VBT Planners approve painting of building by Planet Fitness business

Planet Fitness received an OK to paint the former Farmer Jack building at 10900 Belleville Road to match the adjacent Belleville Square shopping center.
It also will be able to infill some of the existing windows to incorporate the pink, purple, and black colors of the Planet Fitness’ logo.
At the regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Planning Commission on March 22, the commission voted unanimously to allow the applicant to modify the existing building.
Planet Fitness opened in early 2017 in the building that was previously occupied by Farmer Jack and had been vacant for years. Part of the building is still available for a future tenant.
Commission approval was conditioned on the applicant complying with the current zoning ordinance standards with regard to wall signage.
Bryan Rief, representing Planet Fitness, said they would prepare a formal sign application for the façade, adding, “I’m wondering if we need a sign,” referring to the large number of people who flocked to their business when it opened.
“No, we need a sign,” Rief said with a smile.
“We want to make it look appropriate for the amount of money invested in it,” he said.
Ron Akers, VBT director of planning and economic development, said Planet Fitness could apply for a variance since the proposed sign is larger than allowed.
Commission chairwoman Carol Thompson pointed out they are approving a tenant to upgrade a building. She asked when they would start.
Rief said they will start as soon as they get approval. “We’re on standby.”
Townplace Suites hotel
The commission also approved upgrades to the approved site plan for Townplace Suites hotel development at the corner of North I-94 Service Drive and Quirk Road.
Remy Hanna of Townplace said a new person is in charge of development and he was not happy with the present plans.
“It looks a lot nicer now,” Hanna said. “Things have changed.”
After being asked how soon they would get started on construction, Hanna said they are waiting for DTE to cut off the gas at the standing property and were told that will take four to six weeks. He said it may take more because of DTE’s work following the wind storm.
Akers said the upgraded site plan incorporates a substantially larger amount of brick on the south elevation, going from 39% to 42%.
It also has more brick on the east and west elevations, from 27% to 46%.
In other action at the 37-minute meeting on March 22, the commission:
• Approved temporary land use by TNT Fireworks for an outdoor fireworks tent sale from June 23 to July 5 in the Walmart parking lot, 10562 Belleville Road. The applicant was not present and Akers said that was because he was from the other side of the state and the date of his request was moved from the March 8 to the March 22 meeting. Thompson said she was disappointed that the commission was not given a drawing of the interior of the tent, with ingress and egress, as it usually gets;
• Approved temporary land use by USA Fireworks to conduct an outdoor fireworks tent sale from June 18 through July 7 in the parking lot of Faith United Methodist Church at 6020 Denton Road south of Michigan Avenue. The applicant was not present. This request also was delayed from March 8 to March 22. No hours of operation were put on the application, but Akers recommended the same hours as last year: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., except on Sundays, which is noon to 10 p.m. to accommodate church services. Akers also said USA has to get an updated license; and
• Heard Akers announce the public hearing to consider adoption of a new zoning ordinance was rescheduled to April 12, as was the public hearing for rezoning of 40631 Alden Drive from C-1 General Commercial to R1-C, Single Family Residential. Both public hearings originally had been scheduled for the March 8 meeting which was cancelled because of the wind storm.