VBT approves tearing down former Leggs Lounge

At its regular meeting on March 4, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees hired Falcon Demolition LLC for the low bid of $49,900 to demolish the former Leggs Lounge at 50778 Michigan Ave.
Ron Akers, director of municipal management, said the building had housed an adult entertainment business, but then it went out of business and has been vacant for several years.
Earlier, township supervisor Kevin McNamara said that recently animals had gotten into the building.
After the property owner was not interested in demolition, the township condemned the building and received four bids for demolition.
Director Akers said the cost of the demolition will be placed as a lein on the property and the township will get that amount back upon the sale or transfer of the property.
In other business at the 19-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved a resolution for the long-term maintenance of the storm water management system at Crossroads Distribution Center North;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of a zoning ordinance amendment to allow for added height in the Belleville Road Overlay District, with additional building setbacks;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of Article V, the Property Maintenance Code, to comply with national and state updates;
• Approved a preliminary site condominium request and PRD site condominiums as recommended by the planning commission for 75 homes on 31 acres at the northwest corner of Tyler and Morton Taylor by Pulte Homes. When trustee Kevin Martin asked about the county drain that runs through the site, a Pulte representative they plan to clean the drain, subject to Wayne County approval. He also said Pulte will pave Morton Taylor north of Tyler to the northernmost street into the Walden Woods subdivision;
• Approved special land use for Pulte Homes for the proposed Cedarchase development at the northwest corner of Tyler and Morton Taylor roads;
• Authorized Bill Miner, director of water and sewer, to be on the DUWA (Downriver Utility Wastewater Authority) board to represent Van Buren Township and Ron Akers to be the alternative representative;
• Approved the supervisor’s reappointments of Michael McGovern and William Osier to the Board of Construction Appeals with terms to expire Feb. 28, 2028;
• Approved an amendment to the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Agreement, with the only change being it is individualized by municipality;
• Approved the appointment of Philip Peters to the Board of Zoning Appeals (alternate) and to the Environmental Commission with both terms to expire March 4, 2028; and
• Heard Clerk Leon Wright report that he was among township representatives meeting with Wayne County Community College to work out an agreement for the township to have four voting precincts at WCCC and three at township hall. He said this would be getting the precincts out of the schools. More information will be announced when the agreement is complete.
Absent and excused from the March 4 township board meeting were supervisor McNamara and trustee Donald Boynton. Treasurer Sharry Budd presided over the meeting.