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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNING MINUTES 1974-11-12 566d MINUTES OF THE 285th REGULAR MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD BY THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LIVONIA lit On Tuesday, November 12, 1974, the City Planning Commission of the City of Livonia I held its 285th Regular Meeting and a Public Hearing at the Livonia City Hall, 33001 Five Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan. Mr. Daniel R. Andrew, Chairman called the Public Hearing and Regular Meeting to order at 8:05 p.m. with approximately 200 interested persons in the audience. Members Present: Daniel R. Andrew Joseph J. Talbot Charles Pinto Francis M. Hand Suzanne Taylor Joseph J. Falk Herman H. Kluver William Scruggs Esther Friedrichs Messrs. John J. Nagy, Planning Director; Ralph H. Bakewell, Planner IV; H G Shane, Planner IV; and Robert M. Feinberg, Assistant City Attorney were also present. Mr. Andrew explained to the audience the procedure in which the Public Hearing would be conducted. The petition will be read by the Secretary. A member of the Planning Staff will then indicate on the screen the area under petition. Any correspondence received by the Planning Commission pertaining to this petition will be read by the Planning Director. The petitioner will then be asked to present his proposal to the Commission. The Commission will then have an opportunity to t ask questions of the petitioner. The Chair will then go to the floor and anyone in the audience may speak for or against the petition. Please state your name and address for the record before addressing the Commission. All questions will be iiirected to the Chair. We ask that once a point has been fully discussed that it not be brought up again for discussion. I want to remind you that this is a public hearing on zoning and not site plan approval, therefore, we will not discuss, for example, the room composition of dwelling units, architectural treatment of buildings, etc. At the conclusion of the public hearing the Secretary will again read the petition for the purpose of voting. The Chair will then ask for a motion which will take one of the following forms; approving, denying, approving in part, denying in part or tabling to a date certain. If any of the first three motions are voted upon favorably by a majority of the Commission, the Planning Commission's recommendation will be sent to the Council for another public hearing and a final decision on the petition. If tabled, the petition will remain with the Planning Commission and brought back at a future date for disposition. Mr. Falk, Secretary announced the first item on the agenda, Petition 74-7-1-21 by Greenfield Construction Company to rezone property located on the west side of Newburgh Road on the north and south sides of Six Mile Road in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 7 and the Northeast, 1/4 of Section 18, to various residential, commercial and professional service categories for proposed development. �vv, John Nagy made a presentation of the existing and proposed zoning change at this time. i Ronald Seeley: The principal people that will speak here tonight include 4 IE Associated Ray Martin, Land Consultant; Jim Ryan, Senior Vice President, ' Greenfield Const. Wah Yee Associates and Charles Michalski, Reid, Cool and Michalski, Inc. Traffic Consultants; Stuart Frankel, of Frankel Associates, Land Development. We have been asked many times how sure we were that Jacobson will put in a store. I would like to introduce Mr. Russ Fowler, President of Jacobson's and he can tell you himself. Russ Fowler: We have been looking for a spot to locate a Jacobson store President of in this area of Detroit metropolitan area. We are not Jacobson looking for just any spot to locate. We are interested in becoming a part of a total planned community. When we were shown this site, we were very interested. We told Greenfield Construction and the people of Livonia that if we could work out a planned shopping center we would be interested in locating at this area. We have not changed our minds and. we are still interested in locating in this area. Ron Seeley: Mr. DiPonio obtained 240 acres for this project. A parcel was sold to the Board of Education (approx. 42 acres) and that was all that was sold. The remaining 200 acres was then planned. We had two groups retained to plan this 1E: area. Initially we had them leave out multiple dwelling because there was a moratorium at that time. In 1969 we went before the City Council and it was approved. That was 51 months ago. From the three years that we started • to plan and obtain our zoning, Southfield built and absorbed all the professional office market by this time. We could have gone ahead and built it but we would have had to wait for the market to come to us. This is not economical so we did not go ahead at that time. The only callers we had for C-2 was for quantity retailers. We wanted no part of grocery carts, parking lines, etc. We talked with Jacobson's. There is no quality retailer that can surpass Jacobson. For Michigan cities there is no finer store. They will not jeopardize their other locations by doing a bad job in this location. They represent one of the finest retailers. They have planned with us every step of the way so that they could set the tempo for the whole 200 acres. It took us from August 1970 to this present day. We have taken two more study plans since ten. We spent $304,000 since the date we received zonineould go ahead with it. We wanted to do better than that. We have incorporated these changes. Out of 72.5 acres of PO and RE we have reduced it down 14.5 acres. Twelve buildings are now down to three; total number of floors 62 total down to 12. In square feet of office 1.27 million down to 240 thousand. Building height 12 floors to four floors. We have moved back from Newburgh Road 325 ft. to 1,950 ft. 1 5670 I have personally met with 19 civic groups. They represented 75% of the homeowners or 6 1/2 square miles in Livonia. Since October 7, we have talked 1! • to as many people as we could. We have had a public representative, Mrs. Carol Muncie of Gold Manor. We 4 have a member of Jacobson involved also in public relations of this project. We have gone through quite an expense in publicizing in every detail. Brochures, inserts in newspaper, etc. We have done everything we know how to do in trying to answer your questions. I would like to ask Jim Ryan as Senior Vice President of Wah Yee Associates to quickly go through the plan. Jim Ryan: There are 171 net acres. Livonia continues to grow. You have expressways and ramps and that we have a major user in that Jacobson is taking an interest in this project. We are trying to retain as much open land in this area as possible. There are two ring roads. The architectural plan we are presenting before you indicates a corridor of buildings developed around a greenbelt. A ring of buildings develops from 12 story building down to two stories. It will be a 50 acre shopping center with 5.5 acres of greenbelt. The C-4-I and C-4-II are similar to the existing zoning. We propose 5 and 8 stories respectively. The R-3 is cluster housing and the R-8 multiple housing are of heights of 3,4, and 5 stories. The R-7 and professional office districts again, these southern zones acting as buffer zones. The highest building decreases as we.go to the south and the highest building to the West. The 12 story building from Woods property • line is 1100 feet away. The 8 story building is 900 feet from the northerly property line. Jacobson will embrace the two story structure. There will be 10 feet high berms on Newburgh Road. There will be 7 feet high berms along Six Mile Road. The Senior Citizens building, PS buildings, C-4-I: hotel and motel district adjacent to the expressway. Five floors are planned. R-8 district planned with 3 to 5 story high multiple housing. PS district with 12 acres of offices. An R-7 district with multi-family housing. The PO district now is 42 acres and is adjacent to Newburgh Road. R-5 is north of this project. There is a park adjacent to shopping center which has park trails. The landscaping will be maintained by Jacobson. A similar quality store will be on the north end of this site. It is a two level shopping center. The courts are large. The entrances are similar to Briarwood. There will be 60 to 80 stores within the mall. That is 40 stores per level or 20 stores per end. Community affairs program will take place. 5671 Charles Michalski: The proposal before the Commission today will generate Traffic Report 33,500 vehicular movements a day. 16,700 cars arriving Summary, principal at the site and 16,700 departing from the site. Each 11 of firm Reid, Cool one is making two trips. One in and one out. This is & Michalski, Inc. one half of the traffic that would be generated under 1 based in Southfield the proposal permitted under existing zoning. What does this traffic mean to the highways in the area? Newburgh Road north of Six Mile is carrying 14,000 cars a day. To that the proposal before the Commission today will add 7,000 vehicles a day. That would raise the traffic volume to 21,000 cars a day. Six Mile Road at the present time is carrying 8,000 cars a day. We would be adding 17,000 cars more. It would bring - it up to 25,000 per day. Under the present zoning your existing zoning we would be adding almost twice as much. We would be adding 13,000 to the ring road because of the freeway. Under the existing zoning we would be adding twice as much or 26 thousand cars a day. Six Mile Road is to be widened to five lanes. It is to start in spring of 1975. That widening was programmed in anticipation of the growth in traffic with the Laurel Park in the picture. One of the greatest generators of traffic that will be using the road is the interchange of the freeway. Six Mile Road would be boulevarded to the freeway to a point east of Newburgh Road and there would be three lanes of traffic in each direction. Also in IV order to handle the expected increase in traffic on Newburgh Road we would need a five lane pavement in this area immediately upon completion of the shopping center and then extended northward and southward as the last of the project develops. We have been especially careful of Six Mile because whatever happens on Six Mile will have an effect on the community on either side of it. The objective of all of our planning was to make Six Mile Road as attractive an entrance route as possible. The major entrance on Six Mile would be via a left turn lane at the ring road both directions. Another ring road at the south end of the shopping center. We also anticipate traffic signals. We also propose that all left turns be prohibited at Newburgh Road so that the intersecticnwill operate as efficiently as possible. There will be no entrance or exit opposite Vargo or Bennett. Ray Martin: The proposed development generates a true cash value Land Planner in excess of 47 million dollars. This is opposed to presented the 1900 single family homes of 50 thousand dollars each tax analysis that would generate 6,800 persons and 3,122 school children. State equalization 28,648 projected tax revenue of 30 year period 35,600 thousand dollars in • excess of 5 million dollars more "than the current zoning and proposed plan. The present zoning would generate approximately 242 school age children. The proposed plan will generate approximately 182 school age children. t t 5672 ' Ron Seeley: We have enjoyed meeting with the civic groups. They have been objective and very helpful. We have asked them what changes they would like to see us make in this 1E: plan. They have summarized six to seven items that they would like to see changed. Whatever was given to us we have turned them over to our land planners to see if they could be worked out. Jim Ryan: Three major areas we have had to consider amongst the Suggestions most important are entrance, exit and building height. Modifications After meeting with traffic consultants and listening to views of the Peoples Advisory Committee, we have agreed to eliminate a driveway that exists as an auxiliary driveway from Newburgh Road. Continue to provide access right of way that exists on the site to the north to the Woods Condominiums. It is a driveway that is granted to them by DiPonio for access to their property. This will give access to the Woods Condominiums only. Relative to the building height on the R-8-III district, we have at this time considered the reduction of the height and reduced the density. It will be a maximum of 9 stories and a minimum of 6 stories. We will not increase density. This motel site is strongly and very seriously taken into consideration. We would not hinder a high quality motel operation. We will not relinquish height. This will be 7 stories. Mr. Nagy: We have a letter from the Fire Marshall. No major objections, however, accessibility to buildings could be improved. 0 The Traffic Bureau of the Police Department state the roadway is well designed. Also we find the recommendation of the traffic consultant to be correct. The signs are proper as is access to Bennett and Vargo. Some conflict could develop at the east point of median on Six Mile Road. .We concur that left turns should be prohibited off Six Mile. A ]iter is on file from Webster Community Council. Our main objection is to high rise buildings. We suggest a maximum of 8 stories. We a1aa object to the proposed zoning from R-3 to R-8-III/to R-91I. We would like to see a limit of 6 stories. Thist will reduce density. We would like the parking lot area/be reduced. We would like 8 units per acre instead of what is proposed. We suggest the widening of Six Mile Road be finished before Laurel Park is started. What will it cost City to maintain police, traffic and fire departments? How can residents be assured that they will keep the woods. Mr. Sawyer: I am in favor of the rezoning. 1)4028 Stamford: A copy of the petition of Gold Manor Woods Conominimum was tosubmittdd bearing names of residents who are against rezoning. Mr. Andrew: How many live in Gold Manor and how many in the woods? Mr. Nagy: 129 total names. 25 addresses on Bennett or Vargo. 5673 We have a letter from Consumers Power stating they have no objection. We have a letter on file with 191 signatures who are in favor of building a shopping center. The addresses are from surrounding subdivisions. Newburgh Heights Civic Association and Greenwood Farms Civic Association survey indicate 1/3 of residents polled, 90% are against the proposal of the Laurel Park project There were a total of 236 homes polled. Total number of responses 68 - 29%. 63 in favor of zoning that exists. 66% favor the zoning. 33 percent oppose the rezoning. Richard Miller: Petition is being supplemented by 69% of residents. Also President of on this petition 17% of the people signing would sign as Gold Manor Civic complaintants if we went to court. They feel the high Association rises are too high and the density is too dense. The traffic and congestion problem is foremost. There 200 people here we could have brought in 500 people. I have 178 questionnaires in this envelope which were collected in August. Do you want to see a Wonderland or Livonia Mall type of operation? We will withdraw the petition if we can negotiate with planners in regard to density and high rises. The People,Advisory Committee would like to have a study group with Greenfield, Planning Commission 1[: and Councilmen with regard to high density, traffic and high rise. Mr. Andrew: You have petitions that will supplement those already submitted is that right? Mr. Miller: That is right. Mr. Andrew Do you have legal counsel? Mr. Miller: No, we will deal at the political level right now. Mr. Andrew: Are you saying they are not supportive of C-2? Mr. Miller: They are not against Jacobson's but are against quantitative type stores. Mr. Andrew: Are they-opposed to Jacobson and C-2? Mr. Miller: No, only in part. We found no opposition to hotel and motel on intersection. We object to the multiple family dwelling of 3, Ii, 5 stories south of Six Mile Road. Greenfield stated they would cut this to I stories. The high rise cluster R-8 and R-9 on the north side of Six Mile, we wart this reduced in height and density. Mr. Andrew: What about R-7? 4 Mr. Miller: They are opposed to density. R-7 is OK. We also want proposed rental units td be owned units. 5674 �' Mr. Seeley: We both forgot something very important. They did ask for one level to be shaved off the 5 story building. 1 The group also brought up the possibility of traffic being generated by the boulevarding of Newburgh. We are studying this at this time with the City Engineer. Walt Blacha: President of We are of the opinion that high rise be no taller than Federation of three stories. The Master Plan will be obsolete before Civic Associations: it could be voted as a pattern. We urge that this proceed slowly on this project . (a letter was submitted to the Commission) . Mr. Hand: There are 44 registered Civic Associations. How many are members of your association? Mr. Blacha: 32 Civic Associations belong. Mr. Hand: How much notice have you had? Mr. Blacha: We have been in touch with them constantly. Mr. Hand: How many of the Civic Associations were polled? If the Civic Association has not been polled then it does not reflect the vote of the people in that Civic Association who vote in your Association. Mr. Blacha: We had a meeting, you were not present. Mr. Hand: I say your Association does not poll the Civic Associations. You could get out a questionnaire and get the feelings of the people. Mr. HLachae We had 20 people out of 120 homes. We think that is very good. Mr. Andrew: Does the Federation of Civic Associations know that the City has on order two pieces of snorkel equipment to fight fires in high rise buildings? How do you reach the decision of high rises being no taller than 3 stories? Mr. Blacha: I do not know for a fact where I got that fact. I could check the minutes. Mr. Andrew: Do you oppose medium density development? Mr. Blacha: I will withhold my comments on that. Resident: Could counters be placed on exits and entrances and 5¢ per 17490 Edgewood car be charged and this money be donated to the schools. Jack Gibbons: We live directly south of the area in question. 97% of the Newburgh Heights people are oppoged to the rezoning. 68 responses of the Greenwood Farms 200 homes responded and 97% opposed to the rezoning. Mr. Falk: Were you at the Federation of Civic Association meetings? 5675 Jack Gibbons: No, I cannot answer whether or not I was there. Mrs. Friedrichs: At the time the questionnaire was given were they alerted to the proposed zoning. 4 Mr. Miller: We did ask whether the people were for or against the rezoning and on the existing zoning and on the proposed basis. We used Seeley's map for a reference. Mrs. Friedrichs: What was mentioned about what they would like in the area? Mr. Gibbons: They say what the zoning is there now. Tony Troszak: Presented a rendering of his personal version of what 15596 Nola Circle Laurel Park could look like. Charles Flynn: We did not see any petition. The survey did not reach 36834 W. Six Mile my neighborhood. Gold Manor Sub. When Mr. Hand talked about all the property owners being polled, I think that just the adjacent residents were polled. The traffic situation bothers me very much. I see nothing in this development there for me. Les Herriman: What is the width of this six lane highway? 34615 W. Six Mile 10 Mr. Andrew: 180 feet. 4 4 Mr. Keefer: I am not in favor of the rezoning. Greenfield did not live 16887 Fitzgerald up to the site plan. We do not need the traffic. We do not need the density. We will be taxed for this commercial development. Thi should be zoned back to R-5 because of the renege on the original plan. , Mr. Falk: These people have by right of law to go above three stories. They have recourse to the courts in this regard. Mr. Keefer: I bought in the area because it was R-5. I am saying let us make good use of it. Mr. Hand: Mr. Seeley indicated one million 275 thousand sq. ft. of office space was lost to Southfield. Joan Schram: Will the school children be absorbed in the present system 34612 Bell Drive or will a new school be provided? Student Council President of Ladywood Mrs. Friedrichs: I think the school enrollment has been declining. The children will be absorbed into the present school system. Tom Grace: Mr. Hand, I think your comments about Civic Associations never being polled a.re valid. I think your comment was excellent about the necessity of all of the residents being polled to determine the proper feelings of residents in a civic association. 5676 Dorothy Bruce: A definite plan should be made on the widening of Six Mile Road 29218 Broadmoor and Newburgh Road. I wonder if you have the right to say this 1!: about the widening. . Adrew: I am saying to you that the Wayne County Road Commission states this will be done and they are aware of it. Mr. Hand: Please note that this widening is going through because of the Wayne County Road Commission not the developers. Dorothy White: Is Newburgh being widened? I think the planners should be 18465 University commended for listening to our comments and being open to change. I would like the easement road kept open. Is Newburgh going to be widened. Mr. Andrew: It is my opinion that it will be widened. There was no one else present wishing to be heard and the Chairman closed the public hearing on this item. On a motion duly made by Mr. Talbot and seconded by Mrs. Taylor, it was #11-221-74 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a public hearing having been held on November 12, 1974 on Petition 74-7-1-21 by Greenfield Construction Company to rezone property located on the west side of Newburgh Road on the north and south sides of Six Mile Road in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 7 and the Northeast 1/4 of Section 18, to various residential, commercial and professional service categories for proposed development, the Planning Commission does hereby determine to table this item until the December 3, 1974 study meeting. A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following: 10 AYES: Talbot, Falk, Pinto, Taylor, Scruggs, Andrew, Friedrichs NAYS: Hand, Kluver ABSENT.: None The Secretary announced the next item on the agenda approval of the minutes of the 285th Regular Meeting held by the City Planning Commission on November 12, 1974. On a motion duly made by Mr. Hand and seconded by Mr. Scruggs and adopted, it was #11-222-74 RESOLVED that, the minutes of the 278th Regular Meeting held by the City Planning Commission on November 12, 1974 are hereby approved. AYES: Talbot, Falk, Pinto, Taylor, Scruggs, Andrew, Friedrichs, Kluver NAYS: None ABSTAIN: Hand The Chairman declared the motion carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. Secretary announced the next item on the agenda letter from Gerald A. Goray requesting a one-year extension of Wildwood Subdivision proposed LThe to be located on the south side of Five Mile Road, north of Lyndon Avenue in the Northwest 1/.4 of Section 21. On a motion duly made by Mr. Kluver and seconded by Mrs. Taylor and unanimously adopted, it was 5677 #11-223-74 RESOLVED that, pursuant to a letter from Gerald A. Goray requesting a one-year extension of Wildwood Subdivision proposed to be located on the south side of Five Mile Road, north of Lyndon Avenue in the Northwest 1/4 of Section 21, the City Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the City Council that Wildwood Subdivision preliminary plat be granted an extension for one year from the date of this resolution. Section 6.07(2), Subdivision Rules and Regulations, states that "The tentative approval shall be valid for a period of one (1) year only from the date of the approving resolution - unless the subdivider applies for and obtains an extension for such period." On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the 285th Regular Meeting and Public Hearing held by the City Planning Commission on November 12, 1974 was adjourned at 12:00 midnight. CITY PLANNING COMMISSION . •sep J. 'al , Secretary IL ATTEST: • ZI/ Daniel R. Andrew, Chairman •