indeed compatible size wise with all the homes in
the neighborhood, the fact of the matter is there is no assurance
because we can't condition zoning. There is no assurance that is
what we are going to get. I think whereas we started out with a
shaky proposal with the original petition that we went through a
number of weeks ago, I think we have stepped backwards and we have
come to a less desirable proposal. There are a number of things I
find of great concern. Though I do think that R-1A may be an
appropriate zoning district to provide for those 1550 square foot
homes, which happens to be 30 square feet less than the average
home in the entire area and according to the SEV of all the homes
in that area the average price would be compatible, if not more
expensive, than the average homes in the area. I think it started
out on the right track but I am not sure it ended up in the right
place. That is why I oppose the petition. It sounds like there is
support to pass it. If it does pass, I would hope we would do a
very diligent job as it goes through the site plan process to
assure that we get something that is compatible to that
neighborhood.
Mrs. Fandrei: I have a similar comment. Our original proposal called for fewer
homes in this amount of acreage and I feel this is a little too
dense for the area considering what was first proposed to us. I
also want to go on record as to why I am against this petition.
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Mr. LaPine: The reason I proposed approval, we are only talking about zoning
here. Once we get the site plan if he wants 20 homes, we can make
it 18. There is a lot of things we can do once the site plan gets
to us. Until such time as we get the site plan we are talking
about things we don't really have anything to do with tonight. We
are only talking zoning. Who knows, this gentleman might find
Nor somewhere along the line he doesn't want to go along with the
project and if the land is zoned there, someone else could come up
with a different proposal. All we are talking tonight is the
zoning. What we do with the site plan is a different situation and
we can do anything we want when we get to that point. I don't see
anything wrong with approving the rezoning petition.
Mr. McCann: I agree with Mr. LaPine. I don't believe in cluster homes. I
don't think that is going to be the proper use in the area. I do
believe we have been looking at this area now for six to seven
years and we have been considering the whole time what is the
proper use. Everyone seems to agree R-1A is appropriate for the
area. I don't want to revisit this another time. As Mr. LaPine
said I would rather they came back with the proper plat. That is
where I am coming from.
Mr. Engebretson: I don't want to dwell on this but I don't think they are planning
on coming back with a plat, I think they are coming back with a
site plan.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYES: Tent, LaPine, Morrow, McCann
NAYS: Fandrei, Alanskas, Engebretson
ABSENT: None
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Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Petition 93-10-1-14
by Plymouth Road Development Co. requesting to rezone property located
on the north side of Plymouth Road, west of Middlebelt Road in the
Southeast 1/4 of Section 26 from C-1 to C-2.
Mr. Miller presented a map showing the property under petition plus the
existing zoning of the surrounding area.
Mr. Nagy: We have received a letter from the Engineering Department stating
they have no objections to this rezoning proposal.
Mr. Engebretson: Is the petitioner present.
Charles Tangora, 33300 Five Mile Road, Livonia: I represent the petitioner,
Plymouth Road Development Company. I am sure the Commission is
aware that there was recently a waiver use granted by the Zoning
Board of Appeals and several years prior to that there was a first
waiver use that was granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals. It
seems the type of prospective tenants that the property owner is
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receiving obviously in the last couple of years fit in more
properly with the C-2 type of zoning. It has been suggested to him
by certain people in the City that with this type of waiver use
that has been granted that the property should be rezoned so he
does not have to keep coming back for a waiver use at the Zoning
Board of Appeals. That is the reason we are here. We wish to not
�• circumvent the zoning process but the waiver use was necessitated
by the particular tenant that had to secure a rapid approval. As
you know, the zoning process takes close to four months and going
through that process, he would have lost the tenant.
Mr. Tent: Mr. Tangora, what is the vacancy rate there in that shopping
center?
Mr. Tangora: I am not sure. I think with this proposed tenant, it just about
fills it up.
Mr. Tent: Could you share with us who the proposed tenant would be?
Mr. Tangora: Yes it is a children's entertainment center, something like a Kings
Kingdom.
Mr. Tent: Would that be like Major Magic?
Mr. Tangora: Similar to that. It is a very popular thing at the moment.
Mr. Tent: Would that be operational the way it is now or would they have to
have some different zoning?
Mr. Tangora: I understand they have to fit into a C-2 zoning or a waiver.
,.. Mr. Tent: Is that in right now?
Mr. Tangora: Yes they have signed a lease and prepared all their development
plans for the interior of the building and they should be under
construction very soon.
Mr. Tent: If they got this zoning change, then this shopping center would be
completely filled. Is that correct?
Mr. Tangora: Four units would still be vacant.
Mr. Tent: If we granted the C-2 zoning then those other four units would be
affected also and we wouldn't get a chance to look at it again
because they would comply with the zoning.
Mr. Tangora: That is correct.
Mr. LaPine: John, I am just curious about something. I looked up the ordinance
today and the billiard parlor and restaurant they want to put in
this child center is not a permitted use in a C-1 district.
Mr. Nagy: That is correct.
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Mr. LaPine: The only way you can get a variance to that, the way I review it,
is a waiver use which has to come before the Planning Commission
and review by the City Council. How does the Zoning Board of
Appeals grant a waiver use?
Mr. Nagy: The Zoning Board did not grant a waiver use. They granted a
'tor variance so as to allow the use within the C-1 district. The
Zoning Board did not process a petition pursuant to the waiver use
section of our Zoning Ordinance. The Zoning Board found hardship
and practical difficulty and granted an exception to the use and
allowed it.
Mr. LaPine: Wouldn't the normal procedure be to come to the Planning
Commission and City Council?
Mr. Nagy: I would think that would be the prudent way.
Mr. LaPine: So somebody was able to find a way to circumvent the way the
ordinance is written.
Mr. Nagy: The Zoning Board did hear the case and they accepted the petition
and they rendered their decision.
Mr. LaPine: Did they get an opinion from the City Attorney if they had the
authority to do that?
Mr. Nagy: Not that I am aware of.
Mr. Morrow: Mr. Nagy, do we know what the variance was that was granted on this
latest Kids Kingdom? Were there any excessive video games or was
it just allowing the use? What was the variance they got? Do you
'44111. know Mr. Tangora?
Mr. Tangora: I didn't represent the petitioner at the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Mr. Morrow: I am just wondering what the variance was other than allowing the
use.
Mr. Tangora: Let me read it because this is the first time I have seen it. As I
said I didn't represent the petitioner and it was just handed to me
and I haven't even read it over. I am just picking up parts of it,
"as accessory uses this facility will have a 90 seat restaurant and
a number of mechanical amusement devices some of which will
dispense redemption coupons". I think that is about the extent of
it.
Mr. Morrow: Is it primarily a restaurant?
Mr. Tangora: It is primarily a children's play area that has food areas. I have
seen them before and they have places to eat so parents can come in
and eat while they are watching. The type of food you are talking
about is hot dogs, potato chips and pop, etc. but they have seats
around the play area so parents can have snacks while they are
watching their children play.
13140
Mrs. Fandrei: Mr. Tangora, I realize we are not talking about the rest of the
building, just not having heard anything on children's recreation
areas, is this concept similar to the Exhilarama only on a smaller
scale?
'tom' Mr. Tangora: I am not familiar with Exhilarama.
Mrs. Fandrei: Maybe Mr. Parz can answer that for us.
Ron Parz: No it is not.
Mrs. Fandrei: It is strictly an arcade?
Mr. Engebretson: It is a Major Magic type of idea.
Mr. Parz: It is not a Major Magic. The main theme of this is a 30,000 cubic
foot play area which, when a child enters into it with supervision
of adults, will take about 45 minutes to go through. It is a
series of climbing, sliding, etc. That is its major emphasis. I
think you will find one on Ford Road in Westland right now.
Mrs. Fandrei: Is there any alcohol served?
Mr. Parz: None at all.
Mrs. Fandrei: Mr. Nagy, if we were to rezone this to C-2 would alcohol be an
acceptable use in the C-2 zoning?
Mr. Nagy: It is a prohibited use except upon petition pursuant to the waiver
use section of the Zoning Ordinance. It does not automatically
'taw become a permitted use.
Mr. Alanskas: Is this the building that used to be called Sam's Jams only?
Mr. Parz: This is a 13,000 square foot facility that goes from Sam's Jams all
the way to north of H & R Block to the end of the unit.
Mr. Alanskas: What would the hours of the operation be?
Mr. Parz: The hours of the operation would be from 10:00 a. m. until 6:00
p.m. on Sunday and 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. during the weekdays.
Mr. Alanskas: Are there any plans for a pool room in that part?
Mr. Parz: No.
Mr. Engebretson: Regarding the games that dispense tokens that were referred to
in the Zoning Board resolution, I was under the impression it may
have some connection with the Major Magic type of concept because
that is what they do, but apparently either the Zoning Board
resolution doesn't address the business that they are doing or we
are not really understanding what the business is. Are there
tokens dispensed for achieving some level of accomplishment?
Mr. Tangora: Again, I can't answer that because I have not seen the concept in
operation. Mr. Parz will have to answer that.
13141
Mr. Engebretson: Are there games and things like that involved?
Mr. Parz: We had gone before the Zoning Board of Appeals and we had brought
in what games we were going to have there. One is going to be
skeet ball and another one is going to be Hit The Hippo On The
'fam, Head. This is a rubber mallet that when the hippo comes up you are
to hit the hippo on the head with the right hand and then hit the
hippo on the head with the left hand. This is for eye/hand
coordination. This is all for children five years and under.
The next one is called the Bumble Bee. It has three colors and the
bumble bee turns a certain color and the child has to take two
colors and see what matches the color. Another game is Ally
Alligator where you are to throw a ring around the alligator's neck
and that is how you win. As an adult you are not allowed to enter
the premises. In order for you to enter the premise you must have
a child with you. In order for you to keep your children there,
you must be with the child at all times. You will have an
identification bracelet that matches up with the number of children
you have. You must stay and the average stay per child is
approximately one hour and a half. There is a $5.00 fee per child
and they are allowed access to the entire facility. This is not a
baby care center but it is an advocate for the 90's which allows
single parents to take their children there for a couple of hours
and have them under a controlled situation. The toys that are
there are protected by UHL labels.
Mr. Engebretson: Is there anyone in the audience who wishes to speak for or
against this petition?
There was no one else present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Petition 93-10-1-14 closed.
On a motion duly made by Mr. LaPine and seconded by Mr. Tent, it was
#11-215-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Petition 93-10-1-14 by Plymouth Road Development Co.
requesting to rezone property located on the north side of Plymouth
Road, west of Middlebelt Road in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 26 from
C-1 to C-2, the City Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the
City Council that Petition 93-10-1-14 be denied for the following
reasons:
1) That the proposed change of zoning is not necessary for the subject
shopping center to continue operation.
2) That this area of the City is currently well served with uses which
are permitted by the proposed zoning classification.
3) That the petitioner has failed to present evidence of the need for
a change of zoning from a more restrictive zoning classification to
a less restrictive classification.
4) That a change of zoning for the purpose of removing the
non-conforming status of certain existing uses which are currently
located in the subject shopping center does not transcend the need
to provide for a variety of zoning classifications to maintain the
viability of the Plymouth Road corridor as a commercial area.
13142
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above hearing was given in
accordance with the provisions of Section 23.05 of Zoning Ordinance
#543, as amended.
Mr. Engebretson: I want to briefly comment myself why I will support the denying
resolution. I have no particular interest in either promoting the
property owners to do something that is going to assist them in the
future to market their space as it becomes available but neither do
I want to do anything that inhibits him from being a continued
successful entrepreneur in our City. I think the Zoning Board of
Appeals process has worked on two separate occasions which has
given the property owner the relief he needs. My principal concern
is if we proceed to change the C-1 to C-2 simply to reduce the
amount of Zoning Board activity, then it would probably be
appropriate to go throughout the City and change all C-1 zoning
districts to C-2 to put them on a level playing field. Again, I
think the issue here goes beyond just the request itself and I
think it is important that we let the system work the way it has
and to not separate certain individuals for favorite treatment
whereas the others that didn't have the C-2 zoning district would
still have to go through the process to compete for the very same
tenants.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYES: Tent, Fandrei, LaPine, Morrow, Alanskas, Engebretson
NAYS: McCann
ABSENT: None
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Petition 93-10-1-16
by Ansara Brothers and Peter Fleming requesting to rezone property
located on the west side of Newburgh Road, south of Six Mile Road, in
the Northeast 1/4 of Section 18 from OS to C-2.
Mr. Miller presented a map showing the property under petition plus the
existing zoning of the surrounding area.
Mr. Nagy: We have received a letter from the Engineering Department stating
they have no objections to this rezoning proposal. Also in our file
is a letter from John D. Dinan of Johnstowne Offices who states
they are the owners of the Johnstowne Offices located at 16801
Newburgh Road, immediately adjacent to subject property to be
rezoned. He states they have no objection to the proposed use as a
restaurant as they believe it will provide needed services for the
general area and Mr. Ansara has an excellent reputation as a
restaurateur in providing fine food and good service. They further
believe that this will be an improvement over the existing vacant
building. They close by saying they trust that this meets with
your approval. We also have a letter from First Federal of
Michigan dated November 23, 1993 stasting they wish to express
their support of the proposed Red Robin Restaurant on the existing
13143
Comerica Bank site at the intersection of Six Mile and Newburgh
Roads. They state a new Red Robin Restaurant at that site would be
a nice addition to the area.
Mr. Engebretson: Would the petitioner please come forward and state your reasons
N"' for this request.
Victor Ansara, 33971 Bretton: I am representing our business, Ansara Brothers. As
you know, we have been in the City for almost 25 years. We have
three separate restaurant operations currently in the City. What
we are proposing for this site at the corner of Six Mile and
Newburgh is another restaurant. A little different concept than we
currently operate in the City. We are hoping to be able to do the
same type of thing we have done in Novi, Michigan opening last May
and that is a Red Robin Restaurant. We would ask for your
consideration to allow us to do that.
Mr. Tent: Mr. Ansara, I have a couple of questions. Your Big Boy Restaurant
at Seven Mile and Middlebelt was before us to expand. Nothing has
been done. The parking lot is a mess. What has happened there?
Mr. Ansara: What has happened at that site is we had gone through and had torn
the building down and in regards to the property next to that, I
think that has been taken care of at this point. I understand
there were some weeds that had grown in the part of the property
where the building was torn down.
Mr. Tent: What is the delay?
Mr. Ansara: After bidding out the plans, etc. we have had some problems as far
as costs, etc. as it was originally approved. We are currently
having the architects and planners work on trying to do something
that will be a little less costly for us and make a little more
business sense. Obviously the City wouldn't want any business
person in the City to do something that wouldn't make business
sense. What we are trying to do in a site that we have been at for
25 years is do something that will improve the site significantly
and still make business sense for us.
Mr. Tent: How many did you say you have in Livonia now?
Mr. Ansara: Three Big Boys.
Mr. Tent: You have really one that is successful and that is the one at Six
Mile and Newburgh.
Mr. Ansara: We have been at the other ones in excess of three years. I don't
think we would be there if they weren't successful.
Mr. Tent: I am talking about the appearance. What I am concerned about is
the piece of property you want to take over. We have a bank on the
right hand side that is an ugly red bank and now we are going to
balance the corner by putting a red building on the opposite
corner. Is that correct?
13144
Mr. Ansara: Not necessarily. We can make it any color. Ail we need is some
red trim on the exterior. As a matter of fact a number of the Red
Robin buildings in the country are dryvit made with a cream color
or a white color. It doesn't have to be a red brick building.
That happens to be what we have in Novi because that is what the
City of Novi required us to have. All our building requires and
all our franchisor requires of us is we have some red accents on
the exterior of the building.
Mr. Tent: Do you have an option to buy the property?
Mr. Ansara: Yes we do. It is a purchase agreement with contingencies.
Mr. Tent: If you were successful in getting the zoning, what would the timing
be?
Mr. Ansara: Our intent would be to move as quickly as possible.
Mr. Tent: You told us that on the other building.
Mr. Ansara: Well with the other building unfortunately there were a lot of
problems that arose through the development, through the City
approval process that ended up costing us quite a bit more money.
It wasn't our intention to delay anything. We even went through a
lot of expense trying to get that approved. We purchased a piece
of property, etc. Our intent was and still is to improve that
restaurant.
Mr. Tent: There are over 17 restaurants in that immediate area and they are
all located in that cluster. How do you feel about that?
`fir.
Mr. Ansara: Well actually we have one of them and we are very successful in
that restaurant. I think the other restaurants in that area that
are similar to the concept of what we would hopefully be able to
put on that property are all doing very, very well in that area.
Mr. Tent: Well we had some that changed hands. The Ground Round came in with
a different concept. What I am concerned about is oversaturating
an area with restaurants.
Mr. Ansara: We wouldn't propose to put a restaurant in that spot if we didn't
think it would be very successful. Believe me, I think with Laurel
Park Place across the street, with Newburgh Plaza across the street
and with the other office and commercial development in that area,
there is a lot of business to go around and I think another
restaurant at that corner would do very well and I don't think it
would harm any of the other restaurants in the area.
Mr. Alanskas: Mr. Ansara, getting back to the petition of going from OS to C-2,
with a restaurant on that corner that you want to put there, there
is a traffic pattern. How many seats are you planning to put in
this restaurant?
13145
Mr. Ansara: There would be approximately 220 seats but I don't think you would
ever have 220 people at one time. When you have four-seat booths
often times you have two people or one person sitting in those
four-seat booths so although your maximum seating is 220, you will
probably not have more than 140 to 150.
r..
Mr. Alanskas: As Mr. Tent alluded to earlier, we have at the present time 232
restaurants in our City and in that area there are 17 restaurants
very, very close. There is a point where you can oversaturate it.
You have the Ground Round. You have yours. You have the mall
there. You keep adding restaurants and you will have more traffic
patterns, safety factors, etc. My own particular view is that
should stay OS. I think a restaurant doesn't belong on that
corner. I think it should stay OS.
Mr. Ansara: In regards to traffic, although we haven't had a formal traffic
study done, we have had some research done in that regards and what
we have learned is with all of the other activity in that area one
additional restaurant wouldn't have that much affect. The affect
on the traffic would be negligible.
Mr. Alanskas: The traffic from the mall itself and then with the restaurant
there, if it was a nice restaurant, it could be drawing a lot of
people and that is a big concern.
Mr. Engebretson: Is there anyone in the audience wishing to speak for or against
this proposal.
Wanda Ferguson, 37611 Mallory: This is in the subdivision just adjoining this
section of property and surprisingly enough the gentleman already
Nur spoke to the problems that we have with this restaurant going in.
First and foremost, is the traffic. If you have been anywhere in
this area, especially from 7:00 in the morning until 9:30 or from
3:00 in the afternoon until 8:00 at night, it is absolutely
impossible to get out from Mallory onto Newburgh. The same pattern
exists even if you go all the way around the subdivision and go out
on Six Mile Road. The traffic is, in my point of view, hazardous.
This is something the restaurant is going to contribute to even a
more strong pattern of danger to the drivers in the area. We feel
there are a lot of restaurants and we just don't really see the
need for another restaurant on this particular corner.
Mr. Engebretson: Before I close the public hearing Mr. Ansara I would like to ask
you, as I look at this map and the proximity of the homes to the
proposed restaurant site, I was wondering what kind of odors would
emanate from this facility?
Mr. Ansara: Almost nothing. The reason I say that is because of the
sophistication of ventilation used in restaurants these days. If
you stand around older restaurants you would normally smell
something, but if you go to the newer constructed restaurants now
you would hardly smell anything.
Mr. LaPine: Here again we are talking about zoning but I understand you want to
have a Class C liquor license there. Would that mean you would be
�,�, open until 2:00 in the morning?
13146
Mr. Ansara: Currently we are open until 10:00 on Sundays, 11:00 from Monday
through Thursday and the latest we are open, which is on Friday and
Saturday is midnight.
Mrs. Fandrei: For the reasons that have already been expressed I agree with my
fellow Commissioners and I would like to make a denying resolution.
There was no one else present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Petition 93-10-1-16 closed.
On a motion duly made by Mrs. Fandrei, seconded by Mr. Tent and unanimously
approved, it was
#11-216-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Petition 93-10-1-16 by Ansara Brothers and Peter Fleming
requesting to rezone property located on the west side of Newburgh Road,
south of Six Mile Road, in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 18 from OS to
C-2, the City Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City
Council that Petition 93-10-1-16 be denied for the following reasons:
1) That the proposed change of zoning is contrary to the Future Land
Use Plan which designates the subject area for office land use.
2) That this area of the City is currently well served with uses which
are permitted by the C-2 zoning district.
3) That the additional vehicular traffic which can be expected as a
result of C-2 zoning will overburden the site and the surrounding
uses in the area.
4) That the existing OS zoning on the subject site will provide for
uses which are compatible to and in harmony with the surrounding
uses in the area.
5) That the existing OS zoning district helps to serve as a buffer or
transitional zone between the two abutting major thoroughfares and
the residential subdivision located to the southwest of the site.
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above hearing was given in
accordance with the provisions of Section 23.05 of Zoning Ordinance
#543, as amended.
Mr. Tent: From a planning standpoint I think this would be contrary to what
we are trying to accomplish here in the City. I oppose a zoning
change to accommodate another restaurant in an area that was and is
designated for office use. I would not like to see the bank
building demolished when they have another candidate to utilize the
property as is. I would like to see that used for the purpose it
is used now. There is a credit union in town that is looking for a
site and that would probably be ideal for them if we could get them
in that location. I can't see tearing down a perfectly good
building that is already designed for that use and put a restaurant
in. For that reason I can't support this petition.
13147
Mr. Engebretson: I will anticipate what you were going to say. I understand from
a discussion with the Mayor this afternoon, I discussed this late
this afternoon with him John, and I understand that this property
has a deed restriction that would prevent occupancy by either this
�r.• credit union that is looking for a home or any other financial
institution.
Mr. Nagy: That is correct.
Mr. Engebretson: Therefore the Mayor was leaning toward favoring this proposal
because the building currently is such that it will not support any
other kind of operation other than a bank or related type of
business so the building has to come down to build an office
building or a restaurant.
Mr. Tent: Mr. Chairman, may I make a comment to that. I am speaking as a
Planning Commissioner. So they have deed restrictions. What is
our hurry to go ahead and utilize that corner if it can't be used
for what we would like to see it used for. My opposition to it is
our Master Plan has office services and that is what I would like
to see. Regardless of what they may have, the owners of the
property want to change that particular zoning to something else.
Let them sell it to another bank.
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Petition 93-10-2-25
by RDS Detroit, Inc. requesting waiver use approval for an SDD license
(packaged liquor) for a Perry Drug Store located on the south side of
Five Mile Road between Newburgh Road and Blue Skies Avenue in the
Northeast 1/4 of Section 19.
Mr. Miller presented a map showing the property under petition plus the
existing zoning of the surrounding area.
Mr. Nagy: We have received a letter from the Engineering Department stating
they have no objections to this waiver use proposal. We have also
received letters from the Fire Marshal's office and the Traffic
Bureau stating their departments have no objections to this
proposal. Lastly, we have received a letter from the Ordinance
Enforcement Division stating the following deficiencies or problems
were found: 1. The proposed location is within 400 feet of St.
Edith Church and School. Ordinance 543 Sec. 11.03(r)2 requires a
minimum 400 foot separation.
Mr. Engebretson: Is the petitioner here.
Charles Tangora: I represent Perry Drugs. I think you all understand that this is
not a new SDD license. It is a transfer of a license that was in
the shopping center that was on the northeast corner of Five Mile
and Newburgh. Perry Drugs has entered into an agreement to buy
that SDD license which has been held in escrow by the former
operator of that drugstore. Essentially that is it. There is an
13148
ordinance there that prohibits it. I might point out that it can
be approved with a waiver and the ordinance is more restrictive
than the rules and regulations of the LCC. The LCC regulations
would permit the establishment of the SDD license at this location.
'1•11. Mr. Engebretson: Is there anyone in the audience wishing to speak for or against
this proposal?
Mark Canvasser: I handle the management of that shopping center at Newburgh and
Five Mile Road. It was recently bought by a new partnership in
April out of a bankruptcy and I am sure you all may be familiar
with the shopping center. It has not been marketed well in the
last several years. There are actually two shopping centers there.
There is one to the south and that is completely occupied, and the
one where Perrys is located. The new owners and the new group that
is involved, including our management company, is dedicated to
enhancing this shopping center. Perrys has been a great tenant.
It is not in conflict with any other tenant in the shopping center
and it is continuing to grow. Farmer Jacks just renovated their
store and I think it would be a good addition to the area. You
were talking about a credit union that was looking for space. I
don't know who that credit union is but who could I talk to.
Mr. Engebretson: Call the staff and they will be glad to put you in touch with
them.
Mr. Morrow: St. Edith, were they notified of this?
Mr. Nagy: Yes they were.
'441m. Mr. Morrow: There was no feedback from them?
Mr. Nagy: Correct.
Mr. Morrow: There doesn't seem to be anyone in the audience from St. Ediths.
Mr. Alanskas: Mr. Tangora, do you know how many Perrys there are in the area that
do not sell liquor?
Mr. Tangora: I do not have any idea. Unfortunately a Perry representative was
supposed to be here tonight and he called me late this afternoon to
tell me he had a very serious sickness in the family. I can't
answer that question.
Mr. Alanskas: You are only 200 feet from the church.
Mr. Engebretson: There is also a wall.
Mr. Tangora: I think Perry likes to have an SDD license wherever they can.
Obviously it enhances their business.
Mr. Engebretson: Mr. Alanskas I would also suggest if the church were concerned
they surely would have had a representative here because they were
extremely vocal on other issues in that particular area.
13149
Mr. Tent: This is a question for the staff. This particular license will be
within 200 feet of the church. Do we have any other such
conditions in the City? Can we go ahead and act on this even if it
doesn't meet the ordinance?
Naar Mr. Nagy: Only if it would be subject to the appropriate variance being
granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals. It does not meet all the
standards that were pointed out by the reports we received.
Mr. Tent: Should this have gone to the ZBA first?
Mr. Nagy: The Planning Commission and City Council deal with the use question
first and then the Zoning Board will deal with the standards
relating to the specific use.
Mr. Tent: If I understand correctly even the Council cannot act on this until
the ZBA gives its approval.
Mr. Nagy: Council can act on it but they too, like the Planning Commission,
will have to make it subject to a variance being granted by the
Zoning Board. They cannot waive that requirement.
Mr. Tent: I too am surprised that no one from the church is here.
Mrs. Fandrei: The staff provided me with an aerial view and a more specific
distance between Perrys and the church is 170 feet so it is even
closer.
There was no one else present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Petition 93-10-2-25 closed.
On a motion duly made by Mrs. Fandrei and seconded by Mr. Tent, it was
RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Petition 93-10-2-25 by RDS Detroit, Inc. requesting waiver
use approval for an SDD license (packaged liquor) for a Perry Drug Store
located on the south side of Five Mile Road between Newburgh Road and
Blue Skies Avenue in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 19, the City Planning
Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition
93-10-2-25 be denied for the following reasons:
1) That the petitioner has failed to affirmatively show that the
proposed use is in compliance with all of the special and general
waiver use standards and requirements as set forth in Section 10.03
and 19.06 of the Zoning Ordinance #543.
2) That the proposed use fails to comply with Section 10.03(g)(2)
which provides that a proposed SDD licensed establishment shall be
located at least four hundred (400) feet distant from any church or
school building, either public or parochial, as measured from the
nearest point on the building proposed to be licensed to the
existing church or school building.
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.
13150
Mrs. Fandrei: I believe there is a school attached to this church isn't there
John?
Mr. Nagy: Yes there is.
'4011" Mrs. Fandrei: That is another reason why I would feel strongly against this
petition because there is not only a church there, but there is
also a church school.
Mr. McCann: I think I would be in favor of this use only because we are taking
a use that was across the street. We are not increasing the
density of the licenses to sell in any way. In addition, I think
the intent of the 400 feet rule is to keep the intermingling
between crowds. You wouldn't want the kids from the school and
church being influenced by what is going on with the liquor store.
Having the bearing wall and the entrance being on the north side of
the building as opposed to the south side of the building, the
crowd is being separated by probably a couple of thousand foot
margin. There is the walk around the building, the walk around the
wall, before they would be intermingled, which is the main intent.
Therefore, I don't think it would be a detriment to the school or
the church and would recommend approval.
Mr. Morrow: I was prepared to, because of the ordinance, support the church but
they apparently don't seem to be very concerned about it because
perhaps their thinking runs along the same line as Mr. McCann's
that as the crow flies it is 180 feet but as you walk around the
site it is appreciably more than that.
Mr. Alanskas: I myself had forgotten about that wall and like they said the
church is not here. I myself used to go to Concord Drugs across
the street and they had no problem there.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYES: Tent, Fandrei, LaPine
NAYS: Morrow, Alanskas, McCann, Engebretson
ABSENT: None
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion failed.
On a motion duly made by Mr. Alanskas and seconded by Mr. McCann, it was
#11-217-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Petition 93-10-2-25 by RDS Detroit, Inc. requesting waiver
use approval for an SDD license (packaged liquor) for a Perry Drug Store
located on the south side of Five Mile Road between Newburgh Road and
Blue Skies Avenue in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 19, the City Planning
Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition
93-10-2-25 be approved subject to the waiving of the requirement for a
four hundred (400) foot separation between the proposed SDD licensed
establishment and a church or school by the Zoning Board of Appeals for
the following reasons:
13151
1) That the proposed use complies with all of the special and general
waiver use standards and requirements as set forth in Section 10.03
and 19.06 of the Zoning Ordinance #543 as modified by the Zoning
Board of Appeals.
Now. 2) That the proposed use is compatible to and in harmony with the
surrounding uses in the area.
3) That the subject site has the capacity to accommodate the proposed
use.
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above hearing was given in
accordance with the provisions of Section 19.05 of Zoning Ordinance
#543, as amended.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYES: Morrow, Alanskas, McCann, Engebretson
NAYS: Tent, Fandrei, LaPine
ABSENT: None
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Petition 93-10-2-26
by Donald J. and Terri D. Mattarella requesting waiver use approval to
operate a limited service restaurant in an existing building located on
the north side of Schoolcraft Road between Inkster Road and Cardwell
Avenue in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 24.
``. Mr. Miller presented a map showing the property under petition plus the
existing zoning of the surrounding area.
Mr. Nagy: We have received a letter from the Engineering Department stating
they have no objections to this waiver use proposal. We have also
received a letter from the Fire Marshal's office stating their
office has no objection to this proposal. Also in our file is a
letter from the Ordinance Enforcement Division stating no
deficiencies or problems were found. Also in our file is a letter
from Robert N. Canvasser stating he is one of the owners of
Buckingham Shopping Center and he and his associates wish to
encourage the Planning Commission's approval of this petition. He
further states the petitioners are experienced operators who
presently own a Subway Sandwich shop. He states the space they
intend to operate out of has been empty for over two years. They
intend to totally refurbish it, paint it and operate a nice clean
restaurant. He finishes by saying they feel this will be a good
addition to the center for the invitees and for the neighborhood
and they urge the Commission's approval and support of this
petition.
Mr. Engebretson: Would the petitioner please come down and tell us your reasons
for making this request.
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Don Mattarella, 30979 Five Mile: My wife and I are owner/operators of Subway
Sandwich. We currently own the one on Five Mile in Livonia Plaza.
We would like to go into this spot. With all the industry and
businesses around there we feel we could run a successful business.
fir. Mr. LaPine: John, what is the difference between this proposal coming to us and
not going to the Zoning Board of Appeals? Can you explain that to
me? How does these things happen? I assume that he went to some
department and they told him he had to go to the Planning
Commission. Mr. Parz apparently goes to some department and they
tell him to go to the Zoning Board of Appeals. How come we are not
treating people the same?
Mr. Nagy: I don't know the answer.
Mr. LaPine: I wish you would get me an answer.
Mr. Nagy: I can only indicate that what Mr. Tangora indicated that in the
previous case there was a matter of time element.
Mr. LaPine: I would imagine that with this gentleman there is a time element
too. You don't have two standards. Everybody should be treated
the same way.
Mr. Nagy: I agree with you Mr. LaPine and I wish they would all come through
the waiver use route.
Mr. Alanskas: You say you have another one at Five Mile and what?
Mr. Mattarella: Five Mile Road and Merriman at Livonia Plaza.
slaw
Mr. Alanskas: One just went in at Five Mile and Newburgh and that young man is
doing very well. I noticed that front window. Is that going to
stay the way it is?
Mr. Mattarella: Yes it will stay the way it is. It is going to be redone with all
new wood but it will stay exactly the way it is.
Mr. Alanskas: You are not going to also have things like chili and hot dogs? It
is strictly going to be subways and salads?
Mr. Mattarella: That is correct.
Mr. Tent: The operation you have at Five Mile in Livonia Plaza, how long have
you been there?
Mr. Mattarella: The store has been there for four years. I have owned it for two
years.
Mr. Tent: You find it pretty successful?
Mr. Mattarella: Yes.
Mr. Tent: I am glad you are and I am glad you decided to stay in Livonia.
This is a good location and we wish you lots of success if this is
approved. Can you get by with 30 seats?
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Mr. Mattarella: Yes.
Mr. Tent: Will this be a delivery service also?
Mr. Mattarella: No just come in and take out or sit down.
Mr. Tent: What will be your hours of operation?
Mr. Mattarella: From 10:00 in the morning until midnight.
Mr. Tent: Seven days a week?
Mr. Mattarella: Yes.
Mr. Tent: Is there any signage you will be considering at a later date?
Mr. Mattarella: Just the sign on the front of the building.
Mr. Tent: That is not part of this petition Mr. Nagy? That will have to be a
call back?
Mr. Engebretson: Unless it is a conforming sign.
Mr. Tent: If it is a conforming sign you could go ahead. It is interesting
what Mr. LaPine said because I agree with what he said. In this
particular case this gentleman meets all of the requirements so
there would be no need for him to go to the ZBA or anything of that
type. I too agree with what Mr. LaPine said.
Mr. Engebretson: Sir, I am just curious as to whether or not you spent any time
determining whether or not that parking lot meets your
requirements. I'll tell you why I ask the question. When I was
there to examine this case, and as I have gone in and out of that
shopping center for a variety of reasons, it seems to be always
extremely busy and at times very difficult to find a parking place.
I just wonder if you are concerned about that?
Mr. Mattarella: A little concerned but I kind of like that it is that busy.
Mr. Engebretson: Is there anyone in the audience who wishes to speak for or
against this petition?
Michael Southers, 11118 Bradley Ct. , Plymouth: I am the local representative for
the Subway Sandwiches for the Wayne County area. We are in total
full support of this location. Again, as Don mentioned with the
industrial corridor there and the retail and the shopping center as
well as the residential, we think it is the ideal mix for a Subway
Sandwich in the area.
Mr. Engebretson: Sir, presumably you wouldn't be emitting any odors from your
facility that would drift off into the residential area in the
back. Is that a safe assumption?
Mr. Mattarella: The only thing we bake is our bread.
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Mr. Engebretson: Mr. Ansara had indicated in the previous petition that they had
equipment that was going to prevent those odors from escaping the
building. I guess I would like some assurance from you on the same
point.
Mr. Southers: The only equipment we have in our restaurant is our oven. Our oven
tir. has a cap hood on it as required by the Wayne County Health
Department. It exhausts out the roof. By the time it gets up to
the roof you can barely smell it. The aroma you are going to get
is in the restaurant.
Mr. Tent: The dumpster for picking up your garbage, where is that contained?
Mr. Mattarella: It is in the rear of the building. As a matter of fact I was out
there and it is out the back door of our location.
Mr. Tent: Do you have a lot of garbage?
Mr. Mattarella: Not very much, mostly boxes. One bag a day from what people throw
away up front.
Mr. Tent: It is not a problem at your Five Mile Road location?
Mr. Mattarella: No.
Mr. Tent: The reason I ask that is because to follow up on what Mr.
Engebretson said there are neighbors right next door and we have
had complaints before when they have restaurants about litter, etc.
If you are sure that your dumpster is adequate to handle the
garbage.
`,.. Mr. Mattarella: From what I see out back they already have two dumpsters.
Mr. LaPine: You are renting that whole building but you are only going to use
the front portion of the building I understand. Is that correct?
Mr. Mattarella: Correct.
Mr. LaPine: What is going to happen to the rear portion?
Mr. Mattarella: We will use it for some storage and partly our office.
Mr. Morrow: I would assume you don't have much garbage. Do you have a
disposal?
Mr. Mattarella: No I don't.
Mr. Morrow: So you will have some garbage. I wasn't sure if you had a disposal
to get rid of some of the garbage.
Mr. Mattarella: There is still not a whole lot. The only thing that would go into
it is onions, green pepper ends, and everything else comes
processed and we just put it together.
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Mr. Southers: Can I add to that. At the recent store that we opened up at Five
Mile and Newburgh we did add in a garbage disposal. It isn't
something that Subway requires or really wants. It was at the
plumbing inspector's discretion and he asked us to do that and we
did add it in there.
Mr. LaPine: Will this one have it?
Mr. Southers: If the inspector wants one, it will.
There was no one else present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Petition 93-10-2-26 closed.
On a motion duly made by Mr. Tent, seconded by Mrs. Fandrei and unanimously
approved, it was
#11-218-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Petition 93-10-2-26 by Donald J. and Terri D. Mattarella
requesting waiver use approval to operate a limited service restaurant
in an existing building located on the north side of Schoolcraft Road
between Inkster Road and Cardwell Avenue in the Southeast 1/4 of Section
24, the City Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City
Council that Petition 93-10-2-26 be approved subject to a limitation on
the number of customer seats of no more than 30 seats 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 Section 11.03
and 19.06 of the Zoning Ordinance #543.
2) That the subject site has the capacity to accommodate the proposed
`f.. use.
3) That the proposed use is compatible to and in harmony with the
surrounding uses in the area.
and subject to the following condition:
1) That a garbage disposal shall be incorporated in this proposed
facility.
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above hearing was given in
accordance with the provisions of Section 19.05 of Zoning Ordinance
#E543, as amended.
Mrs. Fandrei: Mr. Nagy, passage of this would automatically be 20% window
coverage, correct?
Mr. Nagy: That is right.
Mrs. Fandrei: Does the petitioner understand that they are limited to 20% signage
in the window?
Mr. Mattarella: That is no problem. We only have one sign in the window. All of
our signs are either in a frame on the interior of the building and
not on the glass. We typically have one, what we call a window
slick with a vinyl transparent sign usually with a price point on
it. It is typically about 36" x 36". That will be the only sign
other than a neon "open" sign.
13156
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Petition 93-10-3-4
by Craig and Lynne O'Neill requesting to vacate a portion of an easement
on Lot 337 of Country Homes Estates Subdivision No. 2, north of Myrna
Avenue between Newburgh and Levan Roads in the Southwest 1/4 of Section
17.
Mr. Miller presented a map showing the property under petition plus the
existing zoning of the surrounding area.
Mr. Nagy: We have received a letter from the Engineering Department stating
there are no City maintained utilities within the subject easement
area, therefore their department has no objections to this vacating
proposal.
Mr. Engebretson: Is the petitioner here? Apparently not. It is pretty clear cut.
There is not much to say.
Mr. Nagy: The O'Neills did submit a letter to Council requesting the vacating
and I will be happy to read it.
Mr. Engeretson: Since they are not here maybe you should read it.
Mr. Nagy: "We are Craig and Lynne O'Neill of 37208 Sunnydale St. , Livonia.
We are requesting that a 3'4" x 11'3 1/2" section of a north side
easement located within our property line be vacated. Presently
there is a cement slab located within this easement and there was
an aluminum shed constructed on that slab. We have torn the
rr. aluminum shed down and wish to construct a new 12' x 12' wooden
shed on the existing slab.
"We have applied for a permit to add a section of cement to the
front of the slab (with appropriate rat walls), so that the new
shed will not be constructed on the back or west easement, and to
construct the 12' x 12' shed. We spoke with Mr. Jerry Kinney from
the Engineering Dept. He checked the plot plan for our
subdivision, Country Homes Estates No. 2, and the easement we are
requesting the change on contains no utility lines. Mr. Kinney
suggested we go to the Planning Department and request that only
the section of the north side easement on which we want to
construct the shed, be vacated. We were instructed by the Planning
Dept. to write a letter to the City Council stating our request.
"Therefore we are submitting this letter to you for your
consideration and approval. We realize there are certain
procedures and legalities involved, however, as usual, if we could
have our request addressed as soon as possible or as soon as your
schedule permits, we would be greatly appreciative. We had hoped
we could have the shed constructed before the weather becomes a
problem.
"Thank you very much for your consideration and attention to this
matter. Sincerely, Craig & Lynne O'Neill, 37208 Sunnydale,
Livonia, MI"
13157
Mrs. Fandrei: John, that shed is still up today. If we were to give our approval
could we condition that the shed be removed from the property?
Mr. Nagy: I suppose you could. I really don't know the condition of the shed
to say whether it should or shouldn't be removed. I am not in a
'to"' position to say tearing it down is justified because I don't know
the condition and I don't want to cause any substantial loss to the
petitioners without knowing the condition of the shed.
Mrs. Fandrei: It was indicated that they were going to build a 12'x12' wood shed
on a concrete floor and the one that is existing right now is a
pink and white metal which doesn't look real great. So we could
condition it being they presented that they were going to build a
new shed.
Mr. Nagy: My problem is I don't know since this is a vacating ordinance. It
is like a zoning ordinance and to that extent I don't know if you
can condition with respect to an ordinance. If it was a site plan
or a waiver I would have no problem but I think in this case we are
dealing with an ordinance of the City. I don't know if we can, in
fact, enter into a contractual agreement with regard to an
ordinance of the City of Livonia.
Mr. Engebretson: Mrs. Fandrei, wouldn't you assume that they are going to proceed
with replacement of the old wood shed with the new one?
Mrs. Fandrei: I wouldn't assume that. I have seen people do things like that,
move sheds and garages. If their financial situation changed and
they didn't want to purchase the wood for the wooden shed, they
could just put a cement slab under and move it back on. It is a
`'`' City requirement to have a slab under a shed so they could remove
the shed, put the slab and put it back.
Mr. Engebretson: There is a slab there now. They want to expand the slab so what
exists apparently has a slab under it. They are looking to build a
larger shed on an expanded slab. I guess I am thinking if there
was some kind of condition that as it goes through the process that
they have to remove the existing shed, whatever is in that shed
doesn't have a home while all this occurs. I think we would be
putting some hardship on them. Whatever is in the shed, if they
have to tear the shed down to get the vacating approved, is going
to be in the open space if they wait until the springtime when they
can likely build a shed. I am not sure why we are trying to force
the issue regarding tearing it down. That is the whole purpose
tearing it down and building a new one.
Mr. Morrow: The only comment I would make is that they have asked us to vacate
a portion of an easement which the City indicates they have no use
for and as one Commissioner I have no problem, if the City doesn't
need it and they can use it, giving it up.
Mr. Tent: It indicates that the building has been removed and that is where I
am confused. I am reading my notes and it says the slab previously
supported an aluminum shed which your petitioners removed. It says
here removed so I assume from that it is gone.
13158
Mrs. Fandrei: It is not gone.
Mr. Nagy: The letter I read into the record said they removed it. That is
why we put it in your notes. We relied on their letter.
Mr. McCann: It may have been their intent.
Mr. Morrow: I think they indicated also in their letter they wanted to make it
happen before the weather set in. Maybe they reconsidered. They
may not build until spring now so they can use the old shed. At
least it gives them an option.
There was no one else present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Petition 93-10-3-4 closed.
On a motion duly made by Mr. Alanskas, seconded by Mr. Morrow and unanimously
approved, it was
#11-219-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Petition 93-10-3-4 by Craig and Lynne O'Neill requesting to
vacate a portion of an easement on Lot 337 of Country Homes Estates
Subdivision No. 2, north of Myrna Avenue between Newburgh and Levan
Roads in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 17, the City Planning Commission
does hereby recommend to the City Council that Petition 93-10-3-4 be
approved for the following reasons:
1) That the subject portion of the existing easement is not needed to
protect any public utilities.
2) That the subject portion of the existing easement can be utilized
`'or more advantageously by the property owner.
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above public hearing was given in
accordance with the provisions of Section 12.08.030 of the Livonia Code
of Ordinances.
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Petition 93-10-6-6
by the City Planning Commission, pursuant to Council Resolution #727-93,
and pursuant to Section 23.01(b) of Zoning Ordinance #543, as amended,
to determine whether or not to amend Article XXI of the Zoning Ordinance
so as to reduce the membership of the Zoning Board of Appeals from seven
members to six members plus an additional alternate member, with all
seven members serving on a rotating basis.
Mr. Engebretson: Mr. Nagy, do you want to explain this one?
Mr. Nagy: I would rather have a member of the Zoning Board explain it.
Mr. Engebretson: I was under the impression that was exactly what was to happen.
Mr. Nagy: We were going to table it and invite them to a study meeting which
would be more informal.
13159
Mr. Engebretson: So the public hearing would be conducted in a study meeting.
Mr. Nagy: We could re-advertise if it would make you feel better.
soft. proposal.Engebretson: Is there anyone in the audience that wishes to speak to this
proposal.
Mr. Morrow: Mr. Chairman, just as a comment that at our prehearing review some
of our Commissioners had a pretty lively discussion as to the
proposed ordinance that was presented and we thought it would be
advisable to table it so we would have an opportunity to meet with
a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals so we could discuss it and
come back to a public hearing or at least to take it off the table
and act on it after we have had an opportunity to learn a little
more about the thinking behind the proposed ordinance.
Mr. Engebretson: I was absent last week but it is my crystal clear recollection
that from the moment this issue first surfaced many months ago we
made the determination that the Chairperson of the Zoning Board of
Appeals would be present at the public hearing and that we would
get a better understanding of why they were seeking to make this
significant change and so now I guess we can close the public
hearing. The body of evidence consists of zero words. I just
wonder why we are doing business this way but so be it. I am
looking for a motion.
There was no one present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Petition 93-10-6-6 closed.
On a motion duly made by Mrs. Fandrei, seconded until Mr. Tent and unanimously
Nom. approved, it was
#11-220-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on Petition
93-10-6-6 by the City Planning Commission, pursuant to Council
Resolution #727-93, and pursuant to Section 23.01(b) of Zoning Ordinance
#543, as amended, to determine whether or not to amend Article XXI of
the Zoning Ordinance so as to reduce the membership of the Zoning Board
of Appeals from seven members to six members plus an additional
alternate member, with all seven members serving on a rotating basis,
the City Planning Commission does hereby determine to table Petition
93-10-6-6 until the study meeting of December 14, 1993 or until the
availability of the Chairperson of the Zoning Board of Appeals.
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. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Preliminary Plat
approval for Sunset Subdivision proposed to be located south of Eight
Mile Road between Merriman Road and Milburn Avenue in the Northwest 1/4
of Section 2.
Mr. Miller presented a map showing the property under petition plus the
existing zoning of the surrounding area.
13160
Mr. Nagy: We have received a letter from the Parks & Recreation Department
stating they find no discrepancies or problems that will be caused
by the development of this property. We have also received a
letter from the Fire Marshal's office stating they have no
ft.y objection to this development. Lastly, we have received a letter
from the City Engineer stating it is the recommendation of the
Engineering Department that the proposed Sunset Subdivision take
into account the adjacent vacant lot to the west. It seems only
appropriate that the pavement be centered to accommodate parcels on
either side as shown on the attached penciled sketch. He closes by
saying he hopes that the City would get involved so that the final
product is something of which we can all be proud.
Mr. Engebretson: Is the petitioner present?
The petitioner was not present.
Mr. Nagy: I can only guess, I can't tell you why he is not here but based
upon the letter from the City Engineer we have advised the
petitioner of his report that he found exceptions to his layout and
would like to see it coordinated with the land to the west and we
volunteered to try to contact that property owner, which we have,
to try to work out arrangements.
Mr. Engebretson: You tried to contact him or tried to work out arrangements?
Mr. Nagy: Both, and we contacted him and we found a willingness to sell ten
feet of property subject to certain other agreements and we haven't
finalized those. I would suspect that has something to do with it.
I can't say for sure obviously.
Niter
Mr. Engebretson: Is there anyone in the audience wishing to speak for or against
this proposal?
Catherine Sullivan, 20285 Milburn: Could you tell me when the subdivision was
brought before the Planning Commission again? We have not heard
anything.
Mr. Engebretson: This is the first public hearing activity Mrs. Sullivan on this
proposal.
Mrs. Sullivan: We haven't heard anything on it from when he withdrew his petition
from wanting to rezone it. I would like to know why the residents
on Sunset had not gotten notification of this meeting. Only the
abutting property owners did.
Mr. Engebretson: I suspect it is because that is all the ordinance requires for
notification on this kind of matter. Is that correct Mr. Nagy?
Mr. Nagy: Yes.
Mr. Engebretson: If it were a zoning matter then it would reach out further, as
you know.
Mrs. Sullivan: I am also concerned about the fire engine turnaround. I heard you
say they need 120 feet.
13161
Mr. Engebretson: One hundred ten feet. This is a 55 foot radius which would
translate to the 110 feet of diameter. Is that right Mr. Nagy?
Mr. Nagy: The City prefers 120 feet. One hundred ten feet is acceptable but
the more appropriate standard is the full 120.
'411"' Mrs. Sullivan: I am concerned about that, about the fire engine being able to turn
around. Would that be safe for the people living in those homes?
Mr. McCann: The Fire Marshal did approve the 55 foot saying it would be no
problem for his vehicles. He specifically noted that.
Mrs. Sullivan: Who is the builder of the subdivision? Is Dettore still in on it?
Mr. Engebretson: John, can you tell us who the builder is who is asking for this
plat approval?
Mrs. Sullivan: We would have welcomed years ago if Mr. Dettore would have put
homes back there but he didn't want to put homes there. All he
wanted was the industrial. He did not care about homes.
Mr. Nagy: The applicant who paid the filing fee is Schrader-Porter &
Associates who give their address as 27475 Schoolcraft, Livonia,
Michigan. They are the applicant who filed the petition.
Mrs. Sullivan: Are all the lots R-3?
Mr. Engebretson: Yes they are.
Mrs. Sullivan: We are deeply concerned about the fire engines and also if it does
pass, the residents and members of the North Central Livonia Civic
�► Association are requesting that the builder or corporation that is
building the Sunset Subdivision has to place a bond to the City in
sufficient amount to replace any roads damaged due to the
construction of Sunset Subdivision to the satisfaction of the
residents and the City. There is a good example of Fargo Street
that has just recently been paved and not being repaired properly
due to the utilities having been run under the road. There is a
bump right there. As long as you are sure that a fire engine can
turn around there.
Mr. Engebretson: The Fire Marshal says it could. We have to trust him if he says
it will. We are not going to ask him to be any more reassuring
than he has. There is no question about that. That is a done
issue. John, what about the bonds. When the plat process goes
through I know there are bonds that are filed. Exactly what is
covered by that? Does that include these peripheral areas or is it
to do with the completion of the development of the plat itself?
Mr. Nagy: What we are dealing with tonight is the layout of the subdivision,
the road layout in terms of how it serves the lots, the cul-de-sac,
if it coordinates with the other street patterns of the area and
lot sizes, etc. Once the layout is approved then you have the
improvement plans themselves that will set forth all the
13162
requirements, the sanitary sewers, the water lines, the street
pavement, subdivision markers, etc. and then the City requires that
appropriate bonds be placed upon the property to assure that all
the needed improvements that are planned as part of the subdivision
are in fact put in place. There are usually bank letters of
credit, surety bonds, performance bonds and a portion of it is cash
`" bonds, and part of that analysis is how will they bring those
utilities into the site. Those roads too must be bonded to protect
and restore that pavement, if that in fact is the way the service
vehicles are going to access that area to improve the subdivision.
Mr. Engebretson: So Mrs. Sullivan's concerns will be addressed by various
departments as it works its way through the process, assuming it is
approved.
Mr. Nagy: Mr. Dettore may, because he has an interest in the property to the
north, may decide to come from Eight Mile into the property to
lessen the likelihood of damage to the roads that he would
otherwise have to restore. I don't know but there are options to
bring the heavy equipment into the subdivision other than Sunset
that he has an interest in to the north from Eight Mile.
Mr. Tent: Mrs. Sullivan and her partner have sat through this whole meeting
for quite a while, why wasn't the developer here? I feel he should
have been here because Mrs. Sullivan has been involved with this
City for a long time and the questions and concerns she has are
valid and I know she would like to have asked some questions since
this is a public hearing. I am disappointed the developer wasn't
here. Under those circumstances I, as one Commissioner, would not
like to act on it at this particular time. I would like to refer
this back to a study meeting and take action at a later time and
`ft. let this petitioner know when they have a hearing before us they
should be here. There are questions I wanted to ask him too. I
wanted to know about this land dedication. If we can get an extra
couple of feet. I don't want him to say in a letter I tried it and
that was it. I would like to look him in the eye and say what are
you going to do about it. They have been here for a long time. I
recognize this is a preliminary plat and there is going to be a
final plat but there are questions to be answered. At this point I
would be willing to table this until the 14th and let this
developer come in and invite these people from the civic
association to go ahead and be absolutely assured to know what they
are getting.
Mrs. Sullivan: I think the residents on Sunset should be notified too about the
meeting.
Mr. Engebretson: There is no way we can do this to everybody's satisfaction. The
only way we can really do it is according to the ordinance, which
we have done. We assume, Mrs. Sullivan, you will let some of those
people know through your civic association. We have really done
what we can and should do there, but the fact of the matter is that
it is highly unlikely that this matter will be disposed of tonight
so you will be aware of what is going to happen and you can put the
word out.
13163
Mrs. Sullivan: I would like to address the Planning Commission that they can thank
the North Central Livonia Civic Association for the way Eight Mile
Road looks. Eight Mile Road would not look the way it does if it
hadn't been for the civic association. We would have had
construction companies and all this other stuff along Eight Mile
Road if it hadn't been for the North Central Livonia Civic
Association all these years coming to City Hall and fighting for our
area. It has been over 30 years. We are the oldest civic
association in the City and that is something to say. Mr. LaPine
knows how many years we have been fighting for the area and Mr.
Tent. You can admit to yourself that Eight Mile Road would not
look as nice as it does if it wasn't for the civic association and
they can thank our area for the fight we have put up.
Mr. LaPine: Mrs. Sullivan, you and your friend, fought long and hard and I
think you should be commended for your efforts.
Mrs. Sullivan: Mr. Dettore, we would have been glad to work with him back in 1967
for homes instead of spending so many nights at City Hall.
Mr. Engebretson: Thank you Mrs. Sullivan.
There was no one else present wishing to be heard regarding this item and Mr.
Engebretson, Chairman, declared the public hearing on Preliminary Plat for Sunset
Subdivision closed.
On a motion duly made by Mr. McCann, it was
RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Preliminary Plat approval for Sunset Subdivision proposed to
be located south of Eight Mile Road between Merriman Road and Milburn
Avenue in the Northwest 1/4 of Section 2, the City Planning Commission
does hereby recommend to the City Council that the Preliminary Plat for
Sunset Subdivision be approved for the following reasons:
1) That the proposed Preliminary Plat complies with all applicable
Ordinances and Regulations.
2) That the proposed subdivision layout represents a logical land use
solution to a very narrow parcel of property.
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above hearing was sent to the
abutting property owners, proprietor, City Departments as listed in the
Proof of Service, and copies of the plat together with the notices have
been sent to the Building Department, Superintendent of Schools, Fire
Department, Police Department, and the Parks and Recreation Department.
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion died for lack of support.
On a motion duly made Mr. Tent and seconded by Mrs. Fandrei and unanimously
approved, it was
#11-221-93 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a Public Hearing having been held on November
30, 1993 on Preliminary Plat approval for Sunset Subdivision proposed to
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be located south of Eight Mile Road between Merriman Road and Milburn.
Avenue in the Northwest 1/4 of Section 2, the City Planning Commission
does hereby determine to table the Preliminary Plat approval for Sunset
Subdivision until the study meeting of December 14, 1993.
FURTHER RESOLVED that, notice of the above hearing was sent to the
abutting property owners, proprietor, City Departments as listed in the
Proof of Service, and copies of the plat together with the notices have
been sent to the Building Department, Superintendent of Schools, Fire
Department, Police Department, and the Parks and Recreation Department.
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, announced that the public hearing portion of the meeting
is concluded and the Commission would proceed with items pending before it.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is approval of the
minutes of the 674th Regular Meeting held on November 16, 1993.
On a motion duly made by Mr. Alanskas and seconded by Mr. Tent, it was
#11-222-93 RESOLVED that, the minutes of the 674th Regular Meeting held on November
16, 1993 are approved.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYRS: Tent, LaPine, Morrow, Alanskas, McCann, Engebretson
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: Fandrei
ABSENT: None
`r.
Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
Mr. McCann, Secretary, announced the next item on the agenda is Permit Application
by Vasilios Valkanos for the installation of a satellite dish antenna
for property at 29110 Five Mile Road in Section 13.
Mr. Miller: This is the shopping center that is located on the north side of
Five Mile Road just east of Middlebelt Road. The petitioner is
proposing to install a 7 1/2 foot in diameter satellite dish
approximately 18 feet north or behind their unit in the shopping
center. It will be located along the edge of the parking lot 40
feet from the front of the shopping center. It will be located on
an 18 foot high pole and with the satellite dish and pole combined,
it will be approximately 23 feet high.
Mr. Engebretson: Is the petitioner here?
Tina Valkanos, 24165 Cranbrooke, Novi: We are requesting permission to install a
satellite dish.
Mr. Morrow: At the prehearing review we discussed some type of landscaping
with the staff. Was that accomplished?
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Mrs. Valkanos: Yes Scott and I talked about it.
Mr. Morrow: What was it you came up with?
Mrs. Valkanos: To put in three or four trees to help camouflage.
"441.' Mr. Morrow: To screen it from the neighbors to the rear?
Mrs. Valkanos: Yes.
Mr. Morrow: As far as the satellite dish, if you ever give up the use of the
building is it your intent to take the satellite dish with you?
Mrs. Valkanos: Yes.
Mr. Morrow: We could make that a condition of approval?
Mrs. Valkanos: Yes it would be ours.
Mr. Tent: What are you going to do there?
Mrs. Valkanos: It will be a social club. A social club meaning a gathering place.
People will get together for a few drinks, food and mostly to watch
the TV. We are Greek and that is the main reason for installing
the satellite dish to get Greek television.
Mr. Tent: How many members do you have in the club?
Mrs. Valkanos: Between 25 and 30.
Mr. Tent: Is there a membership fee?
Sow
Mrs. Valkanos: The fee is $75.00 per month.
Mr. Tent: That is just a gathering of friends at this particular location?
Mrs. Valkanos: Yes.
Mr. Alanskas: Scott, how many feet will that pole be in the ground?
Mr. Miller: It will be four feet in the ground with cement.
Mr. Alanskas: How far will the cement be around the pole?
Installer: It will be 24 feet by 24 feet.
Mr. Alanskas: Where that tree is, when you go 23 feet, you have these big
branches. Are you going to trim those trees?
Installer: I did the site survey to see what angles are right for the dish.
That location will work but it is not ideal to pick up the whole
art of the satellite. Scott was telling you it was going to be 18
feet to the north, right on the rear building line. After doing
the site survey these trees would interfere with their picking up a
few satellites. There are high trees all along this area. What I
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propose to do is move the pole and the dish over to this area about
12 feet in from here (he pointed this out on the plan) so I could
get this angle and that would be in the ground four feet and
mounted to the building.
Mr. Alanskas: That is the parking area.
`'rr.
Installer: No that is not a parking area.
Mr. Alanskas: How close to the building would it be?
Installer: Right against the building.
Mr. Alanskas: Where you want to have it now there are all those trees hiding it
whereas if you put it next to the building, it will really be
exposed.
Installer: There are trees, I believe, that come back this way which would
still hide it because it would be in this general area.
Mr. Alanskas: Mr. Chairman, would he have to do a new plan?
Mr. Nagy: We would need a new plan. We can make it subject to a revised plan
if you want to approve it tonight or table it and have them submit
a new plan. We need a plan to document what we approved so the
Inspection Department has something.
Installer: I am just going to move the pole closer to the building and there
is a big tree right here, and just over about ten feet.
Mrs. Fandrei: You say ten feet further west and south closer to the building?
y`,
Installer: Eighteen feet to the rear and ten feet to the west.
Mrs. Fandrei: It will go over the top of the building to receive the satellite?
Installer: That is correct.
Mr. Engebretson: What is the zoning district, C-2?
Mr. Nagy: Yes it is.
Mr. Engebretson: Would their occupancy be based on the use of a club/lodge kind of
fraternal and religious organizations?
Mr. Nagy: Exactly.
Mr. Engebretson: We are changing the proposal here, which puts us in somewhat of a
dilemma because most of us, if not all of us, have been out there
to try to get a sense for what aesthetic impact this would have on
the neighborhood and the location as originally proposed would have
led me to believe that if you could have installed it there without
tearing those trees apart too badly, it was going to be shielded
quite well, at least from that side. Now the proposal to move the
location of the dish, I understand why you want to do that and in
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some respect that is even better with regard to the one direction
but I am not so sure what impact it has toward the north. I guess
I would feel obligated to go back and look at that from this point
of view. I am not comfortable deciding the case based on
speculation that we might do in our own minds as to what impact it
would have. We went there and studied it as it was proposed. I
don't have any objection with the change they are making in
principle but I do feel a need personally to go back there and have
a new plan precisely locating the installation and then be able to
go back and take it all in from that point of view.
Installer: The proposal for a new plan is so she can pick up the entire art.
Mr. Engebretson: I understand that. We are not arguing that.
Installer: She would be minus about three satellites if it were put in where
it is proposed now.
Mrs. Valkanos: I wouldn't mind not picking up the three satellites.
Installer: Her main reason is to pick up the Greek satellite.
Mr. Engebretson: I understand but I have another problem, having heard that there
is a consideration to move it to another part of the building, I
can see the tops of those trees coming down when they change their
minds because they want to get to those other satellites that you
access by putting it on the side of the building.
Mrs. Valkanos: We wouldn't move the satellite dish once it has been placed.
Mr. Engebretson: I am saying there is a possibility you would move the tops of
those trees. I am not saying you would. I recommend we proceed
with reviewing this from the other prospective. I think it is a
better location. It serves your purposes. I gives you the
additional satellite. I just want to make sure of the impact it
has on the neighbors to the north. Those to the east, I think, are
well served.
Mr. LaPine: I want to get on the record that there is no selling of alcohol.
All alcohol is brought in by the members and it is consumed on the
premises?
Mrs. Valkanos: Exactly.
Mr. LaPine: There is no gambling of any type?
Mrs. Valkanos: No.
Mr. LaPine: You told us there were approximately 25 to 30 members. Do you have
a maximum number?
Mrs. Valkanos: No more than 30. You can't put any more than 30 in there.
Mr. LaPine: That is what I wanted to find out. So the maximum number of the
membership you would have would be 30. I guess the other question
I have is how many of your members are Livonia residents or are
they from all over the metropolitan Detroit area?
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Mrs. Valkanos: All over.
Mr. LaPine: What are the hours of operation?
Mrs. Valkanos: 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. On the weekends
it might be a little longer.
Mr. LaPine: Will there be people there every night of the week or is this a
weekend operation?
Mrs. Valkanos: A weekend operation. Sometimes during the week. It depends on
when people want to get together.
Mr. LaPine: Each member would have a key and they could come as they want?
Mr. Valkanos: Each member wouldn't have a key. The President or Vice President
would have a key. Everybody couldn't have a key.
Mr. LaPine: So the members couldn't congregate unless they contacted the
President?
Mrs. Valkanos: It would be something set up.
Mr. LaPine: The latest you would be there is two to three o'clock in the
morning?
Mrs. Valkanos: On a Saturday maybe.
Mr. LaPine: I have to agree, quite frankly when I was out there with the
Chairman I thought it was a bad location for the satellite dish
because of all those trees. I told the Chairman it looked to me
`'rr like they are not going to get a very good reception. I think your
proposal to move it makes more sense.
Mrs. Fandrei: If he is going to move this and redraw it then I think I would like
to see the trees placed on the drawing, where they are going to be
planted. I would like to know where they are in relation to where
the satellite dish is going to end up.
Mr. LaPine: I would like to say in relation to that, if the satellite dish is
going to be moved, I don't know if you need the trees. How is that
going to hide the satellite dish?
Mrs. Fandrei: The purpose of the shielding was not for the close up of the
satellite, but the distance from the apartments through those
evergreens as they grow. That was my understanding.
On a motion duly made by Mr. Alanskas, seconded by Mr. Tent and unanimously
approved, it was
#11-223-93 RESOLVED that, the City Planning Commission does hereby determine to
table Permit Application by Vasilios Valkanos for the installation of a
satellite dish antenna for property at 29110 Five Mile Road until the
study meeting of December 14, 1993.
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Mr. Engebretson, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the 675th Regular Meeting
& Public Hearings held on November 30, 1993 was adjourned at 10:02 p.m.
Nor
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
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QJames C. McCann, Secretary
ATTEST: '(
Jack Engebre son, Chairman
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