Menards ownership has expressed concerns about the economy and so it has delayed plans to build in Van Buren Township by a year.
At the regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Planning Commission on May 25, Ron Akers, VBT director of planning and economic development, said the township had been told in February that Menards would begin construction in the second quarter of 2016.
But recently when the township checked with Menards, it was told construction plans of all new stores company-wide had been put on hold, Akers said. Menards is expected it will be ready to build in 2017.
He said meanwhile, Menards wants to make sure that all the permits and approvals are in place for construction next year and the township is helping in that matter.
“I don’t want to speculate too much,” Akers said, “but for the same reason they stopped in 2012 – every Presidential year.”
In other business at the May 25 meeting, the commission:
- Heard a report on the Lakeshore Ordinance work group of 14 people with residence on and interest in Belleville Lake. Akers said the group held its first meeting on May 23. It was a productive meeting and it plans to meet once every two weeks to work on the ordinance, he said;
- Held a public hearing on a request to rezone 1.54 acres zoned M-1 (Light Industrial) to R-1B (Single Family Residential). The property is a landlocked vacant lot behind two R-1B parcels at 841 Savage. Richard Stull and his wife wish to sell their house and property, but this industrial zoning is holding up a pending sale. They want to move to Florida after living at that location for 53 years. No one spoke against the rezoning and a neighbor spoke in support of the plan. It will be voted on at an upcoming meeting;
- Held a public hearing on the request by the VBT Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA) to rezone a 1.04-acre parcel on the south side of Ecorse, west of Hannan, from AG (Agriculture) to R-1B (General Business District) so it can be sold ready to be developed. The parcel is leftover land from when Ecorse Road was widened, said Sally Hodges of McKenna Associates planning consultants. This will be voted on at an upcoming meeting;
- Approved a Tree Permit for ALDI, Inc., which asked for the permit before the final site plan is approved so it can get busy on clearing the land. It wants to open the store before the holidays. The site is just south of AutoZone on Belleville Road; and
- Approved the final site plan for Verdeterre Contracting, Inc., at 7994 Belleville Road, for a 1,440-square-foot addition to its building. Verdeterre will give a contribution to the VBT Downtown Development Authority for a sidewalk in front of its business that will be build when Belleville Road is widened.
The meeting was led by vice chairman Donald Boynton in the absence of chairperson Carol Thompson.