The City of Belleville and townships of Van Buren and Sumpter were scheduled to hold a joint planning meeting on July 29 in the Belleville High School cafeteria. Five planning commission members from Belleville and six from Van Buren were in attendance. No representatives from Sumpter Township attended the meeting.
Brian Cullin was appointed chairperson of the meeting and opened the floor for public comment. One citizen asked about the Van Buren Township Master Plan and if there was a specific plan for the south end of the township.
Director of Municipal Services Ron Akers stated that the 2022 Sumpter Road Corridor Plan remains the township’s most recent major planning effort. Those documents are available online.
Akers also added that while a 2027 review of the master plan is scheduled per state regulations, the township is looking to update it early, due in part to a $50,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and suggested that work is likely to begin in October or November.
Belleville Updates:
Belleville Councilmember and Planning Commission Vice Chair Julie Kissel reported on Belleville’s projects, beginning by introducing new City Manager Brady Peck. Both thanked Van Buren Public Schools Superintendent Peter Kudlak for coordinating use of the school cafeteria for the meeting, as Belleville City Hall was unavailable due to early voting.
Huron River Watershed Council: The council now has two members from the city of Belleville, Gerald Keeder III (primary) and Jim Courage (alternate). Keeder attended his first meeting a few weeks ago and said it was a very informative process with a lot of representation from multiple municipalities supporting each other in improving water quality and overall experience.
Master Plan & Ordinances: Belleville’s master plan is completed and available online. The city is in the process of updating and digitizing all city ordinances. Priority items include a new Lakefront Ordinance to improve address navigation, sign ordinances and uniform signage along the Iron Belle Trail across Belleville and Van Buren.
Downtown Business Development: An offer has been heard in closed session for the former Pro Hardware at 428 Main St., with a counteroffer expected. Atwater Street Tacos (occupying the former Bayou location) is facing delays, though the repainted gator “looks great.”
Former City Hall: Efforts continue to clear the city hall building at 6 Main St. Kissel expressed hope that the liquidation would be finished by year-end, but Peck estimated eight to 12 months, as the city will be issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the site. The city would prefer a mix of residential and commercial development on the corner parcel.
Liberty Intersection Construction: Construction on the intersection will begin Aug. 3, primarily removing and replacing concrete, with no water mains or utility work. Completion is projected in four to six weeks, but the city acknowledges that if the weather does not cooperate, it could be six to eight weeks.
Van Buren Updates:
Executive Director of the Van Buren DDA Merrie Coburn provided updates on infrastructure and local business:
Belleville Road Project: The reconstruction project is facing permitting delays and will most likely begin in spring 2027, concurrently with the Tyler Road pathway project. Public open houses will be held to discuss detours and other details.
Pedestrian Upgrades: A Safe Streets Now Transportation Alternatives Program grant will allow the township to upgrade pedestrian crosswalks with audio-enabled signals, updated crosswalks and ADA-compliant ramps.
Business Resources: The township has entered a three-year partnership with TechTown, a Detroit-based small business incubator, which will provide free business coaching, technical assistance and funding guidance to local business owners.
Community-Input Request: The Parks and Recreation department will be updating their master plan later in the year and is holding two public-input sessions on Aug. 12 and Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. at the community center.
Director Akers outlined major developments, construction progress, and zoning issues.
Commercial Construction: Chick-fil-A and Sheetz are actively moving forward, though no opening date has been announced. Meanwhile, the Stellantis project is ahead of schedule and is targeting a temporary Certificate of Occupancy in March 2027.
Public hearings are scheduled for Aug. 12 to discuss the Ashley Capital Crossroads North Building 10 as well as the demolition and rebuilding of the Shell station at I-94.
Ongoing Major Developments: The Google data center has received preliminary site plan approval, with final site plan approval tentatively set for Aug. 26, pending EGLE wetland permits.
Pepper Pike Capital, developers of the Waverly subdivision proposed for the former Harbour Club Golf Course property, withdrew their high-density request and have submitted a conditional zoning request for 92 single-family homes.
The township had community engagement, environmental, market demand, and feasibility studies as well as conceptual renderings performed by Giffels Webster on the 181-acre parcel at Belleville and Tyler roads. A joint study session between the Board of Trustees, Planning Commission, and DDA will be held on Sept. 1 to review conceptual renderings and community input.
Ordinance Updates: Commissioners are revisiting hotel height regulations after updates were not in alignment with corporate brand architecture. They will also be amending their child care zoning definitions to match current LARA language.
Enterprise Zone Approval: Director Akers announced that Van Buren received MEDC and state approval for an Aerotropolis Enterprise Zone covering everything north of the freeway. This zone will capture 11.3 mills (over $2 million annually) for new industrial development north of I-94 and must be spent only on public infrastructure.
There were no updates provided by Sumpter Township. The next joint planning meeting will take place at Belleville City Hall at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 21.