VBT planners OK staff study to bring ordinances up to present

At its March 27 meeting, the Van Buren Township Planning Commission, after almost an hour of discussion, decided it wanted staff members to study the present ordinances to bring the property laws into the present.
Building and Planning Director Dan Power said some of the ordinances were written in 1964.
Director Power said there is a lot of potential light industrial uses in Van Buren Township and they can make sure the zoning and master plan have it developed the way they want.
He said TYC wanted to come here, but didn’t stay. It found an existing building in another community.
He said the commission had talked about a blended light industrial/office district.
He said he has put together three focus areas. First, was manufacturing definition between light and heavy. He’d propose having the rules product-based, not process-based for named products. He said they could direct the staff to address this issue between light and heavy manufacturing.
His second focus was on warehousing, which has robust uses in the township. Currently there are three tiers: warehousing allowed by right in zoning for storage; distribution center, larger, more than 25,000 square feet and more trucks with special land use; and trucker railroad terminals, such as Costco, of 4,000 square feet for one or more trucks.
He asked if there should be more stringent standards for warehouse or distribution center? Staff could see how this is applied in other communities.
Power said the office/light industrial zoning district should be created in the new master plan.
Power said the township has not received complaints about warehouses near subdivisions.
Commissioner Bernie Grant, an architect, said that warehouses and distribution centers have building and truck traffic, but they may not be adjacent to residential communities currently.
“We want green space buffers,” Commissioner Medina Atchinson said, adding, “We have enough trucks in Van Buren Township. I’d like to see fewer big trucks.” She asked about the opening of Our Next Energy battery plant.
Power said it has to have a final inspection before it begins. He said it is located in Building 6 of Crossroads North distribution center.
Commissioner Jeff Jahr said the way the ordinance is now for warehouses, a property owner could exploit that and break up a big building into several smaller buildings and get more building space than in a distribution center, with fewer restrictions.
Commissioner Grant said he would like the distribution center name to be changed and called a distribution “building.” He would like staff to look at the square footage and docks and other details.
“We’re losing big in the township,” Commissioner Jahr said, noting that a business with minor body work needs painting, which is not allowed.
“They are silly rules,” he said. There is a difference between a large building that just paints vehicles or a smaller business that assembles and paints tractors. He said he didn’t remember the name, but the township lost a light manufacturing business. “We lost their business,” he repeated.
Commissioner Atchinson said things have changed and with EV repair all you change is the battery. “The business of auto repair is different than in 1964,” she said, adding that parts come in for repair jobs now already painted the right color.
Jahr said,”Our ordinances don’t reflect today’s reality. I’m very concerned we’re driving away business and jobs.” He said if a new business bumps against the township’s set of ordinances, it doesn’t fight. It just goes away.
“Product vs. process,” Jahr said. “That’s to say ‘yes,’ Dan.”
Power wanted to clarify an issue, “They moved because there was a built building for them and we weren’t ready.”
Commissioner Atchinson asked if the ordinance on painting within the township is the reason Camping World didn’t move back in?
Power said they have been paving over an area that’s been disturbed and they submitted a newer, revised floorplan. He said he has had active conversations with Camping World over the last couple of weeks.
“Have they talked about painting?” Atchinson asked and Jahr noted, “It’s still in our ordinance.”
Atchinson said the township was the reason they eliminated the painting and if Camping World can’t make money that’s a problem.
“They wanted to add a paint booth,” recalled Treasurer Sharry Budd, who sits on the commission as board liaison. She said they spent a lot of money for the last three months and brought in a lot of gravel. She said in August they got flooded.
Jahr pointed out the new trucking business is painting and not following the ordinance.
It was mentioned that painting could be an accessory use.
“I want an ordinance to be inclusive instead of exclusive,” Atchinson said. “Can you ask Camping World about the painting booth?” she asked Power. “We could manage our ordinance to accommodate them.”
“I’ve had no indication the painting was a problem,” Power said.
“I direct you to find out how other communities have updated other ordinances,” Jahr said.
Power said some of Van Buren Township ordinances were created in 1974.
Commission chairman Brian Cullin directed Power to move on his focus items.
Commissioner Grant asked if they may create a subcommittee and Power and Cullin agreed.
“Absolutely. Anything that would help,” Cullin said.
Power said any volunteers should let him know. He said they have a limit of three so there isn’t a quorum.
Grant volunteered and others seemed interested.
In other business at the one-hour, seven-minute meeting, the commission:
• Approved temporary land use for TNT Fireworks to set up an outdoor fireworks tent sale in the Walmart parking lot from June 21 to July 5, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. TNT has been doing this for more than 10 years with no issues;
• Heard Power say he put an overall guide on parliamentary procedure in their packets. He said training sessions are available and he can sign them up or they can sign up themselves. He said the planning commission and board of zoning appeals have requirements for training for members;
• Heard Power said the state of Michigan is granting up to $50,000 and Director of Municipal Services Ron Akers applied for one for a township-wide housing study. He suggested revisiting the master plan to increase the variety of housing in the township; and
• Heard Jahr ask if there have been any issues with the drainage pond with the assisted living project on Tyler Road. Power said different entities – the county and state – take care of the pond issue. Local ordinances have requirements for landscaping. He said there may have been silt from the construction that had to be cleaned out of the pond. The county has restoration issues about tying in with the ditches. The project is not closed out yet, Power said.