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MADISON HEIGHTS — Last year saw major changes to the outer lots at the Meijer store on 13 Mile Road in Madison Heights, as part of an updated consent agreement between the city and the property’s developer. Even more changes are expected in the event of future developments.
The pond was removed last summer, after years of complaints about geese and litter there. People feeding geese caused them to gather in the area. The pond also served as a stormwater detention system, but debris — including Meijer shopping bags blown via the wind — would clog up the pumps, causing the water to stagnate. A berm was also removed as part of the process.
In the future, Stuart Frankel — the owner of the outer lots — will be able to put in two buildings, not to exceed 10,000 square feet. Part of the updated consent agreement is a requirement that those developments include features such as a patio area with screening and landscaping, a decorative sidewalk for pedestrian accessibility, and a greenbelt area with ornamental trees. Additionally, a new stormwater detention system will be implemented, only this time it will be underground.
The first consent agreement dates back to December 2000, following litigation in 1998 where two lawsuits were filed in Oakland County Circuit Court: one related to the city’s denial of rezoning in the area, and another to the city’s denial of a special land use permit for the Meijer development. The resulting settlement featured a variety of elements requested by the city.
“There were aesthetic features (in the original 2000 consent agreement), such as a berm, landscaping and a water feature,” Madison Heights City Attorney Larry Sherman said. “The purpose of these were to make the development more aesthetically pleasing to the residents on the south side of 13 Mile, and also aesthetically pleasing for people traveling up and down 13 Mile.”
There are also lots behind the Meijer store. These were originally owned by Stuart Frankel but now belong to Meijer. They remain undeveloped.
As for the lots fronting 13 Mile Road, “Frankel has had an interest in developing them, and we, the city, have had an interest in making them aesthetically pleasing by eliminating the problems that arose over the years, and hopefully making it better,” Sherman said.
He said the city and Frankel were able to negotiate an update to the original deal. The court then approved the amendment.
“He (Frankel) could have developed those lots without removing the water feature, but we had give and take solving those problems,” Sherman said.
Roslyn Grafstein, the mayor of Madison Heights, said the pond’s removal was a step in the right direction and that it bodes well for future improvements in the area.
“The pond was pretty disgusting. It hadn’t been draining properly. We had dead geese, and not simply from getting hit crossing the roads — there were just dead geese,” Grafstein said. “The area wasn’t being maintained properly, so something needed to be done.”
About the updated consent agreement, Frankel added, “Everything worked out smoothly in the best interest of the municipality, and the best interest of the owner of the lots, and the best interest of the residents. It was a pleasure dealing with the city to get it resolved expeditiously. I wish everything went that smoothly.”
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