VBT Planners consider new version of Sumpter Road Corridor Plan

Close to two hours was spent by the Van Buren Township Planning Commission on Nov. 10 considering by zoom a new version of the Sumpter Road Corridor Plan, the only item on the agenda.
It was presented by McKenna Associates consultant Adam Cook and VBT Director of Planning and Economic Development Dan Power after working with a planning commission subcommittee and input by officials of the City of Belleville and Sumpter Township.
Part of the previous plan called for small businesses along both sides of Sumpter Road south of Hull Road to Bemis Road. This was considered at an open-air public hearing at the township firehall at the corner of Hull and Sumpter roads in late July and there were lots of negative comments.
At its Sept. 8 meeting, planners went over the public input and established a subcommittee made up of Medina Atchinson, Callie Barr, and Jeff Jahr to guide them. There also was input from Belleville City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson and Sumpter Township Administrator Michelle Cole.
Director Power said the new plan refined some ideas for a future land-use amendment, adding mixed-use districts, different lots, and a menu of buildings that fit in with the neighboring area.
Cook went over the proposals in great detail with Power flashing text and maps on the shared screen to illustrate the changes.
The new plan calls for large subdivisions with one-acre gross-density lots, paths, greenways, and parks on either side of the Sumpter/Hull intersection, with a market on the southeast corner and agricultural areas continuing south of that until another commercial area at Bemis.
Cook said the Hamlet idea is his favorite and mirrors Chaney subdivision and could have a community septic system.
A market on the corner has been a dream for residents in that area for many years since Kroger considered developing there and then changed its mind. Residents in that area said they don’t like having to drive north through the City of Belleville and over the bridge to get groceries. Many say they choose to drive south instead to stores in Monroe County.
The Sumpter Road plan also includes different versions of mixed use and commercial at both sides of the corner of Bemis and Sumpter roads.
The plan also includes changes north of Hull Road behind the current buildings along Sumpter, north to the City of Belleville. A proposal on the west side of Sumpter that extends Roulo Avenue and/or Bak Road north to the railroad tracks would allow light development on that open property.
Cook showed a vision statement for the changes that the future use should be generally what it is now preserving the rural feel and open space.
He outlined in detail nine different building types that could be used in the back area of the lots if Roulo and Bak were extended. They included retail, liner and mixed-use buildings, artisan studios, barn buildings, kiln houses, maker-space buildings, and accessory dwelling units.
Two new kinds of lots described were anchor lots and shallow-frontage lots.
Power said this is the plan the commission would like to see developed if the property owners want to do so. He said the township can’t keep them from developing under the current zoning, but it is a hope for the development.
He suggested slip streets behind shallow-frontage lots along the east side of Sumpter between Hull and the city.
Power said the township will develop an overlay district and that will be presented to the commission when they bring the completed proposal to them.
Belleville City Manager/Police Chief Robinson raised his virtual hand to speak via zoom.
He said mixing residential, agriculture and commercial in this zoning could be encouraging doing certain things with marijuana. He said with solid business storefronts going in there people could build a residence there with four to five artisan buildings and medical marijuana caregivers could raise 12 plants for every patient times five patients.
Robinson said every single residence can have that and to have that in the middle of the district is a problem. Those artisan-size buildings could be used. He recommended the township get legal advice. He said he brought that up in the meeting, but wanted to say it again, “to nip it in the bud, no pun intended.”
Power said Van Buren Township has a solid ordinance and individuals are limited to growing in residential zoning districts only. He said they will make sure to address the loopholes.
He said that Robinson also had brought up the separation of barns at the back streets, to make sure splitting the property doesn’t make barns stand alone.
Power said they intend to bring the full draft of the zoning plan and overlay district to the commission at an upcoming meeting.
Commissioner Atchinson asked if they will have community engagement again. She said it is very evident that there was a lot of misunderstanding and a lot of people at the open house had bad information.
“Maybe they won’t like the Hamlet style,” she said. “Bad information will die and the truth of what we’re doing will come to the surface.”
Power said they will do a press release or put it on the township website now that they have a more solid land-use recommendation. He said state law calls for another public hearing.
“It’s a good time to get rid of the negativity on what we’re doing,” said Commissioner Bryon Kelley who was chairing the meeting.