Menard hopes to get started on site work on its new home-improvement store in mid-March, to get really underway with construction in June, and open its new store in February 2018.
Nick Brenner, corporation counsel for Menard, Inc., was at the Feb. 22 meeting of the Van Buren Township Planning Commission to represent the company which was seeking renewed approval of its plans that had expired since their first approval in February 2015.
Commission chairwoman Carol Thompson stated to Brenner, “You’re here not because you’re asking for anything new. Your plans reached their shelf life and you are here to renew everything.”
Menard had a representative at the Feb. 14 VBT Board of Zoning Appeals meeting where all its previously granted variances were renewed. While the planning commission usually waits until another meeting to vote on a request, this time members approved the special use approval at the same meeting and sent it on to the township board for final approval.
It also approved a tree removal permit and the final site plan.
A public hearing was held on the request for approval of a retail building with outside storage of supplies. This is a special land use in the C-2 district and requires a public hearing.
The woman who owns the residence at 1001 Endicott, to the west of the site, spoke to support the project. She said Menard’s pond will be in her backyard and they have been more than accommodating.
“I am in support of their building,” she said. “They have been willing to work with our community.”
There was no other public comment.
Brenner said the project is on 24.08 acres and contains 162,340 square feet of heated building and 200 square feet of unheated. It will be red brick with tan blocks and a lumberyard.
“This is the most landscaping of any Menard in existence,” Brenner said. He said this was a buffer to keep noise down for the residents. He said the warehouse was cut from the 53,000 square feet, in the original plan, to 46,000 square feet in this plan.
Brenner showed pictures of the Moline and O’Fallen, IL stores that showed little landscaping although they were next to residential areas.
Ron Akers, director of planning and economic development, said Menard has been in discussion with the township to construct a store in the Belleville Road corridor since before 2012.
It most recently obtained final site plan approval from the planning commission in June of 2015 and decided early in 2016 that it would postpone store construction nationally in order to reevaluate the economic condition after the presidential election.
In late 2016, Menard indicated it would resume the construction of the VBT store, which would be located immediately north of Walmart on Belleville Road.
In other business at the Feb. 22 meeting, the commission:
• Approved temporary land use for Phantom of Michigan to sell fireworks from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., for dates in June and July at the Lakewood Shopping Plaza, 2095 Rawsonville Road, for longer than the seven consecutive days allowed in the ordinance; and
• Approved an amendment to the approved Country Walk site plan for revised single-family architectural elevations for Allen Edwin Homes. The unfinished Country Walk subdivision, on the east side of Martinsville Road, north of Savage Road, is the subject of the request. Akers said there are 536 units in the subdivision and there are 236 lots in phases 3 and 4. Gilbert Homes owns 10 of the lots. Bradley Scobel, of Allen Edwin Homes, said they would be constructing almost 200 homes. Commission vice-chairman Donald Boynton left the meeting before the Allen Edwin Homes request was discussed, having asked for recusal because he is president of the homeowners association for phase 3.
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Happy News for our VBT and entire area with the Menards announcement. In early 2010, as Supervisor of Van Buren Township, I called Menards headquarters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and discussed their company building a store in our township. After several months of discussion, and talking with prominent land owner Dick Sloan, we were able to encourage Menards to build in our community. Our first choice was the old Farmer Jack building, which Mr. Sloan owned, and the ability to purchase a small strip of land from the Wayne County 4-H Fairgrounds to square off the parcel, it was a go ! Going before the Planning Commission, managing the process, and a couple of years later, the project was stalled because of the surface water detention pond. Menard and Sloan decided to move the project to the current approved location. I am especially happy to see all my work to get a major business be successful. Menards will be great for our area with everything they offer to our residents. Thank You Mr. Menard for your decision to locate a store in our Van Buren Township.
Mr. White, you have every right to be proud of this accomplishment. You took the time to research Menards and how their company works, their history etc.. Your hard word and efforts to encourage Menards to come to our township proves the success of your term as supervisor, your top priority was and has been to put the betterment of our community and the residents first. In spite of an underhanded effort to see you fail, you forged forward and now we’ll have this successful business in our community. Your term of office as Trustee will be just as productive as your term as supervisor because your work ethic has not changed. This construction of the Menards took into consideration the concern for the trees, unlike what happened when the Walmart was constructed. Keep up the good work and thank you for your devotion and service to our community.
Prediction was wrong. What is the update?
The most recent prediction is that Menards will have a “soft opening” in mid June and open officially after that.
Earlier this year, Menards decided to expand its mezzanine like some of its other stores and so windows had to be punched in their new walls and a staircase added to he outside of the north end. This delayed their opening.