Grosse Pointe Farms officials tell bank to revise parking lot wall proposal

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A proposal to replace a screening wall around the parking lot of the Chase Bank branch at 460 Moross Road was sent back to the drawing board after nearby residents and Grosse Pointe Farms officials objected to its appearance and ongoing maintenance and other issues at the bank.

During a meeting July 8, the Farms City Council voted unanimously to table a decision on a site plan submitted by bank officials to remove the existing brick-faced wall and replace it with a new precast gray concrete wall that the city’s planners with McKenna Associates noted doesn’t match the materials or colors of the bank itself. In addition, bank officials proposed removing a 5-foot-wide strip of landscaping behind the wall — adjacent to homes — and replace it with stone mulch.

David Stangle, a Chicago-based attorney for Chase, said part of the existing wall was hazardous. He said they would be addressing parking lot drainage issues by reconstructing the existing French drain. Some of the plants behind the wall have impacted it structurally because they’re leaning on it, Stangle said.

“The intention is to remove all of the overgrown foliage up to the property line and replace it with river rock,” Stangle said.

Tony Borer, a marketer for Chase Bank, said they proposed precast concrete because when one section needs to be replaced, they can simply slide in a new section.

“It’s much easier to maintain,” Borer said.

As to its aesthetic value, however, that seems to be another matter. City officials and residents were largely at odds with the proposal presented by Chase.

“Here’s my biggest problem with this proposed project. … I think (this proposal) is a cheap alternative,” City Councilman John Gillooly said. “I think we need an attractive wall that’s architecturally pleasing to the eye.”

City Councilwoman Beth Konrad Wilberding pointed out that the Chase branch sits at “a main avenue gateway to Grosse Pointe Farms.” She said the Farms Chase branch is much less attractive than the bank’s branches in other communities.

“You’re all from out of town,” Wilberding told bank representatives at the meeting. “We are very concerned about the aesthetics of our community.”

City Councilmen Neil Sroka and Lev Wood both felt the bank should follow the city’s lead in addressing stormwater runoff into the city’s sewer system. Wood suggested adding a rain garden or bioswales to the parking lot area, which would decrease the amount of impervious surface.

“There’s plenty of space,” Wood said.

Wood added that the plants would serve a beautification purpose and “would look terrific.”

Sroka said Chase has “done a lot for the community,” but he felt landscaping between the wall and the neighbors would soften the view.

“I think there is a consensus that something needs to be done … and the current status quo is not acceptable,” Sroka said.

City Councilman Joe Ricci thought the bank building itself — which has been in that spot for roughly 50 years — could use some upgrades.

“You’re putting new shoes on a crappy old suit,” Ricci said.

Eric Gunderson, who lives near the bank in the 400 block of Belanger Road, echoed sentiments expressed by some council members.

“The large message is, this is not what our community (wants),” Gunderson said.

He said he would have liked to see examples of recently constructed Chase branches in similar communities to get a sense of what those look like compared to the Farms branch.

Jeff Santrock lives in the 400 block of Maison Road, near the bank. In 2021, he said, he submitted a PowerPoint presentation to the city and to Chase officials that documented flooding on bank property and in adjacent backyards. Santrock said he updated that presentation based on current conditions.

Santrock said one of the big reasons for flooding was that when a new bank parking lot was constructed in 2004, the drainage was either removed or covered over. Now, he said water drains into neighboring backyards, three or four of which flood all the way to the homes even during mild rains.

Flooding isn’t the only problem coming from the bank property. Gay Jackson lives in the 400 block of Moross Road, and part of the parking lot wall abuts her property. She said rodents often crawl under the wall at night. In addition, Jackson said she’s seen clothing and liquor jugs under and around the fence, and the parking lot “is loud at night,” especially on the weekends. Jackson said she didn’t know the landscaping behind the wall even belonged to the bank — she’s been paying to have it trimmed.

The Public Safety Department has responded to the area a number of times because of people trespassing on bank property, especially at night.

It wasn’t known at press time when the City Council would be voting on a revised proposal.