VBT Planners table Camping World project with lots of questions

May 11 wasn’t a good day for Camping World’s Van Buren Township project. After the VBT Planning Commission meeting was over, Camping World’s request for preliminary and final site plan approval for their revised plans ended up tabled.
First, no one from Camping World was able to attend the VBT Planning Commission meeting in person.
It was explained that engineer Paul Tulikansis was supposed to come, but he had child-care problems and he was the only Camping World representative in the state.
Tulikansis was present by zoom, but then VBT’s computer crashed and they had to talk to him by phone.
Melissa Nance of Forward Real Estate Services was working on Camping World locations from an Arkansas location. She gave a presentation that was cut off by the crash.
At that point, Commissioner Medina Atchinson was asking questions about the paint booth, a large metal box taking up two of the bays in the new building on the west side of the building. Nance had said it was for touch ups, but Commissioner Atchinson noted, “That’s a full paint booth.”
“I told them no paint booths,” said Vidya Krishnan, township planning consultant from McKenna Associates.
Atchinson suggested maybe Nance was cut off on her end.
Commission chairman Bryon Kelley said they also had not presented any color samples to the commission, as required.
Krishnan said, “We were supposed to see it tonight.”
Nance was back in communication with the commission and she said it was one paint booth in two bays. She said it was a self-enclosed piece of equipment in a steel box with an exhaust and filtration system and the painter is enclosed within when doing the work.
Treasurer Sharry Budd, who sits on the planning commission, asked how much painting there would be and why do they have to have a booth.
Nance said if a RV has hit a sign or a tree the minor cosmetic damage is repaired in the fully enclosed box, which is safer to the environment. She said the booth costs a quarter of a million dollars and is manufactured in Wisconsin and they are putting them in all their upgraded locations. It’s big enough for a rig to drive inside.
Atchinson laughed at Nance’s explanation.
Chairman Kelley said the commission wants to make sure they are not fully painting.
Nance said it is very expensive, exorbitant, to paint a whole vehicle. She said if that is necessary, typically it’s written off by insurance and replaced. She said you would replace it before you would fully repaint because it is not cost-effective.
Krishnan said painting is a major repair and they said they would have minor vehicle repair, as allowed by the zoning.
“The planning commission wants to ensure this does not violate the ordinance,” Krishnan said. “They want to understand the scope of the painting.” She explained that VBT is in Southeastern Michigan and they have commission members who understand the refinishing of vehicles.
Nance said recreational vehicles are different from the auto industry. She said the RVs are constructed individually in Elkhart, IN, and wildly vary in size and price. She said doing a bumper on a $300,000 unit is different than doing a bumper on a $30,000 unit.
Commissioner Jeff Jahr asked Nance to confirm that there is no custom painting and the paint is strictly related to collision repair or damage during delivery. She confirmed that.
When Atchinson asked Nance about the costs involved, Nance said she can follow up and get specifics. She said there are hundreds of different models across the country.
Commission Jahr explained that the VBT ordinance has a disconnect between minor and major repair. “Minor” excludes painting. He said it’s probably a technicality that could be resolved between the staff and applicant.
Jahr said since the commission doesn’t have the colors and materials, it doesn’t have the information it needs for moving forward and it can’t approve or deny the request.
Dan Power, director of planning and economic development, asked the Camping World architect if he could show color renderings. Because of the technical difficulties that was not possible.
Director Power asked about the previous uses at the site and if there were repairs at the site before.
Nance said they didn’t have a painting booth but did do retouching. She said they want to follow national and state environmental rules and all their facilities are having this booth added.
Krishnan asked for a list of vehicle repairs available.
Power said it would be helpful to have a list of what had occurred versus what they want to do. “There are certain thresholds for expanding non-conforming use,” he said.
The board voted unanimously to table discussion on the amended site plan until it received more information.
In other business at the May 11 meeting, the commission:
• After holding a public hearing at which no public spoke, approved sending a recommendation to the township board for rezoning to M-1 (Light Industrial) 16 parcels on Haggerty and Van Born roads owned by Ashley Capital. Another parcel came into Ashley Capital’s possession that day and so one parcel will be on the next meeting’s agenda for rezoning, as well. Ashley Capital said it was consolidating zoning on the land;
• Approved the preliminary site plan for DTE Electric’s substation at 42061 Ecorse Rd., on the south side between Haggerty and Kirkridge Park Dr. The plan includes barbed wire on top of an 8’ chain-link fence, lighting for security measures, and a wide cut of drive to allow for delivery of the large equipment;
• Heard Treasurer Budd suggest that maybe the commission should not allow zoom meetings for developers. Kelley agreed the commission can’t make decision on color by zoom; and
• Heard Power remind them the public hearing on the Sumpter Road Draft Corridor Plan will be held at the 5 p.m., May 25, commission meeting.