VBT planners OK Autokiniton canopy, Richardo extension

The request for preliminary and final site plan approval for Autokiniton’s new 6,600-square-foot, galvanized, aluminum canopy was approved unanimously at the May 28 meeting of the Van Buren Township Planning Commission.
Autokiniton is at 6201 Haggerty Rd. and is the former L&W site. Brandon Henderson, Autokiniton Corporate Facilities Manager, said Autokiniton was formed after Tower International and L&W were bought and merged together.
He said the firm mainly is a stamping plant auto supplier with some assembly. He said they have 32 facilities across the country, with sites also in Mexico, Brazil, and India.
He said they take large rolls of steel in their press line and huge or small parts are pressed, as needed. As the press comes down, the scrap goes underneath and finally into a dumpster. The scrap is not reused. The new canopy will cover the scrap until it is removed from the site, which will take about two days.
Henderson said the government requires the scrap to be covered to keep oily water out of the water table. He said the former owner didn’t cover the scrap and Autokiniton is complying.
At the commission’s May 8 meeting, Adam Tabit of Lee Contracting, Inc. was present but unable to answer questions on all the outdoor storage piled all the way to I-275 at the site, which is a violation. No one from the company was present. Tabit is the contractor to erect the canopy.
The commissioners wanted someone from the company present to answer questions on violations so the canopy project was unanimously postponed until information was available.
At the May 28 meeting, Tabit showed pictures from earlier that day of how all the outdoor storage had been removed.
The commission was satisfied with Henderson’s presentation. Tabit said the present “carport” that was put up in violation was to be removed that weekend.
Henderson said a Google map shows some trees in the landscaping need to be replaced and they will be replaced. The commission also approved cutting back the required amount of paved parking on site by 123 spaces since they don’t need that many spaces for employees. Also, Autokiniton will change the address on its request from Belleville to Van Buren Township, as requested.
Ricardo temporary land use
After a brief discussion, the commission unanimously approved extending the previously approved temporary land use for a mobile refueling station that was to expire on May 31. Now it will extend to Dec. 31, 2025.
This is at the Ricardo site at 40000 Ricardo Dr., northeast of the Haggerty Road/Tyler Road intersection.
Ken Strang, program manager for this particular project, said they have retrofitted three trucks with hydrogen and now Toyota wants one more truck retrofitted, the reason for the requested extension.
Ricardo also received temporary land use approvals in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2024. In 2023 temporary land use was approved but never implemented.
Commission vice-chairman Jeff Jahr asked if Ricardo has plans to do this permanently and Strang replied that Ricardo has bigger plans for that facility and will be coming to the planning commission with the project soon. He said there will be no room for the mobile refueling station at the site.
Commissioner Jahr said since Ricardo has done the same thing year after year without any problems and in a safe way that maybe the township staff could approve such temporary land uses in the future.
Vidya Krishnan of McKenna, head planning consultant for the township, agreed that some applications are the same year after year by the same people, such as the fireworks tents, and this could be approved by the administration, but there should be something in writing. She will prepare something and bring it back to the commission for review.
“Pretty heinous scam”
Planning and Zoning Specialist Brittany Williams said she was going to stop putting copies of permit applications into the board packets because of a recent scam. She said emails that look like they are from the township, with a township logo, are being sent out to business people dealing with the township. She said the names and addresses and phone numbers are on the applications and they are being used as part of the scam.
“It’s a pretty heinous scam,” said Jahr, adding, “I hope law enforcement is working on this, and the FBI.”
Williams said the police department is investigating and the FBI has been contacted. She said they have been getting calls from businesses about bills from the township that are not legitimate.
The commissioners agreed they don’t need to see the applications in their packets and Jahr agreed they can be reviewed by the staff.