By Lisa Carolin
There were a number of comments during a public hearing at the Lima Township Planning Commission’s July 22 meeting regarding a petition to amend the official zoning map by Wolf Land Development Company.
The proposed development would be located on Freer Road, just north of Old US-12 and just south of Chelsea High School, and include 208 residential units and two medical buildings.
The planning commission asked the developer and planner to tweak their plans and postponed any action pending the requested revisions.
Residents who live near the proposed development expressed concerns over increased traffic and the large size of the residential development.
Members of the planning commission were also very concerned about the potential traffic increase as well as the density of the proposed housing.
Chelsea City Council began meeting with the Lima Township Board two and a half years ago to work together on developing the Wolf property, which totals 46 acres. There is a 425 agreement between the township and the city.
David Wolf introduced the project during the planning commission meeting, and called it an exciting project that would bring young families to the area and a new tax revenue to Lima Township and the City of Chelsea. He estimated that the cost of the homes would range between $285,000 and $385,000.
Bill Anderson, who works for Atwell Hicks, a land development consulting company, showed a sketch of the proposed development that includes two two-story medical buildings that are each 40,000 square feet, along with a combination of public and private roads, a community garden, park areas, and three neighborhoods – one with 78 single family homes, one with 46 attached ranch units, and one with 84 two-story town home units.
Paul Montagno, a planner from Carlisle/Wortman Associates, Inc. advised the planning commission that the proposed 208 dwelling units translates into 8.9 units per acre, which is a higher density than anywhere else in Lima Township. Montagno suggested protecting the woodland area in the vicinity, maintaining both township and county environmental standards, and adding more green space in the homes’ front yards.
This plan has too many homes and they are too close together.
We need to be more discerning in allowing such big developments.
The traffic up town is getting bad, these homes will just add more traffic.
We have a similar issue in Oakland County where a developer has been granted permission by White Lake Twp. to allow 82 luxury apartments, retail and two 24 hour fast food restaurants on a speck of land where traffic is already too congested. At least the Wolf development is requiring modification. Our township board and the developers live elsewhere and don’t seem to care about anything other than money so it is being rubber-stamped through the legal process.