VBT neighbors concerned over gas station, party store

“I love my house. I love where I am. I thank this gentleman for letting me know about plans for the corner of I-94 S. Service Drive and Haggerty Road,” said Dr. Martha Taylor.
She told the Van Buren Township Planning Commission at its Jan. 12 in-person meeting that she lives on the corner, right across the road from the site, and, “I was traumatized. We have invested a lot.”
She thanked Tim Craiger who told her about the plans discussed for the northwest corner that includes a fuel station, a party store, and a restaurant, as discussed at a planning commission meeting in December.
Dr. Taylor spoke during the General Discussion portion of the agenda at the end of the meeting.
Dan Power, VBT director of planning and economic development, said at the commission’s last meeting, the owner of a 2.5-acre parcel of land where Lakeview Motel is, gave a preliminary introduction of his plans for the corner.
Director Power said the land currently is zoned for single-family residential, except for one multiple residential parcel. He said there has to be consistency with the Master Plan and for the owner to build what he would like, there would have to be an amendment to the Master Plan and then rezoning. He said it’s an involved process and there are two required public hearings.
He said the owner had no formal application, only a preliminary discussion. Power said if there is further action on this, he will let the neighbors know and put a notice in the newspaper of record.
“When is he going to come to talk to the township staff?” Dr. Taylor asked.
“At any time,” Power replied. “He has not applied formally.”
Vidya Krishnan, the township’s planning consultant from McKenna Associates, explained that a property owner can come and ask the township about developing his property.
“We have to let every landowner have due process,” she said, adding this does not imply the township is in support.
She said if the request for rezoning is against the Master Plan, they can’t do it. Then they can request to change the Master Plan. If that happened, an individual notice will be mailed to her house, Krishnan said to Taylor.
Another neighbor asked if the DNR has any say about a gas station being so close to the lake.
Krishnan said if it comes to a site plan and engineering approval, EGLE would get involved. DNR is now called the department of Engineering, Great Lakes and Environment, she said.
Commissioner Jeff Jahr said a rezoning request would require a public hearing.
Krishnan said that public hearing would be published in the newspaper and individual notices sent to residents within 300 feet, 15 days before the hearing.
Neighbor Tim Pryce, 41190 Lakeview Ct., also got up to speak, noting they were away and came home and read about it in the newspaper. He said he would continue to write letters to the township.
“We have a longstanding daycare center,” he said, pointing out there are rules about no alcohol and the plans for that corner include a “grab and go” store.
Pryce suggested the township give this property owner some heads up about why this isn’t going to work so he can spend his money on building residential on that corner. He said a gas station is less than two miles away and, “Do we need it?”
Pryce said the Mobil station across the freeway is looking bad and the owner there could put in EV plugs. Or, the person wishing to build the fuel station on the corner could switch properties with the Mobil station owner and do him a favor.
Craiger, 41166 Lakeview Ct., said he is against the rezoning. He said that is a very dangerous curve and he has to turn there. He said they couldn’t get a school bus stop there.
Commissioner Medina Atchinson said it would help the public to review the meeting of Dec. 8 to see all the questions the commissioners asked of the property owner.
“It’s wonderful to have the public comment,” said Commissioner Jahr. “It’s been a while.”
This was the commission’s first in-person meeting in about a year.
[According to the Feb. 12, 2004 Independent, a freeway-type development for this same property, including a gas station with lights, was rejected in late 2000 and then again in June 2003. The township board rejected the resurrected June request on Feb. 3, 2004. The planning commission recommended denying both developments because they conflicted with the Master Plan and went against the Master Plan policy to keep that area as lower-density-residential land use.] Parks and Recreation Master Plan
2022-26
In order to qualify for state grants, the township must have a Parks and Recreation Master Plan updated every five years. The last such VBT master plan was approved in 2016.
The public hearing on the plan was held during the Jan. 12 commission meeting and those in the audience who came to talk about the fueling station/party store/ restaurant project also commented on the master plan.
Krishnan said the 30-day comment period on the master plan ended the day before this meeting and another public hearing on it would be held by the township board on Jan. 18.
Krishnan went over details of the master plan, noting a public survey showed the top request was for a community pool, followed by programming on animal rescue, a dog park, skateboard park, a golf course, improved lake access, and more restrooms in the park. Krishnan said that in other communities she had worked for they don’t necessarily follow through on the things in the master plan, but in VBT they do.
She detailed the capital improvements for year one of the 2022-26 period, which included the community center, French Landing Park Phase II, Iron Belle Trail Head at Riggs Park, Park Signage, Park Security Cameras, Riggs Park Landscape Management, Playscapes and Pavilions, with other projects throughout the five years.
She said each park is rated by the DNR from a low of one to a high of five. Krishnan said Van Buren Park rated a five and French Landing Park was a one. Now upgrades are being done to French Landing Park.
Resident Steven Dark, 8804 Ironwood, pointed out an error on their population chart and asked about upgrading the pavilion at Quirk Park. Jennifer Zaenglein, recreation director, said they are doing two pavilions at Van Buren Park and looking at Quirk Park in the future.
Dark asked about the DNR property the township acquired and what they are going to do with that. Zaenglein replied that there are no plans right now, but they are looking at it carefully for the best use of the property.
Dark asked if they will put future parks on property the township owns on Elwell and Haggerty, which are mentioned in the master plan, but the DNR property is not mentioned.
Zaenglein said there are no definite plans for those two properties. She said they are looking for what residents would like in their own backyards and residents should feel free to reach out to the township to tell them.
Dr. Taylor said French Landing Park needed work and she is glad to see it being upgraded.
Zaenglein said they have great improvements there, including walking paths and the removal of the old play structure, which was replaced with a pavilion. There are raised gardens. She said Phase II will feature a new fishing dock, a possible kayak/canoe launch, and furniture. People will be able to reserve the pavilion.
Craiger said the pavilion roof looks like fabric and Zaenglein said it will have to be maintained.
Pryce asked if there will be plug-in parking for any of the parks and Zaenglein said they will be looking at the master plan for Van Buren Park. She said they will be looking at how to bring standards in all the parks, including wifi. She said they are definitely talking about EV plug ins and maybe even at township hall.
Craiger said it was interesting that the pool was what the township wanted the most and that didn’t move forward.
“We look at what people want,” Zaenglein said, noting the bonds came off the books for the fire department, but adding a pool doubles the cost of the community center. She said a pool is extremely costly and, “If we built it, would you pay for it? The cost outweighs the need at this time. Our population is increasing. Maybe in the future.”
Craiger said he was looking forward to a bike/skate park and a dog park, other top choices along with the pool.
The commission passed a resolution recommending the master plan to the township board.
Tree permit for Waste Management
The commission also approved a tree removal permit for Waste Management in the area WM needs for stockpiling excess soil until it is needed for the approved landfill expansion. They will clear 33 acres of trees, the entire southwest corner of the landfill property at 39670 Ecorse Rd., some of which got a permit granted a year ago.
Craiger asked if this was the former golf course property and James Hamann, area disposal manager for WM, said it was.
Power said this was part of the 245 acres of Woodland Meadows landfill site, which is expanding. He said this request for a tree removal permit has nothing to do with the rare wetlands discovered on the site, which has been reported in newspapers.
In another question, Dark asked why Jiffy Lube hasn’t started the construction that was approved on outlots at Meijer. Power said it was a supply chain issue and the water and sanitary lines are ready to get started, which should be soon.
Commissioner Atchinson asked what’s happening with the Mobil station at the northwest corner of Haggerty and the N. I-94 Service Drive and Power said there has been some activity on the project.
He said he will compile a summary of the projects under way in the township.