Novi Road Corridor Study
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify improvements and
possible land use recommendations for the Novi Road Corridor.
Corridor planning is a tool that permits the City to closely examine
an area that is in need of a more intense planning focus.
Novi Road, which is a major north-south arterial, links Eight
Mile Road to the commercial center of the City, as well as I-96 and
beyond. Much attention has been focused in the past on the regional
shopping center and Main Street areas; however, the focus of this
study is from Main Street south to the City’s southern limits. This
corridor presents unique planning challenges and deserves special
attention due to the following factors:
- Novi Road is planned for widening to five lanes from Ten Mile
Road north to Grand River Avenue in the next few years, including
a grade-separated crossing over the railroad.
- The segment of Novi Road north of Ten Mile is a major entryway
into the heart of the City. Drivers exiting I-96 and driving south
to residential areas, the Novi Civic Center, the Novi Ice Arena,
Powers Park or other destinations pass through this important road
segment.
- The segment from Ten Mile Road south to the City limits
includes a wide range of land uses including commercial, single-
and multiple-family residential, industrial and office.
- The Novi / Ten Mile and Novi / Nine Mile intersections are
important and visible nodes in the community that deserve special
attention from a design and land use perspective.
In the City’s continued effort to implement its Master Plan for
Land Use, the Novi Road Corridor Study documents the corridor’s
existing conditions with regard to the existing land use,
infrastructure, and natural features. This study will examine the
anticipated impacts of planned road improvements Novi Road in the
corridor and offer recommendations for access management techniques
and the future arrangement of land uses. In addition, the study will
include a corridor enhancement program component, which provides
recommendations for improved lighting, enhanced landscaping and
special intersection treatments.
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Two of the Corridor’s major
intersections differ significantly in appearance and traffic
volumes. Facing west at the Ten Mile Road intersection (above);
facing east at the Nine Mile Road intersection (below) |
Land Use and Zoning
Introduction
The following provides a brief overview of existing land use and
zoning of properties in the Novi Road area.
General topics and recommendations from the recently amended
Master Plan have also been included to provide a background to the
direction that the City would like to see development occur in the
corridor.
Historical and archeological sites have also been identified.
Existing Land Use
The current land use make-up of the corridor consists of the
following:
- Nearly 28% of the land area in the corridor is being used for
light and general industrial uses;
- Both heavy and light industrial uses such as Michigan CAT,
Cummins Michigan and uses along Trans-X Drive have existed along
Novi Road for decades;
- There are some commercial uses at the 10 Mile Road and Novi
Road intersection consisting of more auto-oriented uses such as
gas stations and Walgreens with a drive-through window;
- Single and multiple family residential uses are more dominant
in the south segment, south of Ten Mile Road;
- There are some industrial and commercial sites located on the
southeast section of the study area near the CSX railroad;
- 16% of the land area in the corridor is currently vacant;
- Residential subdivisions are well established in the south
segment of the corridor and are separated from more intense uses
by Novi Road;
Zoning
The major zoning classifications for properties along Novi Road
are as follows:
- Residential zoning districts in the corridor include single
family R-A through R-4 districts.
- Both B-1, Local Business and B-2, General Business districts
are present along Novi Road south of Nine Mile and at Ten Mile
roads.
- Both of the City’s Multiple Family districts are present in
the corridor. RM-1 zoned properties exist between Ten Mile and
Nine Mile Road, east of Novi Road, and a property north on Trans-X
was recently rezoned to RM-2.
- General and Light Industrial (I-2 and I-1) districts are also
prevalent throughout the study area.
Master Plan Recommendations
A recent amendment to the City’s Master Plan for Land Use
included some recommendations for land use changes along Novi Road.
These included adding more local commercial at the southeast corner
of Ten Mile and Novi Road and office uses west of Novi Road.
Novi Road was also designated as a Special Treatment Corridor
within the amended Master Plan. Specifically, the corridor was
viewed as an Entrance Corridor to the City. The Master Plan states
that improvement of the visual quality of Entrance Corridors is key
and would include:
- Providing varied landscape materials in planned patterns;
- Utilize standards for street and site lighting;
- Eliminate overhead utilities;
- Provide special treatments at intersections such as
landscaping and special paving;
- Highlight and direct travelers to key destinations; consider
way-finding signs for public places.
Historical and Archeological Features
There are a few sites of historical and archeological
significance within the Novi Road Corridor 1 . These include the
following:
- Robert and Joseph Yerkes homes are located south on Eight Mile
Road. The Yerkes family was among Novi’s first settlers, arriving
from New York in 1825. The Yerkes subdivision was developed later
in the area near the original homesite in recognition of the
Yerkes family.
- Knapps Cemetery is located on Nine Mile Road. Named after a
large and significant family from Novi’s history, Mariah Knapp
(who died in 1837) has the oldest gravesite in the cemetery.
- The Novi Cemetery is along Novi Road south of Grand River
Avenue. Many of the early settler’s of Novi are buried here
including many revolutionary war veterans.
The State of Michigan also lists an Archeological site within the
corridor. This site is located within Section 26; however, in order
to protect the site, its exact location has not been disclosed by
the State.
1 Images of America – Novi; Barbara G. Louie with Samual D.
Popkin; 1998 Arcadia Publishing.
Natural Features
Introduction
The following overview of natural features located within the
Novi Road Corridor Study area includes a brief description of the
existing condition of wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife habitat. In
addition, potential impacts of planned Novi Road improvements on
these natural features are described. Finally, a summary of existing
environmental conditions is also discussed which highlights
potentially contaminated sites in the Corridor.
Wetlands
North of Ten Mile Road, there are two watercourses that cross
Novi Road: the Walled Lake Branch of the Rouge River and Munro
Creek. In addition, two wetlands are present along the Novi Road
frontage in this portion of the study area. One is an unmapped open
water wetland with a forested edge; the other is part of a much
larger wetland complex that extends to the south and east. This
wetland system consists primarily of open water with an emergent and
scrub-shrub fringe.
Two other watercourses occur in the Corridor between Nine and Ten
Mile Roads: the Chapman and Miller Creeks. Both of these stream
sections contain a forested / scrub-shrub edge. Evidence of erosion
exists along the banks of the Chapman Creek. Three wetlands also
exist within this portion of the study area. All with similar
characteristics, these wetlands are primarily permanent open water
areas with intermittent forested / scrub-shrub edges.
The southernmost mile of the Corridor, between Eight and Nine
Mile Roads, contains an open water wetland with emergent vegetation.
The only watercourse in this section is the Walled Lake Branch of
the Rouge River as it leaves the City of Novi flowing west into
Northville. This portion of the Walled Lake Branch is the least
disturbed of all watercourses along the Novi Road frontage.
With the proposed expansion of Novi Road, a number of wetlands
and watercourses will be impacted. These wetlands vary in quality
and in the amount of potential impact. The majority of the impacted
wetlands and watercourses are regulated both locally and by MDEQ.
Impacts of the planned road improvements may limit wildlife
utilization and reduce the quality of many of these areas. A high
incidence of invasive species in some of the potentially impacted
wetlands is another issue that needs to be addressed. In addition to
direct impacts, wetland buffer areas will be eliminated around many
of the wetlands which will ultimately lead to greater pollution and
degradation of such wetlands.
Woodlands
In progress.
Wildlife Habitat
In progress.
Existing Environmental Conditions
A search of available federal and state environmental records was
conducted by Environmental Data Resources, Inc. As indicated on the
Existing Environmental Conditions Map, this search resulted in 44
total sites of possible contamination located within the Novi Road
Corridor.
Infrastructure
Introduction
The following provides a brief overview of the existing
infrastructure within the Novi Road Corridor study area. Water and
sewer utilities, public right-of-way, daily traffic volumes, and
surface water drainage are all discussed as part of an analysis of
the existing conditions of the Corridor.
Utilities
Along the Novi Road Corridor from Grand River to the CSX Railroad
tracks, there are public utilities along both sides of the road. The
majority of both the sanitary and watermain lines run along the west
side of Novi Road; while in the south segment, both utilities run
along the east side.
The Corridor is primarily served by an 8" sanitary line; however,
in a few places there are also 10" and 15" pipes. The watermain line
along Novi Road varies in size with a 24" pipe north of Ten Mile
Road, a 16" pipe between Nine and Ten Mile, and a 12" pipe south of
Nine Mile Road. Both the sewer and water lines provide taps to other
lines outside of the Corridor.
Streets and Rights-of-Way
The width of the existing public right-of-way varies slightly
along Novi Road within in the study area. Most of Novi Road, between
Grand River Avenue and the CSX Railroad tracks, is located within a
60-foot half right-of-way; however, there are portions within the
Corridor with a 33-foot half right-of-way.
As indicated on the Daily Traffic Volume Map, Novi Road north of
Ten Mile is the most heavily traveled portion of street within the
Corridor. Based on July 2000 count data, this segment of Novi Road
carries over 25,000 vehicles per day. Ten Mile Road between
Meadowbrook and Taft, as well as Novi Road between Nine and Ten
Mile, carry slightly over 20,000 vehicles per day according to June
and July 2000 counts. In 1995, Eight Mile Road also carried over
20,000 vehicles per day.
Drainage
There are five major drainage areas that cross through the Novi
Road Corridor as follows:
- The C & O District is located in the north segment of the
Corridor from approximately the south side of Main Street to Ten
Mile Road.
- The Munro District borders the western edge of Novi Road,
about half way between the CSX Railroad tracks and Ten Mile Road.
- The Orchard Ridge District crosses Novi Road from the west to
the east just north of the Ten Mile and Novi Road intersection.
- The Chapman District is along both sides of Novi Road south of
Ten Mile and is approximately one-half mile long.
- The Dunbarton District is in the south segment between the
Chapman District and the southern boundary of the City.
