Crystal Report Viewer

1000 ‎Rochester Hills Dr‎. ‎

Rochester Hills, MI ‎

48309‎

(‎248‎) ‎656‎-‎4600‎

Home Page‎: ‎

www‎.‎rochesterhills‎.‎org‎

Rochester Hills

Minutes

Planning Commission

Chairperson William Boswell, Vice Chairperson Deborah Brnabic‎

Members‎: ‎Gerard Dettloff, Dale Hetrick, Greg Hooper, Nicholas O‎. ‎Kaltsounis,‎

David A‎. ‎Reece, C‎. ‎Neall Schroeder, Emmet Yukon‎

7:00 PM

1000 Rochester Hills Drive

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

CALL TO ORDER

Chairperson William Boswell called the Regular Meeting to order at ‎7‎:‎00 ‎

p‎.‎m‎. ‎in the Auditorium‎.‎

ROLL CALL

William Boswell, Deborah Brnabic, Gerard Dettloff, Dale Hetrick, Greg ‎

Hooper, David Reece, C‎. ‎Neall Schroeder and Emmet Yukon‎

Present

8 -

Nicholas Kaltsounis

Absent

1 -

Quorum present‎

Also present‎: ‎Ed Anzek, Director of Planning and Economic Development‎

James Breuckman, Manager of Planning‎

Maureen Gentry, Recording Secretary‎

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

2012-0032

January ‎3‎, ‎2012 ‎Regular Meeting‎

A motion was made by Yukon, seconded by Schroeder, that this matter be ‎

Approved as Presented‎. ‎The motion carried by the following vote‎:‎

Aye

Boswell, Brnabic, Dettloff, Hetrick, Hooper, Reece, Schroeder and Yukon

8 -

Absent

Kaltsounis

1 -

COMMUNICATIONS

A‎)‎ Planning & Zoning News dated January ‎2012‎

B‎)‎ NY Times Article ‎- ‎Communities Learn the Good Life Can Be a ‎

Killer dated ‎1-30-12‎

C‎)‎ Proposed Amended PC By‎-‎Laws‎

D‎)‎ Invitation to Parliamentary Procedure Workshop on March ‎5‎, ‎2012‎

NEW BUSINESS

2012-0034

Request for Site Plan Approval ‎- ‎City File No‎. ‎85‎-‎525‎.‎4 ‎- ‎ADCO Circuits Building ‎

Addition, a ‎12‎,‎100 ‎square‎-‎foot addition to the existing ‎42‎,‎723 ‎square‎-‎foot ‎

building it owns at ‎2868 ‎Bond St‎.‎, Parcel No‎. ‎15‎-‎29‎-‎351‎-‎012‎, zoned Industrial, ‎

Archie Damman, President, ADCO Circuits, Applicant‎.‎

(‎Reference‎: ‎Staff Report prepared by James Breuckman, dated February ‎

3‎, ‎2012 ‎and Site Plan had been placed on file and by reference became ‎

part of the record thereof‎.)‎

Present for the applicant was Archie Damman, ADCO Circuits, ‎2868 ‎

Bond St‎.‎, Rochester Hills, MI ‎48309‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Damman, President of ADCO Circuits, introduced himself and said ‎

he was present to answer any questions about the addition‎. ‎He and his ‎

partners recently purchased their building, after leasing it for ten years, ‎

with the intent to add on and stay in the community‎. ‎They were adding ‎

about ‎10‎,‎000 ‎square feet, and proposing a ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square‎-‎foot mezzanine, ‎

which might or might not be built‎. ‎He felt that they had enhanced the site ‎

by going beyond the original requirements and adding trees at the ‎

suggestion of Mr‎. ‎Breuckman‎. ‎He concluded that they would like to get ‎

approval to be able to move forward‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman agreed that the applicants had done everything he had ‎

asked‎. ‎There were a couple of outstanding items that were minor details‎. ‎

An irrigation plan and cost estimate for the proposed plant materials ‎

could be added to a revised Site Plan‎. ‎The Fire Department had a few ‎

comments, but there was nothing that would be difficult to address‎. ‎Staff ‎

was recommending approval, and he said he would be happy to answer ‎

any questions‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Schroeder noted that he had been the City Engineer for Rochester ‎

Hills and ‎35 ‎years ago, he complimented that it was a pleasure to work ‎

with Mr‎. ‎Damman‎’‎s father‎. ‎He was very cooperative and exceeded ‎

everything to do a tremendous development‎. ‎He looked at the grade and ‎

made the paving section bigger, as an example‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece thanked Mr‎. ‎Damman for reinvesting in the City‎. ‎He noted ‎

that the Fire Department had disapproved the plans, and he was ‎

concerned about the flow of the firewater and if the p‎.‎s‎.‎i‎. ‎could be ‎

achieved‎. ‎He also noted a comment about the turning radius for the ‎

trucks, and indicated that those were the only issues he had with the ‎

comments, and he just wanted to make sure they could meet the ‎

requirements‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Damman stated that regarding the flow of ‎5‎,‎000 ‎gallons per hour, he ‎

talked to their automatic suppression system designer who assured him ‎

that could be met‎. ‎He commented that they would obviously not want to ‎

embark on the project if they could not get through the approvals, and ‎

they would submit those calculations with the application for the Building ‎

Permit‎. ‎Regarding the turning radius, he did not really look into it ‎

because there was a lot of parking area, and he was sure they could ‎

accommodate it‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece said that he did not see where the addition ‎

would have caused an impact on the turning radius, so he was a little ‎

surprised to see the comment initially‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece mentioned another comment about the dumpster being at ‎

least five feet away from the face of the building‎. ‎He asked if that was a ‎

problem for their operations, observing that there was a trash shoot inside ‎

the building‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Damman said that the architect talked with a Building official, and that ‎

was actually not required by code‎. ‎He assured that at the end of the day if ‎

it required five feet, they would have five feet‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Hetrick had driven by the building, and he envisioned the M‎-‎59 ‎

Corridor Plan in relation to the area‎. ‎He said he was a little surprised that ‎

architectural treatment of the front of the building was not on the list‎. ‎The ‎

office space was brick, but the rest was metal and concrete‎. ‎He asked if it ‎

would be possible to put some brick fa‎ç‎ade on the part facing Bond St‎. ‎

He thought that would be a little more consistent with enhancements they ‎

were talking about for the M‎-‎59 ‎Corridor‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Damman said that he thought it might be possible, but they had tried ‎

to soften the appearance of the building with landscaping‎. ‎If they started ‎

on the north side, they would have to do something on the left side, and ‎

there was not a brick ledge there presently‎. ‎He offered that they could ‎

bolt an angle iron on to carry the brick if they had to, but he considered ‎

that it was an industrial building‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Hetrick liked that they were using landscaping to cover that section of ‎

the building‎. ‎It seemed that in trying to enhance the look of the industrial ‎

sections by M‎-‎59 ‎and hopefully helping the owners from a business ‎

standpoint, that having brick that matched the office area would be a nice ‎

treatment‎. ‎He did not think it was needed on the north side‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Damman stated that they would take it under advisement, but he ‎

hoped it would not be a requirement‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek advised that ADCO was using a trash compactor, and there ‎

was not an issue with the Fire Department‎. ‎Dumpsters were a concern ‎

because they were open‎-‎ended, and people threw things in them‎. ‎It was a ‎

moot condition in this instance‎.‎

Hearing no further discussion, Mr‎. ‎Schroeder moved the following motion, ‎

supported by Mr‎. ‎Yukon‎.‎

MOTION‎ by Schroeder, seconded by Yukon, in the matter of City File No‎. ‎

85‎-‎525‎.‎4 ‎(‎ADCO Circuits Building Addition‎)‎, the Planning Commission ‎

approves ‎the ‎site plan‎ based on plans dated received by the Planning ‎

Department on December ‎22‎, ‎2011‎, with the following ‎5 ‎findings and ‎

subject to the following ‎6 ‎conditions‎.‎

Findings‎

1‎.‎ The revised site plan and supporting documents demonstrate that all ‎

applicable requirements of the Zoning Ordinance, as well as other ‎

City ordinances, standards, and requirements, can be met subject ‎

to the conditions noted below‎.‎

2‎.‎ The proposed addition will be accessed by existing driveways, thereby ‎

promoting safety and convenience of vehicular traffic both within ‎

the site and on adjoining streets‎.‎

3‎.‎ Because of the design and landscaping, the proposed improvements ‎

should have a satisfactory and harmonious relationship with the ‎

development on‎-‎site as well as existing development in the ‎

adjacent vicinity‎.‎

4‎.‎ The proposed development will not have an unreasonably detrimental ‎

nor an injurious effect upon the natural characteristics and features ‎

of the site or those of the surrounding area‎. ‎

5‎.‎ The addition will allow a long‎-‎standing existing business to remain in ‎

and reinvest in Rochester Hills‎.‎

Conditions‎

1‎.‎ All engineering‎-‎related permits must be reviewed and approved by ‎

the Department of Public Services prior to construction plan ‎

approval‎.‎

2‎.‎ The applicant shall obtain a Land Improvement Permit prior to ‎

commencing any work on the site‎.‎

3‎.‎ The plans shall be revised to address comments from the Fire ‎

Department in their memo dated January ‎3‎, ‎2012‎ prior to final ‎

approval by Staff‎.‎

4‎.‎ The plans shall be revised to address comments from the Building ‎

Department in their memo dated January ‎2‎, ‎2012‎ prior to the ‎

issuance of any building permits‎.‎

5‎.‎ The square footage of the proposed addition shall be corrected on the ‎

plans‎. ‎They currently note that the addition is ‎9,900‎ square feet, ‎

when it is actually ‎12,100‎ square feet‎.‎

6‎.‎ The landscape plan shall be revised to include an irrigation plan and ‎

a cost estimate for plant materials‎.‎

Ms‎. ‎Brnabic asked Mr‎. ‎Damman if he estimated that Mr‎. ‎Hetrick‎’‎s ‎

suggestion would be a substantial cost‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Damman replied that ‎

everyone had a different opinion of what was substantial, but it had been a ‎

pretty expensive project already‎. ‎In the current economic conditions, the ‎

building appraisal came in around $‎40 ‎per foot‎. ‎The construction costs ‎

would be $‎80 ‎per foot, and they bought it at slightly less than $‎40 ‎per foot‎. ‎

They were already, from some perspectives, going to be over‎-‎improved‎. ‎

He really did not know what the cost for brick would be‎. ‎Ms‎. ‎Brnabic said ‎

that she liked the suggestion, and Mr‎. ‎Damman said he did not disagree, ‎

and that he would agree to study it‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece explained that Mr‎. ‎Damman would have to put in a new ‎

foundation to support the masonry, and in light of where the building was ‎

located in the industrial park ‎- ‎not facing a major thoroughfare ‎- ‎he did not ‎

have an issue with the way it was currently designed‎. ‎Usually, he was the ‎

person on the board that had an issue with that, but he reminded that it ‎

was an industrial building, and he felt that the landscaping would be ‎

enough to get by with what they were trying to accomplish‎. ‎He added that ‎

he was comfortable with it from an aesthetic standpoint‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Dettloff agreed that the plan looked good‎. ‎He asked what the ‎

expansion would equate to in terms of job creation‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Damman said ‎

that down through the years it would be quite a lot‎. ‎They were anticipating ‎

about seven new jobs this year‎. ‎As the business continued to grow, they ‎

could accommodate a lot more projects because of the nature of what ‎

they were adding with regard to testing capabilities‎. ‎Ultimately, and ‎

because of third shift opportunities, they could add another ‎40 ‎jobs in that ‎

facility before they would have to expand‎.‎

A motion was made by Schroeder, seconded by Yukon, that this matter be ‎

Approved‎. ‎The motion carried by the following vote‎:‎

Aye

Boswell, Brnabic, Dettloff, Hetrick, Hooper, Reece, Schroeder and Yukon

8 -

Absent

Kaltsounis

1 -

Chairperson Boswell stated for the record that the motion had passed ‎

unanimously, and he thanked Mr‎. ‎Damman and wished him good luck‎. ‎

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

2011-0381

Discussion regarding a proposed Zoning Ordinance text amendment to allow ‎

gas stations in B‎-‎3 ‎Zoning Districts as Conditional Uses‎

(‎Reference‎: ‎Previous documentation had been prepared and placed on ‎

file in the Planning and Economic Development Department and by ‎

reference was part of the record thereof‎.)‎

Present for the discussion was Stephen Pangori, Anderson, Eckstein and ‎

Westrick, Inc‎.‎, ‎51301 ‎Schoenherr Rd‎.‎, Shelby Township, MI ‎48315‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman commented that after assiduously studying the ‎

information given to the Commissioners at the January meeting, he ‎

hoped they had all come back with great ideas and conclusions‎. ‎There ‎

were only a few items to wrap up from the last meetings ‎- ‎the setback from ‎

residential districts and the building size‎. ‎He had provided supplemental ‎

information showing various building sizes at the last meeting and asked ‎

for the Commissioner‎’‎s input‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Hooper said that regarding the setback and the size of the building, ‎

he supported a ‎300‎-‎foot setback from residential and ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square feet ‎

for the building‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece concurred with Mr‎. ‎Hooper that he would like to keep the ‎

setback from the residential area as great as possible, and ‎300 ‎feet ‎

seemed reasonable‎. ‎Also, in his opinion, the building should be no ‎

greater than ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square feet‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Hetrick asked what type of business would fit into ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square feet‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman stated that there were a lot of gas stations with ‎

convenience stores in that range‎. ‎Some were quite a bit larger, but not ‎

most‎. ‎He had showed various buildings at different sizes, and at ‎3‎,‎000 ‎

square feet, there were more banks than gas stations‎. ‎At ‎1‎,‎500 ‎square ‎

feet, there were stores like Star Bucks, but most gas stations were around ‎

2‎,‎000 ‎square feet‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hetrick said that in light of that, he would be fully ‎

supportive of a ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square‎-‎foot cap and setbacks as suggested‎.‎

Chairperson Boswell indicated that with a ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square‎-‎foot building there ‎

was the opportunity to have two front facades ‎- ‎one facing the sidewalk or ‎

bikepath and one facing the interior‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman added that a ‎2‎,‎000 ‎

square‎-‎foot building would be enough to conceal one bank of pumps‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece asked Mr‎. ‎Breuckman if he had listed the square footage of ‎

the Marathon station on Tienken and Rochester‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman advised ‎

that it was ‎1‎,‎300 ‎square feet‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece recalled that they had two ‎

entrances, one facing Rochester Road and one facing the interior, and ‎

they hid the back pumps from Rochester Rd‎. ‎Chairperson Boswell ‎

commented that they did a great job with landscaping, too‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece felt ‎

that ‎1‎,‎300 ‎square feet would be an ideal size for an interior site plan ‎

development‎.‎

Chairperson Boswell asked if anyone objected to ‎300 ‎feet from ‎

residential and heard no comments‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman asked Mr‎. ‎Pangori if ‎

he had any comments‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Pangori, a consultant‎/‎engineer for Meijer, related that the prototype ‎

for the Meijer convenience store currently was ‎2‎,‎640 ‎square feet, so he ‎

forewarned that they would probably have an issue with ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square feet ‎

moving forward‎. ‎

Chairperson Boswell asked if anyone had a reason the square footage of ‎

the building should not be ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square feet‎. ‎Hearing no comments, he ‎

summarized for Mr‎. ‎Breuckman that the Commissioners appeared to ‎

prefer a ‎300‎-‎foot setback from residential and a ‎2‎,‎000 ‎square‎-‎foot ‎

maximum for the building‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman said that hearing no other ‎

concerns, it would be brought forward as a Public Hearing next month‎.‎

2010-0462

M‎-‎59 ‎Corridor Study Update; James Breuckman, Manager of Planning‎

(‎Reference‎: ‎Memo prepared by James Breuckman, dated February ‎2‎, ‎

2012 ‎and M‎-‎59 ‎Corridor Plan Draft dated January ‎23‎, ‎2012 ‎had been ‎

placed on file and by reference became part of the record thereof‎.)‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman showed a power point presentation‎. ‎He stated that the ‎

M‎-‎59 ‎Corridor Study came out of the ‎2007 ‎Master Land Use Plan‎. ‎It was ‎

a fairly large effort they had been working with the LDFA on, because it ‎

would serve as their Infrastructure Improvement Plan‎. ‎It would also serve ‎

as the basis for the Regional Employment Center ‎(‎REC‎) ‎zoning district, ‎

which would be adopted and replace the Industrial zoning for the area‎. ‎

There were some different pressures for land uses in the area‎. ‎It had ‎

been a Staff‎-‎driven effort because the basis was clearly established in the ‎

Master Plan‎. ‎The REC district recommended flexibility in use and ‎

intensification in development, and they were finding that the Ordinances ‎

and development guidelines in the Master Plan were limiting, in terms of ‎

allowing businesses to expand in place‎. ‎It was a little easier for ADCO, ‎

but many of the other businesses were having a hard time finding space ‎

to add on with the setbacks and other limitations now imposed‎. ‎The plan ‎

was to allow for some increased height in the interior of the REC district ‎

that abutted M‎-‎59‎. ‎The M‎-‎59 ‎Plan refined the REC district ‎

recommendations and would be the basis for the zoning amendment‎. ‎

They did an inventory for existing conditions and an economic and ‎

physical analysis‎. ‎They did stakeholder interviews with brokers, ‎

Crittenton Hospital and Oakland University to get their sense of what ‎

opportunities, constraints and challenges they had to overcome‎. ‎They ‎

had a design workshop at Oakland University‎’‎s Collaboratory‎. ‎They did a ‎

potential change analysis and came up with the Master Development ‎

Plan, which was an important outcome the Planning Commission would ‎

deal with‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman continued that when the City did the Master Plan, the ‎

REC area was too big and complex to delve into at that time‎. ‎There were ‎

five major development areas‎. ‎Starting from M‎-‎59 ‎and working outwards, ‎

there was an area around the Crooks‎/‎M‎-‎59 ‎interchange identified as ‎

Interchange, and he felt that Crooks had the most potential to change and ‎

to become a gateway entrance into the City and the REC district‎. ‎There ‎

was a Technology and Office Image Corridor, which were lands close to or ‎

fronting M‎-‎59‎. ‎Regional Commercial was the Marketplace Circle shops ‎

on Adams‎. ‎Corridor Mixed Use, which fronted some of the perimeter ‎

roads, and Work Place, which included a lot of the existing, older ‎

industrial parks and some of the transitioning and stable residential ‎

areas, rounded out the last two‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman advised that for the Interchange, the idea was to get more ‎

substantial buildings that were visible and closer to the street‎. ‎He showed ‎

a picture of highly rated images from the Image Preference Survey‎. ‎

There was a good potential for mixed uses, because it was a place in the ‎

Interchange where there could be retail and office due to the visibility and ‎

access‎. ‎The Technology and Office Corridor was an opportunity to ‎“‎up ‎

the game‎” ‎along M‎-‎59‎. ‎The area was hidden from M‎-‎59 ‎now, and there ‎

was no presence along the street‎. ‎There was an opportunity for taller ‎

buildings, and he pointed out the former Volkswagen building as a model‎. ‎

Workplace areas were the rest of the industrial areas at the perimeter‎. ‎

The idea was to look at the zoning and figure out ways to make it very ‎

easy to expand and reinvest in buildings, while setting forth standards to ‎

evolve the physical character of the area to a more fully realized area‎. ‎It ‎

could be called ‎“‎evolving the public realm,‎” ‎and currently there was not a ‎

lot of public infrastructure quality there ‎- ‎there were roads‎. ‎There was an ‎

opportunity to allow buildings to expand, because there were currently ‎

large setbacks that created wasted space in the front of the buildings‎. ‎In ‎

some areas of the industrial parks the City allowed on‎-‎street parking, so ‎

they could stripe the roads and add sidewalks and make the areas ‎

attractive to a different set of businesses, and it could increase the pool of ‎

tenants for people who wanted to be in Rochester Hills‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman referred to Corridor Mixed Use, and said that most of ‎

those sites were fairly constrained, particularly along Auburn Road‎. ‎It was ‎

the first wave of development in the township, and it was a different pattern ‎

of development‎. ‎The sites were difficult to develop under the City‎’‎s ‎

conventional zoning standards‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman advised that the next step would be to come up with the ‎

REC zoning district and the list of LDFA infrastructure projects‎. ‎The Plan ‎

would serve as a basis for the LDFA‎’‎s Infrastructure Plan and spending‎. ‎

They would implement projects as they moved forward‎. ‎The first phase ‎

for the LDFA had been to build the Adams Road interchange‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman indicated that Staff was not asking the Commissioners to ‎

adopt the Plan at this point‎. ‎They were asking them to review it and give ‎

any preliminary comments and the blessing to move forward‎. ‎The next ‎

step would be for the LDFA to adopt the Development Plan‎. ‎Staff would ‎

start working on the REC zoning amendment, which would be a big task ‎

over the coming months‎. ‎It would be officially adopted into the Master ‎

Plan during the next year‎. ‎He anticipated adoption of the M‎-‎59 ‎Corridor ‎

Plan and also the Rochester Road Access Management Plan into the ‎

Master Plan‎. ‎They would have an opportunity to take a very close look at ‎

the M‎-‎59 ‎Plan‎. ‎He wanted to make sure that the Commissioners were ‎

comfortable with the ‎95‎% ‎complete stage they were at, and said that he ‎

would be happy to clarify anything further‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Dettloff asked the ideal timeframe for the Commissioners to move it ‎

through‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman advised that the LDFA was meeting in April, so ‎

probably at the March meeting‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Yukon pointed out that on page eight, under Southeast Michigan ‎

Business Clusters, the first sentence was incomplete‎. ‎He added that he ‎

thought the overall Plan was a clear and complete study‎. ‎There was a lot ‎

of information, and he thought it was put together very well‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Hooper agreed that it was a very extensive report‎. ‎He asked which ‎

hat Mr‎. ‎Breuckman wore when he wrote it ‎- ‎that is, whether it was prepared ‎

before or after he came to work for the City‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman responded ‎

that it was mostly prepared before he came to work for the City‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Hooper claimed that it was an excellent report‎. ‎He noted page ‎71‎, ‎

Gateway Improvements, which showed three choices for gateway signs‎. ‎

He asked if those were potential concepts or if it would be narrowed down ‎

to one sign‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek assured that it was only provided as a concept‎. ‎At that time, ‎

the City was getting ready to roll out its new brand‎. ‎They were also ‎

looking for possible grant money to do some signs in the City‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Hooper clarified that they would take the new brand and use it in the M‎-‎59 ‎

Corridor Study‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek agreed, and said that since it was also the ‎

SmartZone area, the City was obligated to fly the SmartZone logo in a ‎

small way‎. ‎At some point, they would bring designs forward with the ‎

brand, and it would be something for future discussion with the Planning ‎

Commission‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek mentioned that Mr‎. ‎Hooper had discussed the possibility of a ‎

joint Planning Commission‎/‎City Council meeting‎. ‎They hoped to do that ‎

in April or May, and they felt it would be appropriate as they moved toward ‎

the five‎-‎year update of the Master Plan‎. ‎They could start talking about ‎

policy, direction, guidance and how they wanted Staff to be influenced as ‎

they put together the Master Plan‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman brought up areas in ‎

the City that needed a little more targeted planning efforts in the future‎. ‎

There were some pockets in the City that did not really function very well‎. ‎

They could come up with a redevelopment plan for those pockets, ‎

perhaps something to organize driveways and cross access, for example‎. ‎

They could come up with incentives so people could reinvest where they ‎

were located‎. ‎One example area was at Tienken near Rochester, where ‎

there was kind of a mishmash of office, retail, a bowling area and a car ‎

wash‎. ‎None of the buildings were interconnected, and a lot of them were ‎

starting to get old‎. ‎There might be an opportunity to pump some money ‎

into that area‎. ‎They would also like to talk with Council about what the ‎

REC should or should not contain‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece agreed those were good topics to discuss‎. ‎He said he was ‎

shocked, when he went through the M‎-‎59 ‎Plan, at some of the disparity in ‎

the statistics between the study area and the rest of Rochester Hills‎. ‎He ‎

was not sure if that could be attributed to the fact that it was an industrial ‎

area, but the education attainment was a significant difference, as were ‎

the ages‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman said that a lot of that was skewed by the ‎

manufactured housing in the district‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece asked his opinion of ‎

residential built over retail or commercial‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman thought that it could work, but it was tough to do, and it was ‎

hard to find a developer to do it well‎. ‎The good thing would be that they ‎

would not have to build more apartment complexes‎. ‎It met a need ‎

because there were a growing number of one and two‎-‎person households ‎

and older and younger households, and if they could increase their ‎

supply of apartment units in the community that was less impactful, it ‎

would be good‎. ‎He did not know how likely it would be‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece said ‎

that was his position, and he had yet to see a development like that which ‎

worked‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek mentioned that it would be interesting to see how the ‎

development recently announced for Auburn Hills would work‎. ‎They were ‎

targeting it for student housing for Oakland University, putting it over retail ‎

and a garage, and it would be an expensive development‎. ‎The ‎

redevelopment of downtown Auburn Hills sat vacant for a long time, and ‎

they were just now starting to get some entities in there‎. ‎Oakland ‎

University was seeking offsite housing‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece said that Oakland ‎

University came out with an RFP for development‎-‎driven housing, and ‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek believed that was intended for on‎-‎campus‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece said it ‎

appeared they wanted off and on, so he was not sure it was finalized‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Anzek noted that Beacon Hill Apartments, on the north side of Walton, ‎

were ‎99‎% ‎student‎-‎occupied‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece related that a lot of developers ‎

walked away from the housing project because of the constraints put on ‎

by Oakland University‎. ‎He was a little skeptical that Rochester Hills could ‎

support that kind of a development ‎- ‎residential over retail‎/‎commercial‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman stated that it depended on the context and where it was ‎

put whether it would be successful, and it was his opinion that it ‎

demanded a very narrow and tight relationship between how the street ‎

and buildings were designed and how they worked together‎. ‎If that was ‎

not right, it would not work, and it was not something the City would ‎

require‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece recalled a developer that came before them to ‎

discuss a plan for the Bordine‎’‎s property‎. ‎They did not move ahead partly ‎

due to the economic times, and he said that hopefully, they would move ‎

on to something better, but it might come up again‎. ‎He thought it was a ‎

great opportunity for that location‎. ‎He commented that with the right ‎

developer came the right opportunities‎. ‎He asked if any developers had ‎

come to the City inquiring about doing something in the industrial areas ‎

but had not moved forward for certain reasons‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek advised that Staff has had discussions both with developers ‎

and commercial brokers who were seeing the need for the City to ‎

re‎-‎intensify the industrial areas‎. ‎They had complained that the City was ‎

running out of inventory, and they did not have much to market‎. ‎There ‎

were buildings, but they were in the ‎30‎-‎40‎,‎000 ‎square‎-‎foot range‎. ‎The ‎

brokers saw the potential for Avon Industrial, which was totally ‎

underdeveloped, and the study might give someone the wherewithal to ‎

reinvest there‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman and he had met with a developer recently ‎

who did primarily retail, and he had five projects coming out of the ground ‎

in May‎. ‎They talked to him about building housing over retail, and he ‎

said it was cost prohibitive and very difficult to do‎. ‎There were not many ‎

developers who wanted to buy land, but brokers were looking to assemble ‎

investors to do it‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece noted a slide Mr‎. ‎Breuckman had shown with buildings closer ‎

to the road, and said that he did not really like buildings with taller facades ‎

right on the edge of the road‎. ‎He said he would have to think about it, ‎

because he was not sure that was what they were trying to accomplish in ‎

the City‎. ‎He added that he would want to see brick on the buildings‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman responded that the City now really could not require ‎

certain things, and he gave the ADCO building as an example‎. ‎The ‎

building included the lunchroom area, so for them to revise the design, ‎

they would have to start over, basically‎. ‎He noted that having some basic ‎

design guidelines would be important in the zoning amendment, to make ‎

sure they had the proper level of street interest‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Hetrick thought that if they concentrated efforts on areas within the ‎

REC like Avon Industrial, that they would be good projects‎. ‎When he ‎

read the document, he realized it could be a fairly arduous task to go after ‎

it from one large effort, and he questioned where they would start‎. ‎He ‎

wondered if they would start with the entrances or the project areas as ‎

ways to spur development‎. ‎If people wanted to take a little bit of a risk and ‎

try to develop something, he felt the City should help them do that‎. ‎He ‎

thought it would be a good idea to add more of a specific breakdown of ‎

that activity as part of the joint meeting with Council‎. ‎He referred to the ‎

street picture with buildings closer to the road, and said that he personally ‎

liked it as a way of changing the look and feel of certain areas‎. ‎He ‎

thought it would be very appealing to various businesses‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman said that throughout the input process, they heard a lot ‎

from employees about the connection of Leach and Technology to ‎

Adams and how much easier it was to get to places for lunch‎. ‎There was ‎

the Trail that ran along Adams, and people wanted to see sidewalks ‎

added to get to the Trail‎. ‎Adding sidewalks would start to change the ‎

image and impression of the area, and he felt they would get businesses ‎

that might not have considered Rochester Hills‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Hetrick agreed that if they could attract the creative thinkers from ‎

places like Silicon Valley that wanted to ride bikes to work, he felt the Plan ‎

would suit that very well‎. ‎He liked the idea of the streetscape, and he said ‎

it would bring a different vibe to the area that would attract developers‎. ‎He ‎

thought it would bring businesses in that were more conducive to the ‎

targeted sectors and more technology‎-‎focused‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek thought it all went to the need to be flexible‎. ‎A business could ‎

need all one floor or be more employee‎-‎intense, and they might want to ‎

be in an office corridor‎. ‎They were seeing more job‎-‎intense businesses ‎

coming to town‎. ‎There was still light manufacturing, but it was not as ‎

prevalent as it once was‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Hetrick asked Mr‎. ‎Breuckman to show the slide of the whole REC and ‎

Avon Industrial‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek said that all the buildings there backed to ‎

M‎-‎59‎. ‎M‎-‎59 ‎frontage was at a premium, and that would help with ‎

reinvestment‎. ‎The Plan conceptually identified a link for Avon Industrial ‎

going out to Hamlin Rd‎. ‎through the Suburban softball site‎. ‎He indicated ‎

that the Plan was two‎-‎fold‎. ‎The LDFA had been asking for an update for ‎

its Infrastructure Plan so they could better focus on where to get the best ‎

bang for the buck for the remaining ‎14 ‎years of collection from LDFA ‎

capture‎. ‎The monies were diminishing because of declining values, so ‎

they wanted to make sure it was spent wisely‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hetrick asked if the ‎

LDFA‎’‎s primary job was the road infrastructure‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek said it was that ‎

and also the water and sewer‎. ‎The other thing was that they needed to get ‎

projects into the CIP‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hetrick thought that would be another way to ‎

leverage the CIP‎. ‎They could look at those types of activities and try to ‎

group them as a project‎. ‎Whether it was City Council or Planning ‎

Commission, they could almost visualize what would happen in a ‎

particular area and the dollar amounts associated with it‎. ‎He thought that ‎

the CIP at times appeared piece meal in the way the dollars and projects ‎

were allocated, so if there was a way to connect the dots, he thought it ‎

would do a better job of helping move projects along and allocate the ‎

funds in the best manner‎.‎

Chairperson Boswell noted the Implementation Plan for the LDFA and ‎

asked if the projects ‎(‎page ‎90‎) ‎were in any kind of order or whether they ‎

had to be designated somehow‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Breuckman advised that they were not prioritized‎. ‎There was not a ‎

particular agenda for the Infrastructure Plan update; they were trying to be ‎

more tactical in allowing the LDFA to respond if there was a need to invest ‎

money‎. ‎

Chairperson Boswell asked if there were any other comments‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Schroeder said that regarding Avon Industrial, it was a poorly done ‎

project, with cheap buildings, and the best thing would be removal and ‎

replacement‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek agreed, but said that when it was built, it was ‎

probably appropriate for the time‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Hooper had observed that Volkswagen had moved out, and he asked ‎

when that happened‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek said that he drove by the parking lot a ‎

few weeks ago, and it was full‎. ‎He said that Volkswagen still had a call ‎

center there, but they were marketing the space‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Reece reported that ‎

they had moved a lot of people to Washington, D‎.‎C‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hetrick added ‎

that they also moved to Auburn Hills‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek said they were working ‎

with the listing agent to make sure people were aware of it‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hooper ‎

recalled that it was the building that broke the ice for having three stories ‎

next to M‎-‎59‎. ‎He mentioned that at that time, they were given a Height ‎

Variance, and it was a big deal then‎. ‎He thought it was a nice‎-‎looking ‎

building, and he was shocked to see an empty parking lot and a sign on ‎

the building‎.‎

Chairperson Boswell asked Mr‎. ‎Breuckman if he needed an action by the ‎

Planning Commission or if he wanted to wait until next month‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Breuckman said that it depended on the Commission‎’‎s comfort level, but ‎

he thought they should take a month to review it further, and then Staff ‎

would draft a motion of support‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek suggested that the ‎

Commissioners could email any comments, and they would take it up at ‎

the next meeting‎. ‎If they had any words of support, Staff could share them ‎

with the LDFA in April‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Hetrick asked where the manufactured housing development was, ‎

which Mr‎. ‎Breuckman pointed out‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hetrick asked if the intent was to ‎

move that out and make way for something else‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Breuckman agreed ‎

that eventually it would be‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek said that the intent was to study the ‎

area as though it were a blank piece of paper‎. ‎A few years ago, the City ‎

invested in the extension of Austin Drive, and they felt that it should be ‎

continued westward to hopefully link the industrial parks together‎. ‎If there ‎

was an opportunity for that, it would be great‎. ‎They knew the ‎

manufactured housing park was owned by Real Estate Investment Trust ‎

and about four years ago, every tenant was put on a month‎-‎to‎-‎month ‎

lease‎. ‎He reiterated that the road extensions were considered to be ‎

conceptual, but it put them in a plan to position the City to seek grant ‎

money‎. ‎

Discussed

2011-0493

Request for Adoption of Amended Planning Commission By‎-‎Laws‎

(‎Reference‎: ‎Amended By‎-‎Laws, dated February ‎7‎, ‎2012 ‎had been ‎

placed on file in the Planning and Economic Development Department ‎

and by reference became part of the record thereof‎).‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek noted that there had been limited proposed text changes‎. ‎

They had talked at length about the number of voters needed to pass a ‎

request or be present to vote on a motion‎. ‎He referred to page three, and ‎

the word ‎“‎hold‎” ‎was changed to ‎“‎schedule,‎” ‎so they would not be obligated ‎

to hold one meeting each month‎. ‎On page four, Section ‎3‎, there was a ‎

provision that had come about over the last couple of days‎. ‎The City had ‎

a current RFP to seek insurance bids‎. ‎One of the possible vendors came ‎

back wanting to know if they had an established policy where a Planning ‎

Commission member had to be recused if he or she had a financial ‎

interest‎. ‎They had always functioned that if it were a Planning ‎

Commission or family member, that person would be recused anyway, so ‎

he added something about family members in the By‎-‎Laws‎. ‎The other ‎

item, on page three, dealt with an affirmative vote of at least five ‎

members, whether there were five people present or nine‎. ‎That hopefully ‎

addressed Ms‎. ‎Brnabic‎’‎s concern from the last meeting‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Reece asked if they had to have a Public Hearing for the changes‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek informed that they did not; it was just the Planning ‎

Commission‎’‎s By‎-‎Laws and not an Ordinance‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Schroeder asked Mr‎. ‎

Anzek he would like a motion, which Mr‎. ‎Anzek felt was appropriate, ‎

noting that one had been provided in the packet‎.‎

MOTION ‎by Schroeder, seconded by Brnabic that the following ‎

Resolution to adopt the amended By‎-‎Laws submitted February ‎7‎, ‎2012 ‎

be approved‎:‎

Whereas‎, the City of Rochester Hills Planning Commission was formerly ‎

established when Avon Township became the City of Rochester Hills in ‎

1984‎, in accordance with provisions of the Michigan Planning Enabling ‎

Act, Public Act ‎285 ‎of ‎1931‎; and‎

Whereas‎, the Planning Commission adopted By‎-‎laws for the transaction ‎

of business and for the purposes of setting forth the operational structure ‎

of the Commission and to provide for the governance of its activities ‎

under the Act; and‎

Whereas‎, on March ‎13‎, ‎2008‎, the Governor signed Senate Bill ‎206 ‎that ‎

unified the three current planning acts for municipalities, townships and ‎

counties into a single Michigan Planning Enabling Act ‎(‎Michigan Public ‎

Act ‎33 ‎of ‎2008‎) ‎to repeal the previous Municipal Planning Acts ‎(‎PA ‎285 ‎

of ‎1931‎, PA ‎282 ‎of ‎1945 ‎and PA ‎168 ‎of ‎1959‎) ‎and to create a more ‎

uniform process for Planning Commission rules and regulations; and‎

Whereas‎, to facilitate the performance of its duties as outlined in the ‎

Michigan Planning Enabling Act, Public Act ‎33 ‎of ‎2008‎, MCL ‎125‎.‎3801 ‎

and the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, Public Act ‎110 ‎of ‎2006‎, MCL ‎

125‎.‎3101 ‎the By‎-‎laws must be amended to be consistent with the Act‎.‎

Whereas,‎ the Planning Commission held a meeting on December ‎6‎, ‎

2011 ‎and approved the By‎-‎Laws to be in compliance with Public Act ‎33 ‎of ‎

2008‎; and‎

Whereas,‎ subsequent to approving the By‎-‎Laws, the Planning ‎

Commission made several modifications, as shown on the amended ‎

By‎-‎Laws dated February ‎7‎, ‎2012‎.‎

Resolved‎, that the Rochester Hills Planning Commission hereby ‎

approves and adopts the amended By‎-‎laws at its Regular Meeting held ‎

on February ‎7‎, ‎2012‎.‎

Be It Further Resolved‎ that this Resolution shall be in full force and ‎

effect from February ‎7‎, ‎2012‎.‎

A motion was made by Schroeder, seconded by Brnabic, that this matter be ‎

Approved‎. ‎The motion carried by the following vote‎:‎

Aye

Boswell, Brnabic, Dettloff, Hetrick, Hooper, Reece, Schroeder and Yukon

8 -

Absent

Kaltsounis

1 -

Chairperson Boswell stated for the record that the motion had passed ‎

unanimously‎.‎

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

2012-0033

Confirmation of Two Planning Commission members to the CIP Policy Team‎

Chairperson Boswell said that he understood there were two volunteers‎. ‎

He asked if there were any objections to Mr‎. ‎Hetrick and Mr‎. ‎Schroeder ‎

serving on the CIP Policy Team again this year‎. ‎Hearing none, he called ‎

for a vote‎:‎

MOTION ‎by Brnabic, seconded by Dettloff, the Planning Commission ‎

hereby affirms the appointments of Dale Hetrick and C‎. ‎Neall Schroeder ‎

to serve on the ‎2013‎-‎2018 ‎CIP Policy Team‎.‎

A motion was made by Brnabic, seconded by Dettloff, that this matter be ‎

Approved‎. ‎The motion carried by the following vote‎:‎

Aye

Boswell, Brnabic, Dettloff, Hetrick, Hooper, Reece, Schroeder and Yukon

8 -

Absent

Kaltsounis

1 -

ANY FURTHER BUSINESS

Mr‎. ‎Anzek mentioned the invite to the Parliamentary Procedure workshop, ‎

noting that the City had been trying to put one together for some time‎. ‎

There had been turnovers on other boards, especially the Historic ‎

Districts Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals‎. ‎They felt it was ‎

appropriate that proper training be presented on how meetings were ‎

conducted, how motions were made, about quorums, etc‎. ‎He encouraged ‎

everyone to attend and to let the Clerk‎’‎s office know as soon as possible‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Schroeder asked if the Crooks Road contract had been let‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Anzek was not sure, but he said that the schedule was intended to start ‎

after the Avon Road bridge was opened‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Schroeder asked about ‎

Rochester Road in Rochester‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Anzek said that work should start in ‎

mid‎-‎April‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hooper added that it was being bid on February ‎8‎, ‎2012‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Anzek further advised that the Tienken Road improvements had been ‎

pushed back to next year‎. ‎

NEXT MEETING DATE

Chairperson Boswell reminded the Commissioners that the next Regular ‎

Meeting was scheduled for March ‎6‎, ‎2012‎.‎

ADJOURNMENT

Hearing no further business to come before the Planning Commission, ‎

Chairperson Boswell adjourned the Regular Meeting at ‎8‎:‎10 ‎p‎.‎m‎.‎

_____________________________‎

William F‎. ‎Boswell, Chairperson‎

Rochester Hills Planning Commission‎

______________________________‎

Maureen Gentry, Recording Secretary‎