After a public hearing on Dec. 10, the Sumpter Township Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend rezoning from C-1 (Local Commercial) to MR (Two-Family & Multiple Family Residential) for 21620 Sumpter Road, at the southeast corner with Judd Road.
The recommendation now goes to the township board in January for final action.
Steven Anton of Bloomfield, MI, represented the applicant who was present but not introduced. Anton had talked to the commission a few months earlier on a plan to change the building with empty commercial units into a residential zoning for apartments. He thought there would be about eight units.
Zoning Administrator Matthew Lonnerstater said the change is inconsistent with the 2005 Master Plan which had that corner as Commercial, but the township is in the process of modifying future land use and that could be changed.
Also, the Master Plan calls for a diversity of land sites and elimination of blighted areas. Lonnerstater said the applicant cannot receive a return on his investment and the site has been vacant for some time.
He said five commercial spaces had been used and eight additional apartments would not meet the zoning ordinance. This is a work in progress right now, Lonnerstater said.
“There’s a kitchen on the first floor,” said Trustee Matthew Oddy.
“How can you have an apartment on the first floor when residential is not allowed on the first floor?” asked Commissioner Jay Bardell.
“It isn’t allowed on the second floor, either,” Lonnerstater said. He noted that eight apartments is excessive according to the zoning ordinance, which based the number allowed on lot size.
He said they could have more apartments if they bought more land. In answer to a question, Lonnerstater was unsure if the building was hooked up to sewer or was on a septic system.
Trustee Oddy said he couldn’t approve the rezoning if they wanted to put in more apartments than allowed.
Anton said until they get in there and look at the building, they can’t say how many apartments. He said their architect between four and eight.
“If it’s only four, it’s only four,” Anton said. He said the property owner also owns two adjoining parcels, one to the west and one to the south.
Anton said they want to see if this is something they can do and then move forward.
Trustee Oddy said he wouldn’t want to see barbecue grills cooking along Sumpter Road. He was assured there would be parking in the front and barbecues could be in the back.
Lonnerstater said details would be addressed during the site plan review.
Several neighbors were present for the public hearing on the rezoning and Jerry Pasek said the building is placed illegally, in the right of way of Sumpter Road.
He said, “This building is so old it has a Michigan basement and in the spring you have to go through the water to get to the electric box.” He said the building has not been taken care of and it’s a valuable piece of property.
Another neighbor Wellington Henley was concerned about the number of apartments. Lonnerstater said if the three parcels were combined there could be 16-17 units. Lonnerstater said he didn’t think the building was in the right of way.
Commissioner Jim Clark said the building is structurally sound, except for the roof.
Anton said the owner put on a new roof a couple of years ago and commissioners said they would check the building permits.
Clark said Sumpter has had a loss of residents over the years and, “We need to draw people back to the township.”
“I would like to see more people come into the township and I would like to see that building improved and developed,” Clark said.
“I kind of agree with Jerry [Pasek],” Commissioner Bardell said, noting if a 15’ van was parked in front of the building and a child was behind the van, the child would be in the roadway.
Pasek said there were five gas station tanks under that ground that was never reported. They were there when there was a store there.
“I saw the state out there 3-5 years ago and they filled the tanks with cement,” Clark said, but Pasek said he never saw anyone there doing that.
Clark made the motion to recommend the rezoning to the board and the motion passed 6-1, with Bardell voting no.
Add driveway to auto auction
Also at the Dec. 10 meeting, the commission voted unanimously to grant a site plan change for the Insurance Auto Auction at 8521 Rawsonville Road to add a second driveway to the site.
The site is 36 acres zoned GI (General Industrial). The changes include cutting back a portion of the berm and removing six trees which will be moved to another location. A right-turn lane will be installed on Rawsonville Road.
The ordinance requires 455’ between drives and this would be only 286’ so the commission had to approve that.
Lonnerstater asked that Entrance and Exit signs be erected at the two drives.
John Ciesielski, of Wade Trim engineers, explained that there are three different types of visitors to the site: employees, tow-truck drop offs, and car haulers that show up daily to pick up cars that had been purchased.
“It’s very tight, especially after auction day and there are multiple car haulers waiting in the road,” Ciesielski said. “With a second driveway they could stage on site instead of in the road.”
The change would allow trucks to come in and drive out without having to back around in the tight space, he said.
Washtenaw County Road Commission has jurisdiction over Rawsonville Road and it asked them to move the drive to separate it from the drive to the south.
There are 200 visits on a maximum day, Ciesielski said. He said there will be a right-turn lane along the front of the property, and with the center turn lane, this should allow for free movement of traffic.
“Turning with a 10-car hauler gets a little crazy,” said business manager Bobby Nicholson. He said on a day they get 30-40 car haulers, 35 employees, and 60 customers who pay a $200 fee to bid.
He said besides cars they get motorcycles and mobile homes. He said they had a high-end mobile home that was a non-recovered theft. It sold for $35,000 cash six months ago and it was a great deal and the only problem was the fingerprint powder over everything.
Commissioner Bardell made the motion to approve the site plan changes and Commissioner Oddy seconded. It was carried unanimously.
In other business, the commission:
• Approved zoning text amendments relating to Automobile, Farm Equipment and Recreational Vehicle Sales and sent it on to the township board for action; and
• Approved zoning text amendments relating to Detached Accessory Buildings in Residential zoning and sent it on to the township board for action.
Special offer for Sumpter residents from Insurance Auto Auction
At the Dec. 10 meeting of the Sumpter Township Planning Commission, Bobby Nicholson of Insurance Auto Auction at 8521 Rawsonville Road made an offer to those with proof they live in Sumpter Township.
He said he would authorize Sumpter residents to observe and/or bid on vehicles at the 9 a.m. Thursday auctions without paying the usual $200 fee. He said this would be for a year and they need to sign up when they enter. He said they could buy clear title only.
Nicholson was very enthusiastic about the vehicles they handle and said it’s a good place to buy a teenager’s first car. They also handle motorcycles and mobile homes. He said the auction is a great treat for car lovers in Sumpter.