VBT Planners again recommend approval for McDonald’s extra lane

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Although McDonald’s restaurant at 2193 Rawsonville Road got approval to put in an extra drive-through lane about a year and a half ago — and didn’t — now it wants to be on a fast-track to get it done.
At its regular meeting on Oct. 8, the Van Buren Township Planning Commission held a public hearing, at which no member of the public spoke, and approved the new-old project to move it along.
The approvals had expired, so McDonald’s attorney Paul Nystrom, of Dykema Gossett law firm, presented the identical plans and specifications from two years ago when the McDonald’s franchise owner Scott Powlus first approached the township.
“We obtained your approval one-and-a-half years ago and didn’t go forward,” Nystrom said, adding McDonald’s contracted the work out the day before this meeting, “to get going if we can.”
“We’re hoping to get it done before the snow falls,” he said, adding it will take two to three weeks to complete the project.
He suggested if the commission approves recommending the special land use, it could go to the township board on Oct. 21 and come back to the planning commission on Oct. 22 for final site plan approval.
He said the side-by-side drive-through will improve the site, look better, and get customers through the lane faster.
Planning consultant Sally Hodges recommended approval of the special land use. She said the plans have changed slightly so the lane will extend farther east on the site, making the escape drive narrower, down to 20’, which is all right because it is a one-way drive and doesn’t have a material impact on the plan.
“It’s exceptionally rare we take action the same night as the public hearing,” said Commission Chairwoman Carol Thompson, saying she felt this was OK because they had approved it before.
Commissioner Byron Kelley said he would like to move this along. He said that McDonald’s gets so busy on weekends that the line reaches out to Rawsonville Road.
The commission also granted preliminary site plan approval.
“You’re on the fast-track,” Thompson said to Nystrom.
Ordinance changes
Treasurer Sharry Budd, who sits on the planning commission, said since it was announced that the commission is looking at updating the zoning ordinances, she has received some calls.
She suggested they look at what can and can’t be parked in driveways because if the ordinance isn’t sound, ordinance officers can’t act on it.
Commissioner Joan Franzoi asked if she was referring to not being able to park on the grass, and Budd said, no, she was thinking of boats and motor homes.
Hodges said those kinds of ordinances are hard to write, but they would look into it.
Cejay Marshall of Haggerty Sub, said he wouldn’t have come to the meeting if he knew Budd was back from her conference and would mention his problem. He said he has been in VBT for 26 years and this is the first time he has come to them with a problem.
He said some of his neighbors are storing recreational vehicles, commercial trailers, and boats in their yards.
He said the problem is that renters in some of the homes are destroying the properties. There are three properties on Coolidge: one abandoned home is being kept after by township workers; the occupants of one rental home are trying to keep it up; and next door to him is the renter that was the problem.
He said they brought a bright orange, with rust, travel trailer from the 1970s or ‘80s that was in really bad shape and parked it in the front yard. On Sunday they moved out, but left trash in front which will be there until Friday.
He said the landlord is responsible for the property and, “None of you would want that next to you. It has never been a problem until now.”
Marshall said he went to the township planning department and Ordinance Officer Schuler told him nothing in the ordinance speaks to that and, “Nothing in the ordinances said that’s not allowable.
“I hope nobody gets offended,” Marshall said. “It’s never been an issue until now.”
Hodges said she would bring the issue to Patrick Sloan’s attention, since he is the McKenna planner that is working on the ordinance update.
Report on conditional rezoning
At the last meeting of the planning commission, Tyler Road resident Andrew Pavlosky asked about the status of the conditional rezoning for a proposed medical center on the northeast corner of Belleville and Tyler roads, near his home. In 2007, it was voted to be conditionally rezoned from R-1B (single-family residential) to C-1 (general business) to make way for the medical center.
One of the conditions of the agreement required the owner to submit materials required for site plan review within six months of the agreement. But, the owner never filed a site plan or pursued any development in accordance with the agreement.
Sloan sent a report to the planning commission saying he had researched the paperwork and the contract for the rezoning conditions was never signed or recorded, so it had not really been rezoned. Sloan reported he is working with township attorney Patrick McCauley to see if the township board needs to pass a resolution on the issue.
Hodges said the zoning was never changed on the township zoning map.
Pavlosky said he had seen people out on that corner, apparently discussing the site so he wondered about the zoning.