VBT Planning Commission approves change to Menard plan

A minor modification to the Menard site plan for 10010 Belleville Road was unanimously approved by the Van Buren Township Planning Commission at its regular meeting Jan. 24.
Ron Akers, director of planning and economic development, said the change doubles the size of the mezzanine, adds several windows on the north end of the front facade for daylight, and adds an exterior stairwell at the north end for a fire escape. There is an elevator in the building.
Director Akers said the changes meet the side yard setback and so he recommended they be approved.
Akers said Menard has not given a firm opening date, but said it would be late March or April. Akers said it could be May.
In other business at the 24-minute meeting, the commission:
• Discussed a proposal from Chris Madigan, planning and economic development intern, to run a survey to gauge public opinion on short-term rentals in VBT. The survey would be made available to the public through the township, social media pages, and various other forms, including a paper version. At its Aug. 9 meeting, Madigan gave commissioners a presentation on short-term rentals and their potential impact on VBT. Following the presentation, commissioners discussed whether some form of regulation of short-term rentals was appropriate in the township and said they would like public input on the topic. When commission members showed support for the survey, Akers said they plan to put it out for 30 days and then report the results back to the commission;
• Discussed a proposed Planning and Zoning Seminar put on by township planning consultant Patrick Sloan of McKenna Associates and inviting the planners in Sumpter Township and the City of Belleville. He said at the discretion of the commission, they could invite other interested parties including the township board of trustees, township staff, elected and appointed officials from other communities, non-profits, township businesses, and members of the public. His fee for the seminar is $950 and includes his preparation time, handouts, and the seminar itself. The training is expected to last three or four hours, but may be adjusted. “The more training the better,” agreed planning commissioner Medina Atchinson. Commission chairwoman Carol Thompson asked Akers to look at proposed dates and he suggested a possible meeting on a Thursday. Both Sumpter and Belleville planning commissions meet on the second Thursday of each month; and
• Heard Sloan give a brief Master Plan update, noting the subcommittee hasn’t met yet, but Michael Deem of McKenna is working on it and will report back to them in a few months.