The Belleville Planning Commission met on Sept. 11 to continue to discuss the master plan for the city with representatives from Giffels Webster of Birmingham.
Andy Aamodt, senior planner with Giffels Webster, started discussion about a zone that included Church Street along with the lake front running down to Johnny’s on the Lake called Traditional Residential. After a brief discussion it was agreed to rename it Pedestrian Residential because commissioners felt it better described the traffic the committee would like to see in this neighborhood.
The planning team reported progress on developing the zoning plan required by state law to guide short-term implementation of the master plan. They presented proposed future land use designations including single-family residential, multi-household residential, neighborhood business, Sumpter Road mixed use, downtown mixed use, industrial, and parks/open space.
Aamodt provided an update on the city property behind Zack’s Auto Wash, presenting it as a potential site for cottage court housing development. The approximately 1.05-acre triangular property was discussed as an opportunity for housing development that could be marketed to developers with a clear vision.
Ava Miller, staff planner with Giffels Webster, reported on the status of EV charging stations in the city, noting that installation has been extremely slow. Some stations at the library and other locations are nearly complete but waiting on DTE for final hookup.
Aamodt announced that the team is working toward presenting a full master plan draft at the November meeting, with the goal of distributing it for the required 63-day public comment period in December, if approved. This timeline would potentially allow for a public hearing and adoption by March.
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