VBT planners approve preliminary site plan for multi-tenant retail bldg.

A Sherwin Williams store is expected to be one of the tenants in the new multi-tenant retail building proposed for 10553-10571 Belleville Rd. in Van Buren Township.
At the Jan. 24 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Planning Commission, the preliminary site plan was approved for the building.
Architect Ronald Chiesa said the site with six units will have two sit-down restaurants and four retail stores, including the Sherwin Williams store. He said that store gets its deliveries through the largest semi made and so they scrubbed the original plan to have a drive-through window as part of the project because they needed the room for parking.
This project has been in the planning stages since December 2016, after developers bought a house and proposed a three-unit commercial building at 10573 Belleville Rd. The planning commission conditionally approved the preliminary site plan and the board of trustees granted special land use approval for a proposed drive-through. A final site plan was never approved.
The applicant has restarted the site plan review process, this time without a drive-through, but with additional tenant spaces. The developer had been able to purchase the house next door to give it additional space. Now the proposed building is 10,362 square feet on two parcels. Because it is in the Belleville Road Overlay District, higher standards must be met.
After about an hour and a half of discussion, the preliminary site plan was approved with conditions.
Although cross-access to adjoining businesses is required, Belle Tire to the south will not allow cross access.
Architect Chiesa of Clinton Township and building owner Jason Kishmish of Farmington Hills were about a half hour late for the 5:30 p.m. meeting because of the inclement weather and traffic.
That time was taken up with reports from planning consultant Vidya Krishnan of McKenna Associates and engineer Paul Kammer of Fishbeck. Chiesa and Kishmish had already seen the reports.
Chiesa said it was the same type of building design as before – same color, same design — but there is more parking in front than before.
He said they had put in the cross-site easement, but, “Belle Tire is very against this and attorneys are involved.”
Chiesa said DTE power lines need to be relocated as will be determined. And, underground lines from the transformer to the building poles will be relocated as DTE says.
He said they meet the township requirements for landscaping in front and they have met the spirit of the ordinance for the parking lot.
Chiesa said Sherwin Williams uses the largest semi trucks to deliver. It’s a sleeper and needs room.
“We did our best to meet the ordinance and this board has the power to approve that,” he said.
Chiesa said the shade trees required grow so tall and their roots break through the asphalt and so they would like smaller, ornamental trees. They have met the number of trees required, he said.
He said the building will not change and they will bring samples in. There are two different shades of brick they are looking at before they make the final decision, he said.
Kishmish said the preliminary site plan was approved in 2018 and they worked with Wayne County on the drainage and it was tedious. He said the pandemic hit, but the financing was in place. He said for the next two years they tried to attract users.
“We finally got Sherwin Williams,” he said. “Their credit rating is better than the U.S. government right now.”
He said Sherwin Williams uses the biggest trucks so he had to give up his plan for a drive-through and it was hard to make that decision.
He said with the one-way drives, people always try to go out oneway.
“Two-way drive to me is fundamental, having a second option to exit the site,” Kishmish said.
He said they are really busy at that tire store and they are not open to the cross-site travel. He said his side made offers, but they are not going to agree. He said that the cross access is in on his side.
They said they plan to get this up and running in 2025. They said it’s similar to the Starbucks area, which worked out pretty well.
“We want a quality development and I’m here to stay,” Kishmish said.
Commissioner Bernie Grant questioned the materials to be used and Krishnan noted that they must bring samples before the planning commission.
Kishmish said that the commission doesn’t need to see that, and Krishnan said, “We have to see everything.” She told them of the builders who had to remove their siding when it didn’t comply.
Kishmish said they have stones as an alternative to mulch because it is cleaner and doesn’t need the maintenance.
He said, “We’re going to have a first-class development. We will follow your ordinances.”
Commissioner Medina Atchinson said mulch has gone into the sewer along Belleville Road.
Kishmish said Belle Tire doesn’t want to pay to change the pole and guy wire. He said the township can require them to open it up.
Commissioner Peter Creal said the cross access to Belle Tire is not the applicant’s issue. The township decides whether to approve his development or not.
“If cross access opens up, does that create a problem for you?” asked Commissioner Jeff Jahr.
Kismish said, “We are meeting all your ordinances. Cross access is problematic. Some communities keep it in the back.
“… If the township wants to go through issues with them, we’ve addressed everything on our plan, what we need to do… Cross access is on our plan.”\
Commission chairman Brian Cullin said he is very concerned about Belleville Road, which is a zoo. He asked what they see as curb cuts to the north of this property. He said the more driveway cuts you have, the more problem with the traffic flow.
Kismish said he doesn’t know what’s going to happen to the north. He said he tried to buy it. He said his property had two drives and now it has one.
Dan Power, director of planning and economic development, said the township aims to consolidate driveways.
Commissioner Atchinson made the motion to approve the preliminary site plan and the motion required them to provide all the materials. She said they are still in recovery from a materials’ experience. “I’ll bring a truck to help you bring them here,” she said. She also noted he could use ornamental trees rather than shade trees and be allowed to use stone in the parking lot islands instead of mulch.
Township Treasurer Sharry Budd, who sits on the planning commission as a board liaison, seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
There was some discussion about whether there would be an agenda for the Feb. 14 meeting and Atchinson asked that if there is no business could Krishnan give the commission some training.
“In my heart of hearts, I don’t know what affordable housing is,” she said, adding she’s been told that it is $240,000.
Cullin said it would be good to have discussion at the Feb. 14 meeting, if there is no business