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PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES
Approved

CITY OF NOVI
Regular Meeting
Wednesday, March 24, 2010  |  7 PM
Council Chambers | Novi Civic Center |45175 W. Ten Mile
(248) 347-0475

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM.

ROLL CALL

Present: Members Baratta, Cassis, Larson, Lynch, Meyer (arrived 7:08 PM.), Pehrson, Prince

Absent: Members Greco (excused), Gutman (excused)

Also Present: Barbara McBeth, Deputy Director of Community Development; Kristen Kapelanski, Planner; Mark Spencer, Planner; Lindon Ivezaj, City Engineer; David Beschke, City Landscape Architect; Doug Necci, Façade Consultant; Martha Holzheuer, ECT; Kristin Kolb, City Attorney

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Member Cassis led the meeting attendees in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Moved by Member Lynch, seconded by Member Cassis:

VOICE VOTE ON THE AGENDA APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY MEMBER LYNCH AND SECONDED BY MEMBER CASSIS:

Motion to approve the March 24, 2010 Planning Commission Agenda. Motion carried 7-0.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

No one from the audience wished to speak.

CORRESPONDENCE

There was no Correspondence.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

There were no Committee Reports.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR REPORT

Deputy Director McBeth summarized the actions at the most recent City Council meeting. The City Council tentatively approved the rezoning request for Novi Mile, LLC to rezone property at Beck Road and I-96 from OST, Planned Office Service Technology to FS, Freeway Service. The matter will go back to City for approval of the PRO Agreement. City Council also approved the first readings of the two Ordinances the Planning Commission recently considered related to wind turbines and solar collectors.

CONSENT AGENDA - REMOVALS AND APPROVAL

There were no items on the Consent Agenda.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

  1. MEDILODGE OF NOVI, SP10-05A

Public Hearing of the request of The Medilodge Group for Preliminary Site Plan, Woodland Permit, Wetland Permit, Stormwater Management Plan and Special Land Use Permit approval. The subject property totals approximately 20.05 acres and is located in Section 17, north of Eleven Mile Road between Beck Road and Wixom Road. The applicant is proposing a 120 bed 78,560 square foot convalescent (nursing) home building.

Planner Kapelanski stated that the applicant was proposing a 78,560 square foot convalescent home located on the north side of Eleven Mile Road between Beck Road and Wixom Road. The site is bordered by vacant land and the Providence Hospital Campus to the north, the ITC utility easement to the west, existing single family residential and the approved but not built Oberlin residential development to the south and single family homes to the east.

This matter was recently brought to the Planning Commission for a recommendation to the City Council for a Rezoning with Planned Rezoning Overlay. The subject property is currently zoned R-3, as indicated by the Zoning Map. The City Council conceptually approved the proposed rezoning with PRO, which rezones the property to RM-1. The City Attorney and applicant will now work on the PRO Agreement which will have to be brought back to the City Council for their approval.

Planner Kapelanski stated that there are wetlands on the site, mainly concentrated in the center of the site and extending down on the southwestern side. There are high quality woodlands on the site occupying the northern half of the property.

The Planning Staff is recommending approval of the Preliminary Site Plan contingent on approval of the finalized PRO Agreement by the City Council. There are some minor planning related items for the applicant to address on the Final Site Plan. A convalescent home is also a Special Land Use in the RM-1 District.

The Landscape Review recommends approval of the plan noting that the applicant should clearly demonstrate that the adjacent residence to the east will be effectively screened. The Ordinance requires a berm in that area that was waived as part of the PRO Agreement. Additional plantings maybe necessary on the eastern side to screen that residence. The Wetland Review, Engineering Review, Fire Marshall and Traffic Review all recommended approval of the plan noting items to be addressed on the Final Site Plan.

The original Woodland Review recommended denial of the proposed plan, as the tree removal and replacement plans could not be clearly read and the plans did not include a tree survey of the entire property. Specifically, the survey was omitting trees on the north area of the site. After receiving the Woodland Review letter, the applicant was able to address the major items in time for the City’s Woodland Consultant to review the revised tree removal and replacement plans. The updated Woodland Review Letter recommends conditional approval of the plan provided the applicant addresses the remaining items on the Final Site Plan. The City’s Woodland Consultant, Martha Holzheuer is here this evening to address any questions.

A condition of City Council approval was that the applicant incorporate more features of the proposed suburban low-rise concept into the facade and overall design. Initially, the applicant proposed a façade and design very similar to the original concept. However, within the last week, the applicant and the City’s Façade Consultant were able to work together and come up with a design that was acceptable to the City and incorporated additional features of the suburban low-rise concept. The City’s Façade Consultant is here this evening to answer any questions.

In the interest in the applicant’s timeframe, staff and consultants were able to address the outstanding woodland and façade issues and maintain this meeting date for the consideration of the preliminary site plan. The Staff does appreciate the Planning Commission’s flexibility in reviewing this information in a timely manner.

Mark Russell of Russell Design and John Winzell of J.W. Design represented the applicant and stated Medilodge is happy to be in Novi and wants to be in Novi. Medilodge is grateful that the City staff and consultants were able to review the revised submissions in a timely manner and appreciates their flexibility in working with the design team, specifically regarding the woodland and façade issues. Medilodge is committed to this project and would like to see it go forward in a manner that speaks to the quality of Novi.

Mr. Russell has been working closely with the City’s Woodland Consultant and will continue to do so through the development of the plans. The neighbor immediately to the east of the subject property would like a berm to be installed. Unfortunately, a berm will not fit in that location. The applicant will continue to work with Landscape Architect Beschke and the adjacent property owner to specifically address their concerns and add to the landscaping along that property line. The neighbors concerns are understandable regarding the visual and potential light infiltration onto their property. The foot-candle levels will be shown in the final site plan with a full photometric plan which will show foot-candle levels at the property line.

Member Cassis read the public hearing correspondence into the record. Alan and Helen Burton of 48100 West Eleven Mile Road would like to see a berm along their property line to help keep down the lights and noise from the parking lot.

No one from the audience wished to speak so Chair Pehrson closed the public hearing.

Member Lynch stated that it looks like all the open issues have been resolved and commended both staff and the applicant for working to revise some of the details. The primary issues were the wetlands and the woodlands and everyone seems to be happy with the resolution of those issues. The only open issue is with the neighbor and the applicant should work with Landscape Architect Beschke and the neighbor to address their concerns, perhaps with some evergreens. The Planning Commission has reviewed this project in detail and Member Lynch is happy with where the project is at and welcomes Medilodge to Novi.

Member Cassis inquired as to the status of the pathway along the western side of the property requested by the City Council.

Deputy Director McBeth stated that staff has had discussions with the applicant and representatives from ITC regarding that trail and staff also plans to have a meeting with Providence representatives to discuss those issues. Staff is hoping to have those outstanding issues resolved in the near future and ready when the PRO Agreement goes back to City Council for final consideration.

Member Cassis asked if the applicant was working with the City to determine the appropriate pathway location.

The applicant indicated the design team has met with Deputy Director McBeth and her staff to discuss the Walkable Novi Committee’s recommendations for putting a path in along the ITC Corridor and connecting that path up with a path system that would lead up to Grand River through, and beyond, the Providence property. The path will be an ITC path, but Medilodge will participate in the development of a pathway that leads from somewhere along with west side of the Medilodge property connecting up with the existing sidewalk along Eleven Mile Road and then proceeding to the north to connect with a spur that Providence will provide.

Member Cassis feels this will be a positive thing for that area. Member Cassis asked Façade Consultant Necci for his opinion of the façade design.

Façade Consultant Necci stated it is an excellent design. The applicant’s façade board shows mostly masonry materials, very well selected and Facade Consultant Necci was impressed with the way the colors blended together. There was a minor issue with the overage of asphalt shingles on the roof but on any building with a sloped roof, the asphalt shingle area gets to be more than what the façade chart allows. That is a typical waiver that occurs with buildings of this size. In this case, the roof is well articulated and the shape of the building is a complicated shape where each of the projections have their own roof line which breaks up the roof. The applicant has gone so far as to add dormers and different roof features. One of the things the staff and consultants asked for recently was that the applicant look at incorporating a roof balustrade, which is shown on one of the renderings. The balustrade could also hide the rooftop equipment. The applicant will need to clarify that the rooftop equipment will be screened. Overall, the balustrade is an excellent addition. Balustrades have also been incorporated into some of the covered porches which will be visible as one is driving around the ring road. It is an excellent design and well executed for such a large single story building.

Member Cassis appreciated the applicant’s willingness to work with the City. This will be the first project incorporating some of the features of the new suburban low-rise designation that is part of the Master Plan update recommendations and the design will fit nicely into the area and complement the existing neighborhood.

Member Meyer agreed with Member Lynch and Member Cassis that the detail provided by the applicant is well thought out and very thorough. The design is beautiful and Member Meyer will be voting for approval.

Motion made by Member Lynch, seconded by Member Larson:

ROLL CALL VOTE ON SPECIAL LAND USE APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY MEMBER LYNCH AND SECONDED BY MEMBER LARSON:

In the matter of the request of The Medilodge Group, SP 10-05A, motion to approve the Special Land Use Permit, subject to the following: (a) Planning Commission finding under Section 2516.2.c for the Special Land Use permit whether, relative to other feasible uses of the site, the proposed use will not cause any detrimental impact on existing thoroughfares due to the fact that per the approved Traffic Study, the proposed development will generate less traffic then development under the original R-3 zoning; The proposed use is compatible with adjacent uses of land in terms of location, size, character, and impact on adjacent property or the surrounding neighborhood due to the fact that the applicant has provided residential architectural elements and a design with a residential character; The proposed use is consistent with the goals, objectives and recommendations of the City’s Master Plan for Land Use; The proposed use will promote the use of land in a socially and economically desirable manner; The proposed use is in harmony with the purposes and conforms to the applicable site design regulations of the zoning district in which it is located as noted in the staff and consultant’s review letters; (b) Contingent on approval of the PRO Agreement by the City Council and any additional provisions contained in that agreement being addressed on the Final Site Plan; and (c) Compliance with all conditions and requirements listed in the staff and consultant review letters because the plan adheres to the approved concept plan and deviations included therein and is otherwise in compliance with Article 6, Article 24 and Article 25 and all other applicable provisions of the Zoning Ordinance. Motion carried 7-0.

Motion made by Member Lynch, seconded by Member Larson:

ROLL CALL VOTE ON PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY MEMBER LYNCH AND SECONDED BY MEMBER LARSON:

In the matter of The Medilodge Group, SP 10-05A, motion to approve the Preliminary Site Plan, subject to the following: (a) The applicant adequately addressing the Woodland Consultant’s concerns on the Final Site Plan; (b) Additional plantings being provided along the eastern property line to buffer the adjacent residential; (c) The conditions and items listed in the staff and consultant review letters being addressed on the Final Site Plan; and (d) Contingent on approval of the PRO Agreement by the City Council and any additional provisions contained in that agreement being addressed on the Final Site Plan because the plan adheres to the approved concept plan and deviations included therein and is otherwise in compliance with Article 6, Article 24 and Article 25 and all other applicable provisions of the Zoning Ordinance. Motion carried 7-0.

Motion made by Member Lynch, seconded by Member Larson:

ROLL CALL VOTE ON WETLAND PERMIT APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY MEMBER LYNCH AND SECONDED BY MEMBER LARSON:

In the matter of The Medilodge Group, SP 10-05A, motion to approve the Wetland Permit, subject to: (a) The conditions and items listed in the staff and consultant review letters being addressed on the Final Site Plan; and (b) Contingent on approval of the PRO Agreement by the City Council and any additional provisions contained in that agreement being addressed on the Final Site Plan because it is in compliance with Chapter 12 of the Code of Ordinances and all other applicable provisions of the Ordinance. Voice Roll Vote. Motion carried 7-0.

Motion made by Member Lynch to approve the Woodland Permit, seconded by Member Larson:

ROLL CALL VOTE ON WOODLAND PERMIT APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY MEMBER LYNCH AND SECONDED BY MEMBER LARSON:

In the matter of The Medilodge Group, SP 10-05A, motion to approve the Woodland Permit, subject to: (a)The applicant adequately addressing the woodland consultant’s concerns on the Final Site Plan; (b) Contingent on approval of the PRO Agreement by the City Council and any additional provisions contained in that agreement being addressed on the Final Site Plan; and (c) The conditions and items listed in the staff and consultant review letters being addressed on the Final Site Plan because it is in compliance with Chapter 37 of the Code of Ordinances and all other applicable provisions of the Ordinance. Motion carried 7-0.

Motion made by member Lynch, seconded by Member Larson:

ROLL CALL VOTE ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY MEMBER LYNCH AND SECONDED BY MEMBER LARSON:

In the matter of the Medilodge Group, SP 10-05A, motion to approve the Storm Water Management Plan, subject to the following: (a) The conditions and items listed in the staff and consultant review letters being addressed on the Final Site Plan; and (b) Contingent on approval of the PRO Agreement by the City Council and any additional provisions contained in that agreement being addressed on the Final Site Plan because it otherwise in compliance with Chapter 11 of the Code of Ordinances and all other applicable provisions of the Ordinance. Motion carried 7-0.

MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION

  1. MASTER PLAN FOR LAND USE REVIEW

    Consideration of the request of the Planning Commission’s Master Plan and Zoning Committee to approve the Draft Master Plan for Land Use Review and Appendices dated February 26, 2010 as the Planning Commission’s review of the Master Plan for Land Use and to set a public hearing for April 28, 2010 on the proposed Master Plan Amendments listed in the Review.

    Planner Spencer gave the Planning Commission a brief overview of the Master Plan for Land Use review on behalf of the of the Master Plan and Zoning Committee, which includes Planning Commissioners Cassis, Gutman, Lynch, Meyer, and alternate Greco. The Planning Commission is asked to approve the Master Plan for Land Use review and set a public hearing on the proposed Master Plan Amendments presented in the review. Tonight’s requested action is not the approval of the proposed amendments, but only of the review. The proposed amendments will be able to be amended up to the final adoption of the amendments.

    Since 1967, the City of Novi and before that the Village of Novi has had a Master Plan for Land Use. This shared vision of the City of Novi is a policy document that guides the City’s land use decisions to help ensure that the City remains a highly sought after destination for residents and businesses.

    The State of Michigan Planning Act requires municipalities to review their Master Plan at least every five years. A review of the plan and update of selected portions of the Master Plan was completed in 2008. The last comprehensive review and update of the City of Novi’s Master Plan occurred in 2004. At the direction of the Planning Commission, the Master Plan and Zoning Committee with assistance from the City’s Planning Staff and Consultants, and with considerable input from many residents and business leaders worked for over a year on producing this document.

    The Committee conducted an extensive analysis of the Future Land Use designations of all properties in the City and reviewed the goals and objectives and implementation strategies in the current Master Plan. The Committee also conducted a detailed review of the Master Plan’s land use definitions, goals, objectives and implementation strategies pertaining to office uses, industrial uses, housing, transportation and the environment. They reviewed reports on housing trends, retail floor space demand, office floor space demand, industrial floor space demand, retail vacancy rates and changing demographics within the City.

    The Committee also reviewed in depth three study areas: The first was Special Planning Project Area One, which is an area on the south side of Ten Mile Road, just east of Novi Road; The next was the Eleven Mile Road and Beck Road Study Area, which is basically located on both sides of Eleven Mile Road between Beck Road and Wixom Road.; then the Grand River and Beck Road Study Area which focused on a area on both sides of Grand River, east of Beck Road. The review also includes the set of appendences, which includes many of the reports and the research materials produced for the Committee. These reports, along with public comment and committee discussions, were used to set up the proposed amendments that are in the review.

    The proposed amendments recommended by this review include the following. First, replacing the current office land use definition with three new office use definitions. The first new office use designation would be Community Office, the second Office Commercial and the third Office Research Development and Technology. The current office-use areas on the future Land Use Maps City-wide would be replaced with one of the new designations generally, reflecting the current zoning of these parcels. For example, OS-1, Office Service would be designated as Community Office. Office Service Commercial would be used for the commercial areas that include office and the OST District would be designated as Office Research Development and Technology areas. The Zoning Ordinance also has an OS-2 District, but there is only one property with that zoning and that property has a consent judgment on it for residential development. Staff did not come up with a designation to match that zoning district. These changes were proposed to provide a more attractive set of definitions and to reflect the type of office development the City desires in these specific areas. In addition, two small areas are proposed to be added to the office areas. The first area is the Novi Corporate Campus area, which has a mix of OST and I-1 industrial zoning currently. The second area is a parcel just east of the Oakland Hills Cemetery that currently has a consent judgment on it to permit office development. The second proposal is replacing the light industrial future land use definition with a new industrial research development and technology land use definition to provide a more attractive land use definition that reflects the land uses desired in the areas, rather than just calling it light industrial.

    As a result of the Committee’s reviews, the western portion of Special Planning Project Area One was designated for community office uses and the eastern portion was designated for industrial research development and technology. These uses are similar to uses in the surrounding area and the majority of this study already had this designation. This was also done with consideration given to the amount of retail vacancies within the vicinity of the study area. There is a large amount of retail vacancies at this time and a fairly abundant supply of land throughout the City.

    For the Eleven Mile Road and Beck Road study area staff is proposing a new future land use designation called suburban low-rise, along with a set of supporting goals, objectives and implementation strategies that would complement the new designation. This is in the portion of the study area that is located between high intensity development along Grand River Avenue and single family development south of Eleven Mile Road. This area is generally located about ½ to ¾ miles from Grand River Avenue. The proposed suburban low-rise uses would provide a transition in intensity and at the same time protect the residential character of the area and also provide additional development options that could add to the City’s tax base. The balance of the study area would keep its current future land use designation, predominately areas south of Eleven Mile Road and the City’s park property adjacent to Wixom and Eleven Mile Roads. They would keep their current land use designations with the change in residential density slightly increasing the potential density for these areas.

    Next, after studying the Grand River Avenue and Beck Road Study area, a new office research development and technology with retail overlay land use designation is proposed, along with supporting goals and objectives and implementation strategies. The designation is proposed for two areas near the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Beck Road. This would provide an area to develop retail services to serve the employees and visitors to the nearby office areas and provide an additional basket of permitted uses to encourage new development and to make the overall area more attractive to other office developments. The proposed retail service overlay area would also be limited in access to reduce the impact that increased traffic would have on Grand River Avenue and Beck Road. To complement that, there is a transportation plan for this study area and that includes the new collector road and some local road connections.

    In addition, the review proposes adding some new City-wide goals and objectives and implementation strategies to promote various concepts, including alternative transportation modes and healthy life styles and to promote attractive and diverse housing as well as green building and the preservation of natural features in the City.

    Planner Spencer stated that in addition, there are several minor map changes being proposed. There is a proposed change to a small parcel in the Town Center District to go from an office designation to town center commercial. This parcel was recently rezoned to Town Center. There are also some minor changes proposed on the Future Land Use Map for parks, private parks and public parks and open space. These changes reflect current ownership and the use of the parcels throughout the City. The proposed Amendments also include a new Future Land Use Map that includes all the proposed changes. To indicate where those changes are, staff has also proposed a Future Land Use Map showing all the changes numbered on the map and listed in the table below. A revised residential density patterns map has been included to reflect the changes that were proposed in the Eleven Mile Road and Beck Road study area.

    In addition, staff is also proposing changes to the Master Plan reference maps. For reference purposes, the zoning district map has been included. This was included in the previous Master Plan. A maximum building height map is a new reference map and reflects the maximum building height permitted by the different zoning districts. The existing non-motorized facilities map has been updated to show the current inventory. The bicycle and pedestrian master plan map was updated to show proposed linkages that are included in the Pathway and Sidewalk Prioritization Analysis maps. The current roadway current jurisdiction map, speed limit maps, thoroughfare plan maps and traffic signals map have been updated. A new intersection traffic map has been added, so one could look at several of the major intersections throughout the City and see how much traffic is going through those intersections and in general what directions it is coming from. The parks and recreation area map has been updated to include some recent data and changes in the parks throughout the City. An updated regulated woodlands map that was adopted by Council in 2009 and an updated wetlands and watercourse map that was adopted this year by the City Council have been included. A new green infrastructure map was added to reflect Oakland County’s green infrastructure mapping program. These are all planning tools to help Planning Commissioners and staff to make more informed planning decisions. This map shows areas or hubs where there are quality natural features, sites that are just a step down from that and linkages between those. Staff also included a recently updated regulated floodway and floodplains map.

    The Commission is asked to discuss and approve the Master Plan Review, with or without any changes, and to set a Public Hearing on the Proposed Amendments for April 28th, 2010. At the April 28th, 2010 meeting, the Planning Commission will receive additional public comments on the proposed amendments. If the Amendments are found acceptable, the Planning Commission could take action to send the proposed amendments to the City Council for approval and their approval would be to distribute the proposed amendments and review as required by the State Planning Act for comments. After the close of this forty-two day comment period by the reviewing entities, the Planning Commission could adopt the Master Plan Amendments as proposed with or with amendments. After that occurs, staff will merge the amendments into the current Master Plan for publication. Planner Spencer thanked the Master Plan and Zoning Committee for their patience and hard work and the citizens and business leaders in Novi that participated in this process.

    Chair Pehrson thanked Planner Spencer and for all the hard work and diligence he has put into the Master Plan update. It is not an easy task to put that together in a comprehensive way.

    Prior to turning the matter over to the Planning Commission for discussion, Chair Pehrson permitted a moment for Matthew Quinn to address the Commission.

    Matthew Quinn came forward, appearing on behalf of the Weiss Mixed Use Development. The Weiss Mixed Use Development submitted a Rezoning / PRO for 28 acres that is part of a Special Planning Project Area One or study area one in August of this past year. In October, Weiss Mixed Use Development got back the response from the City staff on the Rezoning/PRO Application, which totaled about 88 pages of questions and comments. The architects and engineers have been going through those comments to revise the drawings. The plan revisions are almost completed and the re-submission will be done by early next week. The Kroger store is a major component of the proposed PRO development. Mr. Quinn distributed a letter from the Kroger company. Kroger, of course, is buying a portion of these 28 acres to develop their site; the 64,000 square foot full service grocery store that will be the only full service grocery store in the City of Novi. Kroger has a second store at Grand River Avenue and Beck Road, but that is smaller and is not the new prototype, providing real full service. This is something brand new for Kroger in the City of Novi. Also within that PRO, there is an additional 41,000 square feet of retail, medical office, bank, and a couple of restaurant pads. Weiss Mixed Use Development objects to the recommendation of the sub-committee for Special Planning Project Area One/study area one to be master planned for industrial and office.

    The first time Weiss Mixed Use Development appeared at the Master Plan and Zoning Committee, the Committee was determining what they wanted to do with regard to Special Planning Project Area One/study area one. Mr. Quinn recalled it being unanimous that the frontage of Ten Mile Road would be commercial and the Novi Road frontage would be office. That was in the spring of 2009 and it was left there. Later, watching the sub-committee, Mr. Quinn noticed that the matter was coming back again. The staff was proposing three alternatives; One alternative was multiple-family for the whole area; Another Alternative was office for the whole area; and Another Alternative was a mixture of local commercial and office. Weiss Mixed Use Development had some discussions with the subcommittee and it was delayed until another meeting. At the subsequent meeting where the project and study area were discussed, only three members were present; Member Meyer, Member Cassis and Member Lynch. During the discussions, Member Meyer and Member Lynch were fully in favor of putting the local commercial along the Ten Mile Road frontage. Member Cassis was against it and he wanted to keep it industrial. Member Lynch was going to make a motion to make the frontage commercial and there was some confusion about how to make the motion and then Member Cassis made a motion that it should stay industrial along Ten Mile Road and the Novi Road frontage would be office.

    Mr. Quinn stated that unfortunately, that is the way it was left. This PRO and Rezoning is pending and will probably be getting back to the Planning Commission in thirty or forty-five days. With this unapproved proposed Master Plan lying out there, it says this is to be industrial and Weiss Mixed Use Development is coming forward with a commercial rezoning to B-2 and OS-1. If the current recommendation for Special Planning Project Area One/study area one stays in place, Weiss Mixed Use Development will submit at the public hearing written statements backing up their position and pointing out why the staff’s recommendation on the retail study area to retain vacant industrial property that has been vacant since the City became a city in 1969 is in error. . If it is kept industrial, it will be vacant another 30 years. Here is an opportunity for a tax base to be built today as well as a needed grocery store.

    Weiss Mixed Use Development will be coming through with the rezoning and will be here to follow the Master Plan as it comes through. Mr. Quinn would like the Planning Commission to talk and debate and hopefully not approve the recommendation for Special Planning Project Area One study area as it is presented for industrial, but to approve the Ten Mile Road frontage as commercial with office for the Novi Road frontage and light industrial behind the commercial designation. There are natural features here that act as design elements to segregate the various uses and that is what Weiss Mixed Use Development is following and proposing. Mr. Quinn thanked the Planning Commission for the opportunity to comment.

    Member Meyer complimented Planner Spencer on his presentation. The Master Plan and Zoning Committee met many times in the last year and a half and Member Meyer is grateful to Planner Spencer for presenting it. It is all here for the Planning Commission to read in detail. The Master Plan Review is very critical and important as the Planning Commission is looking at the future of the City, with about 20% to be built out yet. Member Meyer thanked Planner Spencer and his fellow committee members for all the time and effort that was put into making the document.

    Chair Pehrson asked Deputy Director McBeth if this document was available online.

    Deputy Director McBeth confirmed the document was online and added that additional disk copies can be made for people who would like one.

    Member Cassis thanked Planner Spencer for a wonderful job and for the updated and new maps that have been included. Member Cassis also stated that it is important that anyone here in Michigan or out of State should be able to go online and look at Novi’s Master Plan, particularly for those wishing to relocate here. Member Cassis asked how accessible the Master Plan update would be.

    Planner Spencer explained that the document will be placed on the City’s webpage in a final form similar to what the Master Plan is today. There are links currently on the webpage to the materials produced thus far in a couple of different spots. One is under our reference material and the other one is under the Community Development Department page. Once the amendments are adopted, they will be inserted into that document and put in a form that can be easily downloaded. The current Master Plan is available in a full version or a chapter version for people with slower computers to download.

    Member Cassis asked if someone will be able to check all the commercial designations in Novi through the materials posted on the webpage.

    Planner Spencer stated that there most likely will not be a filter that directly sorts that type of information from the Master Plan page, but in the City’s online mapping system, a user would be able to select different things from the table of contents and see the Master Plan Future Land Use designation for any parcel in the City, as well as the zoning or whether there is a regulated woodlands or wetlands on it. That whole package is available on the interactive set of maps. Currently, a static Future Land Use Map and a link to the whole Master Plan is also available.

    Motion made by Member Cassis, seconded by Member Baratta.

    Motion to approve the Master Plan Review and set the Public Hearing for the May 28, 2010 Planning Commission meeting.

    Member Meyer wanted to comment on Mr. Quinn’s statement regarding action taken at the subcommittee meeting when the motion was made to change the designation on Ten Mile Road to industrial. Member Meyer noted he was the lone negative vote for the motion that carried two to one. Even though he was the negative vote, Member Meyer is going to vote in favor of the motion tonight fully aware of the fact that he still has some strong feelings about what that designation should be along Ten Mile Road. At the April 28th meeting, the Planning Commission will have additional citizen input and further opportunity to clarify and correct that area.

    Planner Spencer stated that earlier at tonight’s presentation, he asked the Planning Commission to approve the Master Plan Review and set the public hearing on the amendments. Planner Spencer stated that approving the Review does not commit the Planning Commission to those proposed amendments, it just approves the Review. If the Planning Commission needs supplemental materials or other reviews or reports in the meantime, staff would be glad to furnish those.

    ROLL CALL VOTE ON MOTION TO APPROVE THE MASTER PLAN REVIEW MADE BY MEMBER CASSIS AND SECONDED BY MEMBER BARATTA.

    Motion to approve the Master Plan Review and set the Public Hearing for the May 28, 2010 Planning Commission meeting. Motion carried 7-0.

  2. SET A PUBLIC HEARING FOR APRIL 28, 2010 REGARDING OUTDOOR FURNACE ORDINANCE

Planner Kapelanski stated staff is suggesting some modifications to the Zoning Ordinance to address the operation and installation of outdoor furnaces. The amendment is in response to some recent questions from residents interested in installing an outdoor furnace and wanting to know the City’s regulations and approval process. The proposed ordinance would permit outdoor furnaces in the RA District only on parcels two acres or greater. It includes provisions regarding the types of materials that can be burned, compliance with the manufacturer’s specifications and chimney height among other things.

The Planning Commission has been asked to set a Public Hearing for the April 28, 2010 Planning Commission meeting. The staff is still in the process of finalizing the language and circulating it around to different staff members and the City Attorney’s office for comment. There may be some modifications when this appears for a public hearing on April 28, 2010 should the Commission choose to set that this evening.

Chair Pehrson asked if the items that would be permitted for fuel in an outdoor furnace are in alignment with the current ordinance for burning permit relative to materials for open burnings in the City and issued by the Fire Department.

Planner Kapelanski was not sure what the open burning ordinance allows. The materials permitted as fuel in the outdoor furnace ordinance are untreated wood and corn pellets and other materials that do not create noxious fumes.

Chair Pehrson asked Planner Kapelanski to see how this would tie in with the open burning ordinance.

Deputy Director McBeth added that the Fire Marshal and the Fire Department are reviewing the draft ordinance.

Member Baratta asked if there was an ordinance for incinerators in Novi or if incinerators are prohibited.

Planner Kapelanski stated she did not think the City had an ordinance specifically on incinerators and asked if Member Baratta was referring to an industrial-size incinerator.

Member Baratta replied he was referring to an in-home incinerator.

Planner Kapelanski confirmed she did not think the City had an ordinance on that use but staff could look into adding into the zoning ordinance.

Member Baratta thought that would be similar to what is being considered tonight, either indoor or outdoor.

Motion made by Member Prince, seconded by Member Lynch:

ROLL CALL VOTE ON MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING FOR TEXT AMENDMENT 18.241 MADE BY MEMBER PRINCE AND SECONDED BY MEMBER LYNCH.

Motion to set the Public Hearing for Text Amendment 18.241 for the Outdoor Furnace Ordinance for April 28, 2010. Motion carried 7-0.

CONSENT AGENDA REMOVALS FOR COMMISSION ACTION

There were no Consent Agenda Removals.

MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION

There were no Matters for Discussion.

SUPPLEMENTAL ISSUES

There were no Supplemental Issues.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

No one from the audience wished to speak.

ADJOURNMENT

Moved by Member Lynch, seconded by Member Baratta:

VOICE VOTE ON THE MOTION TO ADJOURN MADE BY MEMBER LYNCH AND SECONDED BY MEMBER BARATTA:

Motion to adjourn the March 24, 2010 Planning Commission meeting. Motion carried 7-0.

The meeting ended at 8:03 PM.

Transcribed by Juanita Freeman

Account Clerk

April, 2010

Date Approved: May 12, 2010 Signature on File

Angela Pawlowski, Planning Assistant