Sumpter approves special land use for used car lot on Friday, Dec. 12

In a special 13-minute meeting of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 12, the board unanimously approved the planning commission’s recommendation to grant special land use for a used-car lot at 17450 Savage Rd.
The following conditions were included:
• Repair garage license is maintained with the State of Michigan;
• Used automobilies for sale displayed in the front parking area will be moved behind the fenced area after 5 p.m. each day;
• All areas intended for the parking of any vehicle shall be hard-surfaced in accordance with section 10.5;
• All conditions outlined in the township planner’s report dated Oct. 31, 2025, which include: Wayne County approval of work to be conducted in Savage Road right-of-way, clarification of location of trash enclosure on plans, providing an additional ADA parking space on the plans for a total of two spaces, providing loading space location on plans, providing information on timing and frequency of deliveries on plans, providing 10% landscaping calculations on plans, no more than 12 cars intended for sale shall be displayed in the front area at any given time, and any proposed fencing shall be reviewed and approved by the township planner in accordance with zoning ordinance standards.
• Added as an additional condition at the meeting was that no inoperable or salvaged vehicles are allowed on the site.
The board also approved the minutes of the special planning commission meeting of Nov. 13 and the minutes of the special zoning board of appeals meeting of Nov. 20.
Sam Nasser, owner of the used-car lot on Savage Road said he wanted to do collision work there as well and trustee Matthew Oddy said that was not on the written request and was not discussed at the planning commission meeting. Trustee Oddy said maybe that didn’t need to be discussed because it could be allowed under that zoning and he should talk to the township planner about that.
Oddy said as soon as the site plan is approved he will be able to start his business.
At the very end of the meeting, although not on the agenda or recorded in the draft minutes of this meeting, the board also voted unanimously to approve the planning commission’s recommendation to rezone from MHP (mobil home park) to RF (rural farm) a list of parcels previously considered at the Nov. 25 meeting.
Township attorney Rob Young said he would consider this action as direction to write up an ordinance to be approved at the January meeting that would amend the Master Plan map.
At the Nov. 25 meeting, attorney Jeffrey B. Schlussel, representing the owner of four of the five parcels named, objected to this rezoning saying that property next to Rawsonville Woods mobile home park was always intended for mobile homes. The board then tabled accepting the minutes of the Sept. 11 special meeting of the planning commission where the rezonings were recommended. The minutes were to be on the Dec. 9 agenda. Attorney Schlussel accused the township of an Open Meetings Act violation since he was unable to get a draft copy of the minutes as allowed by law.