VBT planners hear about Kalitta Air’s project at Willow Run

At the 21-minute, Zoom meeting on June 9, the Van Buren Township Planning Commission heard of the plans Kalitta Air has for constructing a 25,430-square-foot office and training building containing flight simulators at Willow Run Airport.
Dan Power, VBT Director of Planning and Economic Development, said the project also includes replacement of existing parking areas and the addition of 71 parking spaces and related site and stormwater improvements.
These improvements are in addition to an existing site which contains about 146,830 square feet of combined office, warehouse, simulator, and hangar speces currently used by Kalitta Air, a private charter flight company.
The proposed site includes two proposed lease parcels with a combined acreage of 17.57 acres.
Director Power said the site is under the jurisdiction of the Wayne County Airport Authority, but VBT can review setbacks, parking, parking lot landscaping, and screening of waste containers.
He said the new building will connect with Kalitta’s existing facility. He said half of the new building will house flight simulators and half will be office space.
Power said a regional stormwater system is being done at the airport and this ties in, with some going to Ypsilanti and some to VBT.
Steven Dart, who was attending by Zoom, said there is a Ypsilanti address on the site plan. He asked if there was any way for VBT to get credit for this.
Peter Betters, representing Kalitta Air, said the Kalitta mailing address is Ypsilanti and has been that way for a long time. The parcel identification number is in VBT and the address is within VBT.
Betters said it is property leased from the airport and not owned by Kalitta. When Kalitta leaves, the property goes back to the airport, like Delta did at Wayne County Airport, Betters said.
In other business at the June 9 meeting, Power explained that the Camping World item originally on the agenda has been delayed at the applicant’s request and is scheduled for the June 23 meeting or the first meeting in July.
Camping World is now seeking an amended preliminary and final site plan because it has decided to keep the whole body shop instead of tearing part down and wants to add a paint booth and new LED lighting.
The changes brought some comments from the fire department and they hope to work that out before asking for the changes.