Van Buren Planners delay OK of Ashley Capital project

After a public hearing and long discussion on Nov. 8, the Van Buren Township Planning Commission tabled a request for special land use approval and preliminary site plan approval for Ashley Capital’s new distribution center on 158.5 acres just northwest of the Ecorse-Haggerty Road intersection.
The Ashley Capital property stretches all the way to Van Born Road.
Twenty years ago Ashley Capital built a warehouse on Ecorse just south of this location. The township ordinance states anything larger than 250,000 square feet is a “distribution center” and the new project will total 1,575,778 square feet of gross floor area in four buildings.
Michael Balow of Ashley Capital said the buildings will have precast construction and are being built speculatively, with no tenants, under the belief that if you build the buildings, “they will come.”
He said they plan to break ground in the spring on the first two buildings and by the end of 2018 they hope to have tenants.
Sue Farr, 6960 Haggerty Road, who backs up to the Ashley Capital site, said Bowen does have the traffic study the township requested in 2015 and never received.
Farr pointed out the heavy traffic on deteriorated Haggerty Road. She said there were three overturned semis at Haggerty and I-275 just this summer. She said the potholes on Haggerty caused 23 flat tires in one night, with people coming to her door for help.
“Ashley does not want to pay to buy us out,” she said, noting that at a rate of $6 a square foot, Ashley makes $9 million a month. She said she has 1.8 acres and a house and they offered her $30,000.
“We’ve lost three very dear friends,” she said. “One in 1999 was harrassed to death by Ashley Capital.”
She urged the planning commission to require as part of its approval process that Ashley Capital buy out the few residents left along the east side of their property on Haggerty.
The son of 80-year-old Ralph Turner, who lives at 6598 Haggerty Road, said his father is surrounded by Ashley Capital. He said the semi traffic in front of him on Haggerty is horrible and now there will be traffic in his back yard, as well. He said he doesn’t know what Ashley Capital will do with its property to the north of this project.
He said they received an offer of $60,000 from Ashley Capital a long time ago for the house and 1.7 acres. He said they need enough money to move his aging parents into a retirement home and if they got a fair offer on the house, they’d probably take it.
“We’ve all been very concerned about houses on Haggerty Road and a couple on Ecorse,” said township Treasurer Sharry Budd, who sits on the planning commission. “This company should be fair with the neighbors.”
“There are extreme issues already on those roads,” said commission chairwoman Carol Thompson.
Balow said his company went through some site plan approval sessions and the planning commission asked them to meet with the residents. He said they made offers in 1998. They figured 2.5 times the State Equalized Value would generate a fair number, but those numbers were not met positively by the residents.
He said then they hired an appraiser and offered 10% over the appraised value. He said they offered that to all residents and they were rejected.
“We stopped offering,” Balow said. “We stopped trying to convince them.”
Farr said their appraiser walked around the outside of the houses and didn’t go inside.
“We all know how that works,” she said, adding if you hire the appraiser, he’ll give you the numbers you want.
“I had a good offer from Taco Bell and KFC,” Farr said, noting somebody on the commission worked in Canton and Taco Bell and KFC went to Canton to avoid the controversy in Van Buren Township.
“Haggerty Road is a death trap with all the cars and semis,” Farr said. “They’ll tell you if you let them do this, the trucks will go through Ecorse Road to I-275, but you know some will take Haggerty.
“In 1999, I could hear them clearing the trees,” she said, noting this was without proper permission, with the cutting done at night. Now, with the trees removed, she has to run a fan 24/7 to cover the noise. She said they hear noise from the Ashley Capital on the south side of Ecorse “all the time.”
“I’ve been in front of you before,” Farr said to the commission. “I’ve got my whole life in there — 44 years I worked and sometimes two jobs.”
Ralph Turner’s son said his dad turned 80 this year and was 60 when Ashley moved into that area 20 years ago. He said the family didn’t know he was going to be “surrounded by traffic.”
After the public hearing, Patrick Sloan of McKenna planning consultants gave a report on the special land use portion of the project.
He said the roads are a regional and local issue around industrial land. He said you can’t make them improve something apart from their site.
He said there is no proposed drive to Haggerty Road and Wayne County will require a traffic impact study, “and it is something we would want to see.” The project will add more trucks to Ecorse and I-275 interchange and possible Haggerty Road. He said the bay sites are facing north and south, not facing the residential area.
Treasurer Budd said Webb Engineering’s report said a traffic impact study was done. An engineer from Webb said it was done in 2016. The county wanted something for Ashley South and while they were with the county, they told them what they wanted them to do, he said. Webb was hired by Ashley Capital.
“We have not seen their traffic study,” Thompson said.
“No offers since 1999?” asked Commissioner Medina Atchinson.
“I don’t know the date,” Balow said. “We have purchased a few homes.” He said he could suggest the company consider new offers.
“Can we add that as a condition of approval?” Commissioner Atchinson asked.
Ron Akers, director of planning and economic development, said the township couldn’t legally require that, but it could make a suggestion.
“If we had those properties [along the eastern border of their project] we would have to start over on the site plan,” Ballow said. “They are no value to us now.”
Atchinson said they had “human value” and, “I still would like to see them considered.”
“We did consider them,” Balow said and Atchinson laughed. “More recently,” she said.
“Does there have to be a change in the Master Plan?” Thompson asked and Sloan said it is already zoned Industrial.
Thompson asked if in that area is commercial and Akers said commercial can be developed under the ordinance in an Industrial zoning.
Farr said in the past the owner of Ashley Capital flew in to a meeting at the township. It was in winter and he wore sandals and shorts and was tanned to the hilt, Farr said. She said he laughed at their questions and left.
Thompson said part of the approval of special land use should be to have the traffic study and to ask Wayne County to come and talk to the township. Akers said he could ask the county to come. Sometimes they come and sometimes they don’t.
Balow then walked up and placed a packet of papers on the commission table, noting, “Here’s a copy of the traffic study.”
Thompson said, “That’s not going to cut it.”
Commissioner Bryon Kelley make a motion to table the special land use request so this could be reviewed. Commission Vice Chairman Donald Boynton seconded the motion and the commission voted unanimously to table.
Then, the Ashley Capital site plan was discussed, with Balow pointing out that Sally Hodges of McKenna wanted the design of the building different than the South Ashley building, with bump outs and designs to keep it from being a flat-fronted building.
Akers pointed out the fire department is requiring two-way radio enhancements, as specified by the fire code.
Farr was concerned about the water in the project’s retention pond. She did not want it flooding her yard, like it did when she claims they cut down 105 acres of trees in the middle of the night.
“I pumped for three months after they cut the trees,” Farr said.
Thompson assured her the township does not let people drain their water onto someone else’s property.
Engineer Dave Potter said he has requested a drainage breakup job and Farr may see him out with his boots on as he walks the site. They also will use aerial shots, he said.
Budd said, “I’m not ready to do anything on the preliminary site plan,” and the commission voted to table it to coincide with the special land use request because answers are needed to several questions.
In other business at the Nov. 8 meeting, the commission:
• Approved the final site plan for the new Speedway station on two acres at the northeast corner of Belleville and Tyler roads, with the troublesome French drain at the sidewalk brought into the Speedway underground water retention system;
• Voted to recommend to the township board that it approve distribution of the Master Plan amendment and distribution of the proposed future land-use map, as part of the rezoning of the 75-acre Smith Farm in Denton village to light industrial use; and
• Approved the elevations presented by Gilbert Homes for eight new homes in Arlene Arbors. The homeowners association has provided a draft approval of the homes’ designs. Each home will be 2,064 square feet in size.