VBT neighbors protest Menards plans at hearing

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
A dozen residents of Meadows of Van Buren and Quirk subdivision spoke against the proposed Menards Belleville Road location at a public hearing on Aug. 27.
The public hearing before the Van Buren Township Planning Commission was on the plan to have outdoor storage at Menards, which requires special land use in the C-2 District.
But the neighbors who spoke were against many aspects of the Menards store and they didn’t want it there at all. The 27.24 vacant acres for Menards are north of Walmart and Walgreen’s and adjoin residential areas on the north and west sides of the site.
Scott Nuttelman of Menards Real Estate gave the presentation at the public hearing. He said it was 170,000 square feet and would have a 14’ opaque wall around the storage area.
He said the lot is heavily treed and they will preserve 150 large trees and plant another 350, which includes 200 replacement trees.
The two front, grassy outlots on Belleville Road will remain empty for now.
Nuttelman said Menards has spent a lot of time working on its plans with the township staff. He said they will have a full brick façade on the building.
“This is the last large parcel on Belleville Road and a lot is expected,” he said, adding Menards is hoping to break ground in the spring and employ 200 people.
He said the Van Buren store is one of a small handful of new locations for Menards in Metro Detroit.
When asked later about the schedule, Nuttleman said it was a nine-month process “from first shovel to doors open.”
He said it is a “tilt-up structure” with concrete panels that take about a month to put in place and then the masons lay the brick. Then, it takes a couple months to put in racking and a couple months to put stuff in the store.
Norma Jordan of Marriott Street was the first neighbor to get up to speak. She asked about how many trees Menards will be cutting down.
Planning Commission chairwoman Carol Thompson said this public hearing was not about trees, but outdoor storage, and a discussion on a tree permit will come at a future meeting.
Sandy Setlak of Wildrye Court said she was president of one of the homeowners associations at the phased in Meadows of Van Buren. She said the tree line along their property is her main concern.
“I’d like to understand the green space. Are the walls poured cement or cinder block?” Setlak asked. She also asked about the lighting so close to the property lines.
Thompson said those issues will be a part of the site plan review and this public hearing was on a special-use permit for outdoor storage. The tree removal permit will be one or two meetings away from that night’s meeting. No action would be taken at that night’s meeting.
Thompson asked Nuttleman to go over some of their outdoor storage plans.
Nuttleman said the main entrance is at the new traffic light on Belleville Road that has yet to be activated. The storage is at the rear of the property. He said there will be a solid row of trees, 25-30’ on center and then a solid fence line that they can’t see through. He said there is an overhead over the products to protect them and the lights are below that, minimizing the escape of light.
The loading docks are in that area and are used just during the day, except for the days leading up to the opening when they might be working 24 hours a day to reach a deadline.
Bill Ferguson of Prairie Grass Court said instead of cutting down trees, Menards should leave the standing trees in place. He said he is afraid his property values will go down.
Rose Marie Ferguson of Wildflower Court said everyone looks forward to having a Menards, but it will be 25’ from the residents. She said Menards is seeking six variances at 7 p.m., Sept. 9, from the VBT Board of Zoning Appeals.
One of the variances being sought is for the zoning ordinance that reads “Outdoor storage shall be located no closer than 200’ from any residential district.” The proposed Menards outdoor storage area is 100’ from the single-family residential district to the west and 25’ from the multiple-family residential district to the north.
“It should be 200’ from any residential district,” Rose Marie Ferguson said. “That’s not right.”
Sally Hodges of McKenna Associates planning consultants said the ordinance specifies a greater setback for outdoor storage.
“It could be there if it was a solid building taller than 14’,” Hodges said.
Amanda Wilkerson of Purple Sage Court said what Menards wants to build will have a negative impact on their quality of life. She said the property values will go down and when the leaves aren’t on the trees they will be looking “at more of these walls.”
She said residents found out about Menards less than a week earlier and were able to get more than 100 signatures on a petition in just a few days.
Thompson said there will be a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees, which offers screening as well as beauty.
Commission vice chairman Don Boynton presented the four letters received by the commission from neighbors, plus an Aug. 27 petition from Van Buren Meadows residents.
Barbara Watson of Wildflower Court asked why Menards didn’t build somewhere else. She said treated wood, chemicals, and diesel fuel will be close to the residences. She mentioned Menards was turned down by VBT previously.
Thompson corrected her, saying Menards was not turned down before by VBT. When problems arose with a proposed site, Menards walked away, Thompson said.
Kristaps Dombrovskis of Tallgrass Court said there are other buildings available in VBT, but it doesn’t fit Menard’s business plan. He said that their plan “doesn’t fit our life. Where’s the good deal for us?”
Thompson replied that it’s the property owner’s right to develop his property.
Dombrovskis said Menards doesn’t care about people and, “They care about dollar signs. I’m very sure the CEOs don’t live in Belleville … This is our city. We have to fight for it.”
Kathleen Orlowski of Purple Sage Court asked how long do the people have to have their voices heard and Thompson told of the remaining steps over the next few months, all with meetings open to the public.
Evelyn Mallia of Purple Sage Court said people living on the second story will look out the window into a parking lot. She said the project should be thoroughly investigated, adding property values are starting to creep back up.
Commissioner Bob McKenna asked what Menards will be storing on the property and Nuttelman said the items stored are pallet racking, tile line, concrete blocks, not hazardous material. He said in the warehouse they store drywall and shingles and in the garden center, plants, mulch, pea gravel, and landscaping material. Trusses and lumber are stored outside.
Another neighbor said there are 300 homes in the Meadows and a large amount of people who work at night and sleep during the day. She said a lot of pilots are in one unit.
The 50-minute public hearing ended with Thompson advising that the vote on special land use for the outside storage will occur at an upcoming meeting. This will be a recommendation to the township board which will make the final decision.
Clark gas station
The planning commission gave preliminary site plan approval to rebuild the existing Clark gas station, at the intersection of Sumpter and Hull roads, and add a convenience store with a new 2,000-square-foot brick and peaked-roof building.
The gas station and convenience store are permitted uses in the C-1 district and the 1.01-acre site was recently rezoned, with conditions, to C-1.
Owner Joe Nasser was present with his engineer Jack Durbin to present the plan.
Hodges, VBT planning consultant, said the materials will match the fire station across the intersection and there will be no roof-mounted mechanicals.
She pointed out the lights, at 75 foot candles, are extremely bright and shouldn’t exceed 10 foot candles. This needs to be revised. Also, the sign on the corner needs to be relocated so it doesn’t block the view.
Nasser said he would have to move the monument sign and will have to think about it for a couple of days. He said he wants the same look as across the street at the fire hall.
He said he was able to get the same kind of brick as they have on the fire hall.
“Both sides are finish-cut. That’s why they’re so expensive,” Nasser said.
Hodges mentioned the bioswale that drains part of the site and Nasser said there would be cattails I there.
“Not cattails, Joe. Other wetland plants,” Hodges said.
The preliminary site plan was approved unanimously, with a list of seven conditions. Those must be completed for final site plan approval.
Costco Depot
The planning commission gave preliminary site plan approval to the Costco Depot plans, hinging on another successful trip back to the Board of Zoning Appeals. The BZA recently approved 35’ light poles, five feet higher than allowed in the ordinance.
This time Costco will be seeking a variance for guardhouse, 1,500 feet down the drive into the facility.
Ted Johnston, Costco’s development director, said he supplied the soil borings requested and worked on plans on the new drive to Bayloff next door.
He said Costco wants to build as proposed in the plans. He said the depot will have no sign on the road because Costco doesn’t want people to know they are there. He said vendor drivers can go to Dallas, Chicago, and Pennsylvania and they see the same entry to the Costco depot.
“We can’t relocate the canopy on the guardhouse … If we have to go back to the BZA, we will,” Johnston said.
Hodges also had recommended masonry on the guard house, but Johnston said it is 1,500 feet down the road from Belleville Road and wouldn’t be seen.
“I don’t see the need for masonry on the outside of the guard house,” Johnston said and the commission agreed it could be metal siding.
But, Hughes said the position of the guardhouse and canopy have no maneuverability and should go to the BZA.
Johnston said his “final approval of waiver for the seller is Nov. 4,” indicating a deadline. He said he will go before the BZA as soon as possible.
BZA meeting set Sept. 23
A BZA meeting has been set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, to consider the Costco variance. The ordinance said detached structures are permitted in the rear yard only and Costco wants to construct a detached structure in the side yard on the north side of the site.
The 71.84-acre Costco depot site is known as 5800 Belleville Road, just south of the Canton Township border.