By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published January 6, 2025
ROYAL OAK — The City Commission Dec. 16 unanimously approved the first reading of the rezoning of 723 N. Main St. to a planned unit development.
The rezoning will allow the construction of the “Bianchi Flats,” as named by owner Michael Bianchi. The proposed building was created by Krieger Klatt Architects.
Bianchi Flats will be a four-story building and have 24 multiple family dwellings. The petitioner requested the PUD approval due to the original zoning requirements that had forbidden strictly residential-use buildings.
On Nov. 12, the PUD site plan went before the Planning Commission and a public hearing was held. The plan was approved by the Planning Commission and sent to the City Commission with five recommended deviations from the required zoning standards.
It was requested by the Planning Commission to not have commercial use on the ground level as well as to not require a 10-foot triangular setback for the corner vision clearances. It was also requested to change the building height requirement from 36 feet to 48 feet, utilize 7.455% of the lot area (1,117 square feet of the 15,000 square feet available) for landscaping and require only 29 parking spaces instead of the original 48.
Dennis Cowan, of Plunkett Cooney, spoke before the City Commission on behalf of the petitioner, BNF Royal Oak Investments LLC.
Currently occupying the space at 723 N. Main St. is Bianchi Salon, which is owned by BNF Royal Oak Investments LLC. The salon will be relocated sometime in 2025 to the Jonna building on the street level at the northeast corner of 11 Mile Road and Main Street.
Cowan said that at the public hearing, it was agreed by both the petitioner and the public that this project will cut down on traffic.
“Because the Bianchi Salon as I have mentioned is successful and busy, this will cut down tremendously on the traffic to and from that building as it currently operates,” he said.
Cowan also mentioned the public concern about construction blocking traffic.
“That led to our Bianchi team to make the pledge that we will work very diligently along with the city in terms of staging that and hopefully (it) will be able to happen off of main street,” Cowan said.
Safety concerns were brought up about cars driving in and out of the parking lot below the apartments. Cars would be driving out of the lot on the first floor onto Austin Avenue.
To prevent problems, the petitioner has added a garage arm that would be activated by the driver to raise up when they are ready to exit the building. A delay will also potentially be added with the raising of the garage arm following Commissioner Brandon Kolo’s suggestions to do so.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t have something where if you hit it, it has a delay,” Jason Krieger, of Krieger Klatt Architects said.
“I like those safety additions. A lot of middle schoolers are going up and down that street,” Commissioner Melanie Macey said.
Commissioner Amands Herzog mentioned that she likes the project and added that the accessibility around the future apartment building is a good way to reduce energy and encourage walking among the future residents.
“I think the project is really great for the 10-minute walkability. It has a grocery store, a dental office, a dermatology (office), hardware stores, restaurants, there are a lot of amenities in this area, and so this is a perfect location for a multifamily (development),” Herzog said. “That helps us get to those sustainability goals that we are trying to achieve in the city as well.”
Mayor Michael Fournier said that he looks forward to seeing this property built and thinks the addition will be beneficial for the Royal Oak community.
“I will just add, beautiful building. I think this is a really good story where we have long-standing successful business owners relocating their business downtown and using the property that they have to redevelop into something the community actually needs,” he said. “The community actually needs housing, I mean, the country needs housing.”
The proposal was unanimously approved and will go to a second reading at a future City Commission meeting.