Sumpter planners recommend rezoning for 24473 Sumpter Rd.

After a public hearing at its regular meeting on Jan. 8, the Sumpter Township Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend to the township board rezoning of 24473 Sumpter Rd.
The request is to rezone from C-2 (General Commercial) to R-1 (Country Home Residential).
The recommendation for rezoning was accompanied by stipulations on whether the gas tanks were removed and whether the 125’ frontage was appropriate since residential units require 150’ and this would not become non-compliant.
The property owner is remodeling the present vacant structure near Grant Park to a single-family home, which is consistent with the township’s master plan, said planning consultant Joe Pezzotti.
He said the site is surrounded by residential parcels and the master plan for that area seeks to preserve the agricultural area. He said it needs a septic system approved by Wayne County.
Trustee Matthew Oddy, who sits on the planning commission as board liaison, said the building used to be a gas station and plumbing shop before that. He said it can be researched whether the tanks were removed.
He said the planning consultant can determine whether this 125’ frontage is appropriate for the zoning.
During the public hearing, Jim O’Connor of Willis Road said, “He has skills. He has done amazing things with that property,” referring to the property owner.
Also, during the public hearing, Kay Harris of Sumpter Road said she would like to know how to rezone from Commercial to Residential and consultant Pezzotti said anyone can apply for rezoning by requesting the change and paying the cost. If the rezoning fits in with the master plan or not determines whether the rezoning will be approved or denied, he said.
Commission chairwoman Jane Stalmack said the township has to revisit the master plan every five years to make necessary revisions to keep in line with what the people want. She said they are now in the midst of such a review.
In other business at the one-hour-and-33-minute, Jan. 8 meeting, the commission:
• Held a brief public hearing, during which nobody but the consultant spoke, on text amendments for the ordinance on Large Solar Energy Systems. There was a discussion later and trustee Oddy made a motion to table the changes until there were answers about accessory buildings. The text changes involve putting large solar farms only in Industrial zoning districts and delineating the difference between personal and commercial solar projects;
• Removed from the agenda at the beginning of the meeting, the unfinished business of considering a proposed special land use at 40030 Willis Rd. for a veterinary surgery suite on residential property. Trustee Oddy made the motion to remove the agenda item, noting the commission did not have all the information, including details of the private road it was on and easements. Although this was removed, discussion on the request took up most of the time the meeting was in session. Oddy said he knew of non-compliance of water mains in private roads because his parents lived on a private road for 20 or 30 years. The property owner said she had all kinds of inspections done before purchase of the property and there was never a red flag on anything. She said she and her husband saved everything and invested their savings in the home. She said she would get in writing the additional information Oddy requests from others who live on the lane;
• Agreed to set a public hearing on ordinance text amendments proposed to Article 4 Zoning District Regulations. Pezzotti said this was about special land uses concerning auto showrooms and outdoor auto sales space. The change would allow them only in Industrial zoning. The associated RVs and garden/farming businesses could remain in the special land use category, if that’s what the commission wanted, he said;
• Heard chairperson Stalmack propose a resolution against data centers in Sumpter Township. She said although none have yet been requested, there are a lot of large properties in the township. Oddy agreed that the township has a moratorium on wetlands and should have one on data centers, since it is hard to stop them once they get started; and
• Heard Oddy talk about enforcing the ordinance concerning sheds and shipping containers. He said people are bringing in more than the one shipping container allowed and they are not painted the same as the house, as required. He said the containers are heavy and sink down in the wet soil in Sumpter, ending up sitting crooked. He said they should see what other communities are doing about that problem. He asked consultant Pezzotti to work on that.