VBT denies special land use for car wash, drive-thru eatery

The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees unanimously denied special land use permits for El Car Wash and an accompanying drive-thru restaurant at 10525 Belleville Rd., next to Westlake Apartments.
This was at the board’s regular meeting on May 5.
The planning commission had considered the requests for special land use, recommended that the township board deny the requests. Special land use is needed for the project to be built, so the township board’s denial shuts down the development.
Trustee Kevin Martin read the prepared motion on the issue and it took almost 15 minutes to read. Treasurer Sharry Budd, who also is the board liaison to the planning commission, seconded the motion to deny, which was unanimously approved.
The reasons for denial were stated in detail in the motion and they are reported verbatim in the official minutes of the meeting which start on page xx of today’s Independent.
El Car Wash attorney Jeff Schlussel said the municipality must approve the special land use. He went through the nine standards in the ordinance, saying the multi-tenant development complies with all the requirements.
Schlussel is a noted land-use and zoning attorney at Carson Fischer law firm in Bloomfield Hills.
In other business in the May 5 meeting, the board:
• Heard a 10-minute presentation by Third Circuit Court Judge Charise Anderson, who said the court is reaching out to communities in Wayne County to tell them what they do to provide justice. She had given her presentation the night before at the Belleville City Council meeting. Judge Anderson said she is willing to come to speak to a club or a classroom and all they have to do is call her;
• Heard clerk Leon Wright say that Monday was International Fire Fighters Dayand he wanted to thank fire fighters for their courage and commitment and he wanted to make sure they are never taken for granted;
• Heard trustee Donald Boynton read a proclamation on Apraxia Awareness, naming May 14 as Apraxia Awareness Day in Van Buren Township. Ashley Shukait of Van Buren Township stood at the podium with her son who suffers from apraxia;
• Approved a resolution for the long-term maintenance of storm water management at Zippy Auto Wash, 11600 Belleville Rd.;
• Approved an agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the completion of safety improvements to the intersection of Belleville and Quirk roads. This will be with up to $750,000 of EARMARKED funds which will be reimbursed through State Rep. Reggie Miller;
• Approved recognizing Michigan Against Atomic Waste as a nonprofit operating within the township to obtain a charitable gaming license. The board’s approval was requested by township resident Chris Donley;
• Approved the personal services agreements with Garret Brice as water and sewer superintendent, Brooklyn Little as desktop support specialist, and Breanna Shipley as senior programmer. Board members then shook hands with the new employees all and then posed for a picture with them and their family members;
• Approved The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. of Canton Township as the contractor for the 2027-31 Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update in the amount of $25,000. A current master plan is required for many of the grants sought. Township supervisor Kevin McNamara said the township has had $10 million to $20 million in grants for its parks so far;
• Approved Fishbeck to perform CCTV Sanitary Sewer Inspection Design and Administration services of $146,400 for the last three years of this project, to finish up the rest of the township south of the I-94 Service Drive from Rawsonville to Hannan roads. The township will go out for bids for the project to find out the condition of the sanitary sewers;
• In a joint motion approved a contract with PLM Lake & Land Management Corp. to perform an aquatic weed treatment on Belleville Lake for $56,450 and a contract with Aqua-Weed Control to perform a phosphorus inactivation treatment on Belleville Lake for $14,500. Supervisor McNamara said it takes 30 days to get a permit and they want the first treatment in June. He said weeds are taking over the lake and the lake defines the township. He said the township had contracted a study last fall with Progressive AE and these two contractors were recommended for the work. He said 75 lakefront owners had a meeting to discuss the problem. He said there has to be a sustainable program that can’t stop. He said a lifetime solution has to be put in place to improve the lake;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of a zoning ordinance amendment to change the maximum cul-de-sac length in site condominium developments to improve safety. The change would make it consistent with the subdivision ordinance;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of a zoning ordinance amendment to change zoning regulations pertaining to car wash developments. A moratorium on car washes was put in place last fall and this tighter ordinance written;
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance to update the township’s Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority Sanitary Sewer Rules per new requirements with YCUA. If anything industrial comes on line in that area there are parameters for toxic screening;
• Approved the first reading of a zoning ordinance amendment to allow the administration to approve temporary land use approvals for firework tents that have been coming each year without problems. This would allow the fireworks companies to not have to come before the planning commission each year for the same request;
• Heard Elizabeth Renaud, director of community services, report that the recreation department received a grant for $1,086 from the National Wild Turkey Federation to buy new archery equipment. This includes three new bows and targets. She said summer programs are in place now and archery programs will begin again in September; and
• Heard deputy supervisor Dan Selman read into the record a statement sent online against the proposed data center. The writer asked for it to be read at the April 15 meeting, but since that meeting had been canceled, Selman read it at the May 5 meeting. It was signed by Jennifer Cox, 44970 Bemis Rd, who had concerns on noise, water, and electricity.