VBT OKs Camping World’s bright yellow color, roof shape

Although they warned the Camping World representative at the meeting to not do this again, the Van Buren Township Planning Commission at its April 9 regular meeting unanimously approved changes already made to the façade colors and roof design.
This is a final site plan amendment to changes that have already taken place to the final site plan approved in 2020, with several revisions since then. Camping World is located at 43646 North I-94 Service Dr.
Ron Akers, director of municipal services, said they modified the color scheme on the façade to coincide with the new corporate colors.
“We usually require going back to what was approved,” director Akers said, referring to the project that had to remove its siding and replace it with the previously approved siding, and other changes required.
But Akers said Camping World is on the North I-94 Service Drive and out of the overlay district, so the planning commission has discretion about what to do.
He recommended sticking with the previously approved colors and not to allow the bright yellow color used in a wide band on the building and also along curb edges and bollards. He said it is potentially distracting for drivers on the freeway and along the service drive.
Commission vice-chairman Jeff Jahr asked Akers to have them explain how they made changes without review first.
Anthony Henderson, the contractor who was representing Camping World at the meeting, said that Camping World sent him the design change contract and, “I thought they sent it to you, too.”
“If they would have come to us, we would have applauded the roof change,” commissioner Jahr said, noting this meeting would not have been necessary. “It looks better now and I don’t disapprove of the colors. I’m disappointed that after so many times before us, it didn’t come to us with these changes,” he said. “If they make any other changes, the general contractor knows how we feel. I’m OK with the changes, but I don’t like the order.”
Treasurer Sharry Budd, who sits on the planning commission, said she agreed with Jahr and she would approve. She complimented the black decorative fence around the site.
Commissioner Bernie Grant said he wasn’t a part of the original approval of the site plan and he’ll rely on the others who were to make this decision. He said it is not a huge change and the colors in the former site plan tend to fade into the background. He said the process was not done correctly.
Henderson said he agrees it was not done correctly.
Commission chairman Brian Cullen he has no problem with the changes and he likes the way it looks. He said the commission wants to help promote businesses.
Commissioner Medina Atchinson said she drove by the business the previous day and, “It was beautiful. It looks great.”
Akers asked Henderson for an update on the project.
He said he’s the third general contractor hired for the project. He said the man who should have been here to answer the questions couldn’t get here for the meeting.
He said they are working through some issues with a former contractor and they are making sure everything is up to code and permit. He said the next two weeks they will be doing landscaping and DTE is scheduled to come next week to put in a new transformer. They are working on the inside paint. He said during the time the business has been shut down they kept the cameras running which has kept off vandalism.
He said the containers will be pulled off the property the next week and, “We’re real close. Construction should be done by the end of the month.”
Brittany Williams, a planning and zoning specialist, said the company’s Facebook post says Camping World plans to open on May 5.
Henderson said he wondered why that was posted before they found out what the planning commission was going to decide.