Politics & Government

Permit Request Approved for Drive-Thru at Orchard Lake and Maple

The request for final approval will go before the West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees at a later date following a unanimous vote from the planning commission at its meeting Tuesday.

which could result in the construction of a two-story building with a drive-thru window at the corner of Maple Road and Orchard Lake was at its meeting in

The commission was unanimous with its vote. It was not, however, lacking in concerns for the project; the board debated for more than two hours with regard to water management and traffic concerns.

In his proposal for the project, Mark Drane, owner of Rogvoy Architects, had asked for several modifications from the requirements of current ordinances. The proposal calls for a two-story, 25,099-square-foot, mixed-use building with a first-floor coffee shop (whose tenant has not been confirmed) and a second-floor medical office on a 1.8-acre site at the northwest corner of what was termed by the commission as the busiest intersection in West Bloomfield.

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Among those modifications, Drane asked that he, the developer, and the architect present at the meeting may provide a water detention system for a “10-year storm” instead of “100-year-storm” as currently regulated, to allow for less piping. Drane said that he was concerned that the underground system currently in place would have to be reorganized to meet the more stringent ordinance standards. That system currently in place features piping to maintain a water main, sanitary lines, and landscaping.

Vice Chairman  Steven Budaj said that he was concerned about a precedent being set in the developing township overlay district, of which that intersection is a part. “It’s going to be a domino effect and we can’t have developers coming up to us years down the road saying, ‘You let these guys have an exception, so why can’t we?’”

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Traffic was also a concern. Budaj pointed out the possibility of a line of cars forming in the drive-thru and disrupting traffic along Orchard Lake Road in the mornings, which is a time of heavy traffic.

The existing site has three driveways on Orchard Lake Road and four driveways on Maple Road, all of varying widths. The proposed plan would reduce the access to only the northernmost driveway on Orchard Lake Road and off of an easement to the west of the site that accesses Maple Road.

Drane said that as the building's drive-thru would offer room for 30 regular-sized vehicles as well as parking. He estimated that the time of construction from groundbreaking would take nine months.

The permit will be heard by the township board at a later date.

Ordinances running a-fowl of commission’s desires?

The planning commission heard drafted guidelines from the ordinance to allow for the keeping of chickens in residentially zoned areas, as asked for by the for township board at

The commission did not vote, instead choosing to hold it for further action after debating the guidelines among the commission members and in the

According to the language, residents who are part of a subdivision or condominium development must first apply for a building permit to build a coop in their rear yard, the only location in which a coop could be built. A maximum of four hens over the age of 1 month may be kept per parcel of land or per acre.

“I read the draft and going by the guidelines that have been printed, I could have 20 chickens surrounding me,” said Art Williams, an 18-year resident. “They’d escape. If we had chickens in the neighborhood, we’d have chickens walking up and down the street. I’m frankly surprised that we’re even considering it.”

“I’m in agreement with residents who are not in favor. Having said that, if this ordinance will go forward, there needs to be a minimum size requirement,” Budaj said.

The language will be re-drafted and presented once again at a later date.


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