Lima Township Planners refer proposed Freer Road development plan to Chelsea

By Lisa Carolin

The Lima Township Planning Commission unanimously voted (William Coltre recused himself) to postpone final action on the application for a preliminary site plan by Wolf Land Development Company and refer it to the Chelsea Planning Commission.

That occurred at the Lima Planning Commission’s Nov. 25 meeting, and it was the third time that the applicant had gone before the commission, adjusting plans each time to include more green space, parks, saving more woodlands, and less density.

The proposed development would be located on Freer Road north of Old US-12 on a 46-acre parcel. It would include two medical professional buildings as well as 172 residential units consisting of attached ranch homes, single family residential homes, and 2-story town homes.

The leading concern from most of the people who commented as well as planning commission members is that traffic is already backed up on Freer Road at US-12 and that more development will cause a significant increase in traffic.

A traffic impact study about the intersection resulted in the recommendation to widen the intersection and add a left turn lane along with pedestrian accommodations like a push button activated walkway. A left turn arrow on both sides of Freer Road was also recommended.

Lima Township Supervisor Craig Maier said that he talked to the Washtenaw County Road Commission about the possibility of a roundabout at that intersection.

There was also concern from residents about existing flooding in that area and requiring the developer to use proper drainage.

Other residents complained about the high density not being part of Lima Township’s master plan, but because it abuts the City of Chelsea, the proposed development could be annexed by the city.

One local resident told the planning commission, “I just don’t want to see my little town of Chelsea turn into Ann Arbor.”