Mar 24, 2025 Planning Commission

[00:00:55]

MISS CHERRY I JUST GOT A TEXT MESSAGE. YOU'RE ALL SET. OKAY. WHEN YOU'RE READY TO GO.

QUORUM. YES. YES. WE'RE NOT EXPECTING ANYONE ELSE.

NOPE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M GLAD. THANK YOU FOR ALL, ALL FOUR OF YOU, FOR COMING.

IT'S OUR JOB. I'M OUT OF PTO DAYS I KNOW. ALL RIGHT, THEN I WILL CALL THE MEETING OF THE MARCH

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

I'M HERE. COMMISSIONER MCMCCURTIS. HERE. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK.

HERE. AND COMMISSIONER SHREWSBURY. I'M HERE. AND WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT OUR OTHER TWO MEMBERS WILL NOT BE HERE TONIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. THIS NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC REMARKS.

THIS WOULD BE FOR THINGS THAT ARE, WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED, BUT THIS WOULD BE PUBLIC REMARKS ON ANY OTHER TOPICS IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO. SO NONE WE'LL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]

THANK YOU. OKAY. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MCMCCURTIS.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. AGENDA IS APPROVED AS WRITTEN.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE MARCH 10TH, 2025 MEETING.

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL. TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE NOTES.

YES. FLIP FLOP BACK AND FORTH. THAT'S PERFECT.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES? THEY LOOK GREAT TO ME.

I HAD ONE LITTLE ONE. AND IT'S ACTUALLY A QUESTION THAT AS I LOOK AT OUR PACKET FOR TONIGHT ALSO RAISED A QUESTION.

IT WAS UNDER 11, PROJECT UPDATES. A NOTE THAT IT WAS GOING INTO A VACANT PROPERTY ON MARSH ROAD.

AND THEN I THOUGHT WE CLARIFIED THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY ON OKEMOS ROAD.

OH. BUT THEN IN THE PROJECT UPDATES FOR THIS PACKET MEETING, IT HAS AN ADDRESS ON MARSH ROAD.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THEIR CURRENT ADDRESS OR, BUT I SAW THEIR SIGN ON MY WAY HERE ON OKEMOS ROAD, SO. THAT'S OKEMOS ROAD AND THAT IS. WELL, YEAH.

THANKS FOR BRINGING IT TO MY ATTENTION. COOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO EXCEPT FOR THAT CHANGE, I THINK YOU DID SAY MARSH, BECAUSE I THINK THEIR PROBABLY APPLICATION ADDRESSES MARSH WHERE THEY ARE NOW OR SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW ANYWAY, BUT I THOUGHT WE CORRECTED IT.

WE GOT IT. YEAH. WITH THAT CHANGE ARE THERE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE MINUTES OR.

OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF MINUTES AS CORRECTED. SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS MINORLY CORRECTED.

AND NOW WE ARE ON TO COMMUNICATIONS. I SAW THAT THERE WERE SOME IN THE PACKET, AND I SEE ONE IN FRONT OF US HERE AS WELL.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN NOW WE ARE ON TO ITEM 7A PUBLIC HEARINGS.

[7.A. SUP #25006 – Precious Sprouts Group Child Care ]

OKAY. SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 25006 PRECIOUS PRECIOUS SPROUTS.

ESTABLISH A GROUP CHILDCARE HOME FOR UP TO 12 CHILDREN AT 2137 BUTTERNUT DRIVE.

NOW, I WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

SO ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN CHANGED THE MICHIGAN ZONING ENABLING ACT RULES ON FAMILY AND GROUP DAYCARES TO GO FROM A MAXIMUM OF 6 AND 12, RESPECTIVELY, TO 7 AND 14.

RIGHT AFTER THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP INITIATED A ZONING CHANGE, A TEXT AMENDMENT TO A ZONING ORDINANCE TO FOLLOW SUIT SO THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A MORE

[00:05:01]

DURING THIS CASE THE APPLICANT INFORMED ME THAT THE STATE HAD COME IN AND DONE INSPECTION, AND THEY WERE IN LINE FOR 12. AND THAT CONFUSED ME BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE STATE HAD JUST CHANGED THEIR RULES.

SO WHAT WE FOUND OUT DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS IS THAT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT LAW CHANGE, THE STATE SET UP A SYSTEM WHERE YOU ARE INITIALLY APPROVED FOR 12, AND THEN IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFULLY IN BUSINESS FOR UP TO AFTER A MINIMUM OF 29 MONTHS, THE STATE WILL THEN APPROVE YOU TO GO UP TO 14.

SO OUR ORDINANCE IS OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE A MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN YOU KNOW.

WE STILL SAY YOU CAN GO UP TO 14 WHEN THE STATE SAYS IT'S OKAY FOR YOU TO GO UP TO 14.

BUT I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT'S WHY THIS SAYS THIS IS APPROVAL FOR 12.

THIS IS AN APPROVAL FOR 12 KIDS. IF THEY'RE SUCCESSFULLY IN BUSINESS OVER THE NEXT 29 MONTHS, AND IF THEY MEET THE STATE'S CRITERIA, THAT WILL GO TO 14 AT THAT TIME.

OKAY. THAT IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST MONKEY WRENCH I'VE GOT TO THROW INTO THIS.

IT IS ZONED RA IT'S A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONE.

THE LOT IT CONFORMS TO ZONING AND FUTURE LAND USE.

THE TRAFFIC FRONTS ON BUTTERNUT DRIVE DURING STAFF VISIT.

WE WERE THERE FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. IT SEEMS TO BE A LOW, VERY LOW TRAFFIC ROAD, I.E.

WE DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY GO BY IN 15 MINUTES. TYPICAL MORNING DROP OFF EXTENDS 8 TO 9, ACCORDING TO THE APPLICANT.

TYPICAL PICKUP EXTENDS 4 TO 6. THE REAL THE ONLY THE ONLY REAL THING WE HAVE HERE THAT THE STATE HAS CRITERIA IN THE MICHIGAN ZONING ENABLING ACT.

IT'S THERE ARE NO THERE ARE NO FACILITIES WITHIN 1,500 FEET THAT WOULD MAKE THIS UNABLE TO OPERATE.

THE FENCED IN PLAY AREA IN THE BACK HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND APPROVED FOR THIS USE, SO I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO COMMENT ANY FURTHER ON THE ON THE FENCING IN THE BACKYARD.

THEY DO NOT EXCEED 16 HOURS OF OPERATION IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD JUST USING THE STATE, THE STATE STANDARDS FROM THE ZONING ENABLING ACT, WHICH SAY VERY CLEARLY YOU WILL APPROVE THIS IF THEY MEET THOSE STANDARDS.

STAFF SEES NO ISSUES. IN OUR OWN SUP STANDARDS THE ONLY THING, THE ONLY ISSUE, QUOTE UNQUOTE, THAT WE SEE, WE CALL WE WE CLASSIFY GROUP CHILD CARES UNDER THE SPECIAL USES OR SPECIAL USES IN, NON RESIDENTIAL USES IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES. AND IT'S A LIST OF DIFFERENT USES THAT AUTOMATICALLY BECOME SPECIAL USE PERMITS.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. A BLANKET STATEMENT IN THAT ORDINANCE SAYS THESE USES SHOULD BE ON THE EDGE OF RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS AND FRONT ON MAJOR STREETS SHOULD NOT SHALL. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT, THIS IS BUTTERNUT DRIVE, I THINK, IN IN COLOR, IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS RAISES A RED FLAG.

BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR THINGS TO BRING UP, THIS IS THE THING THAT STAFF FEELS LIKE NEEDS TO BE MENTIONED.

OTHER THAN THAT, I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

THE APPLICANT IS REPRESENTED AND SEE NO OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF AT THIS TIME? I DO WANT TO MENTION TOO JUST JUST SO EVERYONE IS AWARE, YOU YOU PROBABLY READ IT IN THE REPORT.

THIS IS NOT A NEW THIS IS NOT THEM MOVING INTO A HOUSE AND ASKING FOR A NEW LICENSE.

THEY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY DAYCARE, ALL FAMILY CHILD CARE ALREADY.

SO THEY'RE JUST THEY'RE NOT BUILDING A NEW BUSINESS.

THEY WANT TO EXPAND THE EXISTING. THEY DON'T WANT A NEW FACILITY.

THEY WANT TO EXPAND THE EXISTING FACILITY. OKAY.

OKAY. QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? I HAVE A FEW, BUT I'M STALLING FOR TIME WHILE I GET MYSELF ORGANIZED.

OKAY. THE MAP THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE THAT SHOWS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK. I, I THINK I READ LATER IN THE STAFF REPORT OR ELSEWHERE THAT IN THE EVENT THAT AN APPLICANT DIDN'T MEET ALL OF THE CRITERIA THAT THE TOWNSHIP COULD STILL ISSUE A PERMIT WITH CERTAIN CONDITIONS ON IT. AND THAT AMONG THOSE CONDITIONS WERE KIND OF THINGS THAT APPLY TO SPECIAL USE PERMITS IN GENERAL, LIKE IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT A SPECIAL USE IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, DO IT AT THE EDGE.

IS THAT WHERE I READ THAT

[00:10:03]

YES. AND THAT'S IN OUR THAT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE.

AND FOR CERTAIN SPECIAL USE PERMITS. THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME, BECAUSE IF IT'S A BUSINESS AND THERE'S LOTS OF COMING AND GOING, THEN MORE MAJOR STREET, BUT FOR A DAYCARE, I'M NOT SURE.

THAT FEELS VERY DIFFERENT TO ME BECAUSE THE NEAREST EXAMPLE WAS OKEMOS ROAD AND HAVING TRAFFIC GOING ON AND OFF OKEMOS ROAD, YOU KNOW. RIGHT. WE TRY TO DISCOURAGE MORE CURB CUTS AND BUSINESSES.

SO THIS IS CORRECT. BUT THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE CASE HERE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY THE APPLICATION ALREADY MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA.

SO WE'RE NOT THIS. YEAH THIS. YEAH. THAT THAT THING ABOUT FRONTING ON MAJOR STREETS AND BEING ON THE EDGE.

THAT'S OUR STANDARD. THAT'S NOT IN THE MICHIGAN ZONING ENABLING ACT.

COMMISSIONER MCCURTIS, YOU WEREN'T HERE WITH OUR LAST ONE.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR. THE MICHIGAN ZONING ENABLING ACT IN THEIR GROUP CHILDCARE RULES SAYS IF THEY MEET THESE CRITERIA, WE WILL APPROVE. THEY DON'T LEAVE A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM.

I'VE MADE THAT POINT BEFORE. OKAY. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL CATCHING UP, I JUST WANT TO [INAUDIBLE] . SIMILARLY, ON THAT COMMENT, I WOULD REITERATE THAT I DON'T LIKE THE MICHIGAN ZONING ENABLING ACT FOR THAT, BUT I WILL SUGGEST OTHERS TAKE THAT UP WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND SEE IF THEY WISH TO REVISIT IT.

BUT I JUST I IT JUST STILL BEFUDDLES ME THAT YOU WOULD PASS A LAW THAT SAYS YOU SHALL APPROVE THIS, THEN WHY PUT IT THROUGH A COMMITTEE? AND I GET IT, THERE'S ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS.

THERE'S PROBABLY SOME ADMINISTRATIVE LAW THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT. IT'S NOT YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE, THIS IS MY OWN DIATRIBE, OKAY? I ADMIT TO JUST GENERALLY DISLIKE THE MICHIGAN ZONING ENABLING ACT, NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR YOUR BUSINESS.

AND YOU CERTAINLY DO MEET THE CRITERIA. IT'S JUST I DON'T LIKE THE WAY THE LAW IS PARTICULARLY STRUCTURED.

SO DIATRIBES IN ITALICS IN THE MINUTES IN PARENTHESES. IN PARENTHESES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THOUGHTS? COMMENTS? I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE.

HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY GREEN SHEETS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ONE? IT'S ONE ONE COMMENT [INAUDIBLE]. SO THE 12 TO 14 STANDARD, WILL THE APPLICANT HAVE TO COME BACK TO US TO MOVE TO 14? OKAY. NO, THAT'S THAT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE AT THE STATE LEVEL.

OKAY. I DID CHECK THAT. AND OUR PROCESS FOR PUBLIC HEARING IS THAT WE'D HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY, IF WE WANTED TO WE COULD DO A STRAW POLL TODAY, AND THEN WE WOULD VOTE ON IT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

CORRECT. OKAY. CORRECT. YEAH, THE APPLICANTS AWARE OF THAT.

OKAY. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU SAID WE DO HAVE THE APPLICANT HERE.

DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS THEY'D LIKE TO ASK OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY. I SEE NOBODY HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, SO I GUESS WE CAN CLOSE OUR PUBLIC HEARING.

AND THEN WE CAN TAKE A QUICK STRAW POLL IN TERMS OF THIS IS, FOR THE RECORD, OUR THOUGHTS ON HOW WE MAY VOTE WHEN THIS COMES NEXT TO US AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

IT'S NOT A BINDING DECISION, BUT GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD, THOSE WHO WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THIS APPLICATION, NOT RECOMMENDING APPROVAL. YES. OKAY. SO I THINK THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

I KNOW WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS NOT HERE. AND SOMETHING ELSE COULD COME UP.

BUT GIVEN WHAT YOU'VE SHARED WITH US AND SORT OF WHAT THE STATUTE SAYS, OKAY, THAT'S GOOD DIRECTION .

I WILL PREPARE A RESOLUTION. AND AFTER THAT YOU WILL HAVE THE APPROVAL.

THIS DOES NOT NEED TO GO TO THE BOARD. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A WHOLE WHEREAS THAT'S IN ITALICS.

NOW WE ARE ON TO PUBLIC HEARING 7B, IT IS A ZONING AMENDMENT NUMBER

[7.B. ZA #25002 – Sec. 86-755 – Schedule of Requirements for Parking Space ]

BE NICE. THANK YOU. AREN'T WE ALWAYS. TALK ABOUT THE ZONING ENABLING ACT.

GREAT. WELL, GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS AND EVERYONE HERE.

SO AS MY NAME IS MIRA, ONCE AGAIN, I SPOKE TO MOST OF YOU HERE.

[00:15:02]

YEAH, I'M JUST AN INTERN HERE. BUT AS DISCUSSED WE HAVE MADE WE WOULD LIKE TO PUSH FOR AN UPDATE ON OFF STREET PARKING.

SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE ZONING ORDINANCE. SORRY.

GIVE ME ONE SECOND. YES. SO STAFF HAS DEFINITELY CURATED A DIFFERENT POTENTIAL UPDATES ON THIS ORDINANCE.

WHICH IS ALSO GOING TO BE SEEN IN YOUR GUYS'S PACKET.

WE KIND OF JUST WANT TO HOPE THAT THIS REMOVAL OF NO MINIMUM PARKING REDUCES SURFACES AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO REMOVE ABOUT 25% OF OVERFLOW REQUIREMENT IN MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS, AS WELL AS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED SPACES FOR ONE BEDROOM AND STUDIO APARTMENTS. WE REALLY HOPE TO MODERNIZE AND MAKE THE LAND USABLE.

ESPECIALLY TO KEEP IT UP WITH CURRENT TIMES. I REMEMBER IN THE MEETING THAT I WAS AT I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER ROMBACK I THINK YOU DEFINITELY TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU ARE WELCOME, YOU WANT TO WELCOME NEW BUSINESSES, AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT FIRST STEP FOR THAT.

ALSO, THIS MAKES BRIAN AND KEITH'S JOB A LOT EASIER.

IT SIMPLIFIES PARKING CALCULATIONS. AS WELL AS GIVING A BIT MORE LEEWAY, AND AS WELL ALSO AS WELL AS MAKING MERIDIAN A LOT MORE BUSINESS AND USER FRIENDLY. SO A FEW HYPOTHETICALS YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR PACKET.

SO THIS IS FOR A MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL. IT'S ABOUT LET'S SAY HYPOTHETICALLY THERE'S 100 UNITS FOR THIS FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.

THEY'RE 31 BEDROOMS AND THEN 72 OR 3 BEDROOM UNITS WITHIN THIS COMPOUND.

AS OF USING THE CURRENT REGULATIONS MATH, 250 SPACES WOULD BE REQUIRED.

BUT WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IT WOULD ONLY REQUIRE 145 SPACES.

THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT, LIKE, A DEVELOPER CAN'T COME TO BRIAN AND SAY, WELL, WE NEED 200 SPACES.

THEY ARE STILL GIVEN THAT LEEWAY. AND KNOWING BRIAN, HE WOULD SAY, YEAH, SURE.

GO AHEAD. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT. COULD I CHIME IN FOR A SECOND? SURE. IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO ALERT ANY GUESTS IN THE MEETING THAT WHILE IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE IF THERE'S UNLESS YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN OUR PARKING ORDINANCE, WE WILL NOT BE OFFENDED IF YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE NOW.

WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE YOUR ENTIRE EVENING. SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED AS TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS. BUT YOU'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO STAY THANK YOU. THE PROCEEDINGS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. DON'T FORGET YOUR COAT .

WE ALL WISH IT WAS SPRING AND WE DIDN'T NEED JACKETS YET.

BUT I SAW SNOW TODAY. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.

NO. THAT'S OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT. SORRY. NO. THAT'S OKAY.

BUT THAT, I MEAN, AFTER THAT SO THAT'S JUST LIKE ONE ASPECT OF IT.

YOUR SECOND EXAMPLE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT A COMMERCIAL CENTER DEVELOPMENT THAT'S USING MAYBE 100,000 SQUARE FOOT FOR A BIG BOX RETAILER THAT WAS ALSO SPOKEN ABOUT IN THE DECEMBER 9TH MEETING ABOUT HYPOTHETICAL IN TERMS OF A MALL THAT WANTS TO BE OPENED.

THIS WOULD DEFINITELY CUT IT DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 300 SPACES.

YEAH, 300 SPACES FOR THE ENTIRE BIG BOX OPERATION.

WE DO. THAT'S. SORRY. THAT WAS VERY QUICK. BUT ALSO IN YOUR ATTACHMENT, YOU WILL SEE THE SCHEDULE REQUIREMENTS PARKING.

YOU'LL SEE OUR ORIGINAL WHAT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS WHAT STAFF HAS DONE TO CUT THOSE NUMBERS DOWN AS WELL AS A LOT OF THEIR WORK IS ALSO SHOWN. BUT, YEAH, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, TALK TO BRIAN.

WELL, IT'S REALLY COMMISSIONER BROOKS HAS GOT ALL THE MATH QUESTIONS.

WE'VE BEEN PUTTING SENIOR PLANNER HERE THROUGH THE MATH QUESTIONS, BUT.

AND I DO APPRECIATE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS LEADING UP TO GETTING THIS ON THE ON THE AGENDA AS A PUBLIC HEARING.

SO I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF OUR QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.

I KNOW THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY WHO IS HERE TO SPEAK TO THIS AS A PUBLIC HEARING.

SO IS THERE ANYTHING ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO GET ON THE RECORD JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANYBODY WHO MAY BE WATCHING AT HOME OR WATCHING LATER ON A RECORDING THAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT TO SAY? THE ONLY THING THAT'S OCCURRED TO ME DURING THIS DISCUSSION, I KEEP BRINGING IT UP, I'M BORING, IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SMALLER PARKING AND COMMERCIAL AREAS LIKE A STRIP MALL, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THAT PARKING WILL BE SHARED.

[00:20:10]

AND I WAS I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION TO BE ASKING OR NOT.

WE HAVE A MECHANISM FOR SHARED PARKING IN THE ORDINANCE.

WE CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE SHARE. SO IN A STRIP CENTER, IT'S ONE DEVELOPMENT.

THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S ONE THAT'S THAT'S EASY. IT'S ONE PARKING LOT TOGETHER.

BUT ONCE ONE GOING IN AND ONE GOING IN TWO DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, AMERICAN HOUSE ON YOU KNOW, HASLETT AND MARSH ROAD, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT DEVELOPER THAN EVENTUAL HASLETT VILLAGE. THAT PARKING, THAT PARKING LOT IS SEPARATE FROM THAT FROM HASLETT VILLAGE.

AND THAT'S NOT A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE HASLETT V ILLAGE HAS A PARKING WAIVER AND LOTS OF OTHER MECHANISMS. BUT YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN WE CAN PUT THE ORDINANCE IN PLACE, WE CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE USE THEM.

BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THE LINES OF, SO LET'S SAY THERE IS A NEW MALL AND THEN A RESTAURANT WITH LIKE AN OUT FACING PATIO OPENS. DOES THE MALL NUMBER OF SPACES CONTROL OR THE RESTAURANT NUMBER OF SPACES CONTROL? YOU MEAN A RESTAURANT IN THE MALL? WELL, YEAH.

LET'S LET'S LET'S PUT RUBY TUESDAY'S REOPENS.

WELL, I MEAN, LET'S HOPE NOT BUT MAYBE ANOTHER RESTAURANT.

SORRY. NO, I'M BIG ON LOCAL, BUT I THINK MY QUESTION IS WHICH? WHICH CONTROLS. RIGHT. WOULD IT BE THE FACT THAT THE MALL, BECAUSE IT HAS THE LARGER NUMBER AND IS THE ACTUAL, I GUESS, PROPERTY, OR WOULD YOU HAVE TO DO A VARIANCE OF SOME SORT OR SOMETHING FOR THE RESTAURANT TO OPEN? IT'S UNLIKELY WE'D HAVE TO DO A VARIANCE. I MEAN, THAT'S TANTAMOUNT TO SAYING EVERY TIME A VACANCY GETS FILLED INSIDE THE MALL, DO WE HAVE TO DO A NEW PARKING CALCULATION IN A, IN A IN SOMETHING IN, IN AS BIG AS MERIDIAN MALL WOULD HAVE CAPTURED THAT IN ITS INITIAL CALCULATION. SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE MALL THE MALL CALCULATION WOULD CONTROL BECAUSE IT'S THE LARGER RIGHT.

RIGHT. WHERE? WHERE YOU GET INTO RECALCULATIONS AND YOU GET INTO TROUBLE IS, IF SOMEONE GOES FROM AN OFFICE TO A RESTAURANT, THAT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, IN A SINGLE BUILDING, NOT NOT IN A MALL SETTING, BUT IN A SINGLE BUILDING, BECAUSE THAT WILL TRIGGER A NEW, YOU KNOW, PARKING CALCULATION, IF THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING, THEY'LL HAVE TO BRING THAT UP. THIS POTENTIALLY GIVES THEM SOME LEEWAY.

I WILL NOTE ON THE HYPOTHETICAL, BECAUSE YOU ASKED FOR HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES.

AND THEN THE HYPOTHETICAL COMMERCIAL WE'VE WE'VE SEEN IN PRIOR EXAMPLES WHERE CAN YOU SCROLL DOWN? YEAH. HERE. WAIT A MINUTE, I GOT IT.

IT'S JUST THIS IS A LOT SMALLER, A LOT SLOWER FOR SOME REASON.

DOES THAT THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE YOU WANT TO SEE THE COMMERCIAL THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

YES PLEASE. OKAY. SO I LOOKED A LITTLE BIT TO FIND A NUMBER TO REVIEW WE HAVE 5 COMMERCIAL, 4 OR 5 COMMERCIAL CENTERS OF DIFFERENT, AND WE'VE SIMPLIFIED THAT DOWN INTO 2 COMMERCIAL CENTERS OVER AND UNDER 50,000FT².

SO THESE ARE GENERAL CATCH ALL PHRASES IF WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC USE ETC.

MULTIFAMILY OR EXCUSE ME, MULTI-TENANT STRUCTURES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE'VE SEEN WHEN I GAVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HASLETT VILLAGE, HOW THAT PART, WHEN THAT PARKING NUMBER CAME IN OR THE THE PARKING CALCULATION CAME IN FOR THE PROPOSED COMMERCIAL, IN THAT DEVELOPMENT, THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE COMMERCIAL.

SO AT A CERTAIN POINT THERE'S NOT A BENEFIT, BUT AT 100,000FT² THAT STARTS TO TAKE EFFECT.

AND THAT THAT NUMBER WAS BASED ON ANOTHER QUESTION SOMEBODY ASKED AT ONE POINT, HOW BIG WAS THE HOME DEPOT? AND I LOOKED THAT UP AND ACTUALLY ROUNDED IT DOWN.

OKAY. I'M SORRY. HOW ABOUT? SOMEBODY HAD ASKED THEIR PRIOR MEETING HOW BIG HOME DEPOT WAS? I ACTUALLY PULLED THE SITE PLAN TO LOOK USED THAT NUMBER ROUNDED DOWN BECAUSE THE MATH WAS EASIER.

I'M A PLANNER, NOT AN ENGINEER. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING, IT DID SAY THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER.

SO THAT I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT FACTORS INTO MY VOTING, BUT.

SO I HAVE A QUESTION THAT I PROBABLY OUGHT TO KNOW THE ANSWER TOO.

BUT WHEN THESE ARE SET, WHAT OR HOW COULD SOMEBODY, IF THEY WANTED A VARIANCE OF SOME SORT, IS THERE A PROCESS FOR A WAIVER OR A VARIANCE TO BE APPLIED FOR? YEAH, HEY GO THROUGH THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. AND THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. VARIANCE. OKAY.

GOT IT. SO IT HAPPENED AT TRADER JOE'S. TRADER JOE'S GOT A VARIANCE BECAUSE THEY IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE,

[00:25:07]

THAT'S THE ONLY TIME IN 25 YEARS THAT I'VE EVER SEEN ANYBODY DO THAT.

AND NOT MANY PLACES ARE TRADER JOE'S. THIS IS TRUTH.

SO WITH NO PUBLIC COMMENT, ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WE'LL CLOSE OUR PUBLIC HEARING AT 7, 06:55 AND STRAW POLL IS NEXT.

RIGHT. AND THIS ONE WOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO GO TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR APPROVAL.

THAT IS CORRECT. THOSE WHO WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDING THAT THIS MOVE FORWARD SAY AYE, AYE. OPPOSED. SO IF YOU WOULD GIVE US A. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALL OF YOUR WORK BEHIND THE SCENES ON THIS TOO.

THANK YOU. ON OUR NEXT, NEXT AGENDA IS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS ONE.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND NOW WE ARE ON TO ITEM 8A UNFINISHED BUSINESS, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER

[8.A. SUP #25003 – Okemos Local Investments ]

OKAY. ON THE NEXT STEP. YEAH. THAT'S CORRECT.

THIS IS THE SECOND MEETING FOR OKEMOS LOCAL INVESTMENTS, A PROPOSED ADULT USE MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER AT 4360 SOUTH HAGADORN ROAD. THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGE IN THIS APPLICATION SINCE YOU HEARD THIS TWO WEEKS AGO.

WE RECEIVED NO FURTHER COMMENT. STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL, THEREFORE, OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADULT USE MARIJUANA RETAILER AT 4360 SOUTH HAGADORN ROAD WITH THE CONDITIONS LISTED IN THE RESOLUTION.

AND THERE'S A SUGGESTED MOTION THERE FOR YOU FOR YOUR REFERENCE.

THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE RESOLUTION. THIS WILL THIS WILL THIS WILL GO TO THE, THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

THIS WILL GO TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. THANK YOU.

WE WOULD MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 25003 TO CONSTRUCT AN ADULT USE MARIJUANA RETAILER AT 4360 SOUTH HAGADORN ROAD, OKEMOS, MICHIGAN 48864 FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.

THE PROPOSED PROJECT CONFORMS WITH THE TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN AND THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

THE PROPOSED PROJECT CONFORMS WITH THE ADULT USE MARIJUANA REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE TOWNSHIP.

THE PROPOSED PROJECT THAT WOULD RESULT FITS THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA.

THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MCCURTIS SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

ANY DISCUSSION? QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR APPLICANT.

OKAY. I WILL TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE. COMMISSIONER MCMCCURTIS.

YES. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL. YES. COMMISSIONER ROMBACK.

YES. AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES. SO WE ARE GOOD TO GO.

THANK YOU. WE WILL FORWARD THAT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU. WE ARE ON TO OTHER BUSINESS 9A, WE HAVE NONE.

GETS US DOWN TO 10A OR 10, REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TOWNSHIP BOARD UPDATE.

[10.A. Township Board update ]

GOT IT. QUESTIONS? YES. SO NOW THAT IT'S BEEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN TERMS OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, IT COMES TO US.

NO. YEAH. YOU WEREN'T HERE LAST YEAR. THEY APPLIED FOR A REZONING, RIGHT? I DO REMEMBER THAT. THEY APPLIED [INAUDIBLE] THEY APPLIED A WHILE AGO FOR A REZONING THAT WAS TURNED.

THAT WAS. THEY WITHDREW BEFORE THE BOARD VOTED.

THEY MET WITH THE NEIGHBORS. THEY THEY MADE SOME CONDITIONS.

THEY CHANGED WHAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR. THEY CAME THEY CAME IN AND ASKED FOR A LESSER DENSITY AND A DIFFERENT DESIGNATION.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THAT.

THAT WENT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. SO THE ZONING HAS BEEN APPROVED.

THE REZONING HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THE FOR THE SITE.

AND IT'S THE NORTH THIRD ISH. YEAH, I WAS HERE FOR SOME OF THAT.

OKAY. YOU WERE. OKAY, OKAY. SO YOU KNOW WHERE I'M TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. SO NOW THEIR NEXT STEP IS TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT,

[00:30:04]

THAT'S THE PART THAT I WAS TRYING TO. YEAH. OKAY.

NOW THAT WILL BE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVAL.

AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT WILL BE SITE PLAN AND THAT WILL BE ADMINISTRATIVE AND LENGTHY.

AND WE'LL DO A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

OH YES. OH, YES. OKAY. AND THAT ONE WILL HAVE SITE PLAN.

LIKE WE'LL HAVE SOME SENSE OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO.

OKAY. YES. GOOD. LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. ANYTHING ELSE OR ANY QUESTIONS? MR. SHORKEY. ALL RIGHT. LIAISON REPORTS. DOES ANYBODY HAVE A LIAISON REPORT? I DO NOT. OKAY. THIS IS GOING TO BE A QUICK MEETING.

PROJECT UPDATES. I SAW THAT YOU GAVE US A LIST IN OUR PACKET.

[11. PROJECT UPDATES ]

I WILL MAKE THAT CORRECTION. BUT YOU KNOW, IN YOUR PACKET, I WILL I'LL, I'LL, I'LL MARK OUT IN BOLD STUFF THAT I'VE ADDED FOR THIS AND THEN NEXT TIME I'LL UNBOLD IT AND UPDATE IT AS, AS NECESSARY. BUT WE'VE GOT A NEW POTENTIAL RESTAURANT TAKEOUT RESTAURANT UNDER BUILDING REVIEW AT 5951 MARSH ROAD.

WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TO FORESHADOW A AN AMENDED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A NEW CAR WASH AT 4880 MARSH ROAD. AND THEN PUFF PUFF TOBACCO IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AS WE'VE NOTED. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? THERE'S ONE OTHER THING.

SINCE I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO DO THIS PROJECT UPDATES, SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE WE'VE HAD AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN BLOWING UP IN THE TOWNSHIP.

I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO SPECIFICS. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE LANGUAGE ADDRESSING ROOSTERS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

JUST GIVING YOU A HEADS UP. DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LANGUAGE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE YET, BUT IT'S COMING.

GREAT. OKAY. I COULD MAKE ALL SORTS OF TERRIBLE JOKES ABOUT CROWING AND LET THAT GO FOR NOW. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT HEADS UP. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER.

OKAY. WE'RE DOWN TO PUBLIC REMARKS. WE HAVE NOBODY HERE TO GIVE PUBLIC REMARKS.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

I MOVE TO ADJOURN. THANK YOU. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 7:02.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.