Troy council denies proposed Village of Hastings PUD

TROY — All Troy City Council members voted no on the proposed Village of Hastings planned unit development proposal from GFA Development Inc. Aug. 12.

The Village of Hastings project planned for 33 residential units, which included multiunit row homes, single-family homes and single-family duplex homes, as well as attached and detached ranches, along the east side of Livernois Road and the north side of Square Lake Road. The project also included the potential for sidewalk access, sports courts, putting greens, common areas, and 1.3 acres of open space among its amenities.

The zoning area for this area includes R-1B single family residential for 4.9 acres, and a “Neighborhood Node” designation of 1.1 acres, both of which don’t allow for multifamily residential. For this project to continue, the project would have to meet a large portion of Troy’s PUD standards including:

• A mixture of land uses.

• A public improvement or public facility.

• A recognizable and material benefit.

• Protection and preservation of natural resources, natural features, and historic and culture resources.

• A compatible mixture of open spaces, landscaped areas, and/or pedestrian amenities.

• Appropriate land use transitions between the PUD and surrounding properties.

• Design features and techniques that promote and encourage energy conservation and sustainable development.

• Innovative and creative site and building designs, solutions and materials.

During the City Council meeting, Troy Planning Department Development Director Brent Savidant noted that PUDs are a negotiated process that see a lot of flexibility in design in order to accomplish goals.

“It’s attempting to find a balance between the goals of the developer,” Savidant said. “The developer wants ultimate flexibility, to make a profit, and to do what the developer wants to do, and the city wants ultimate predictability, and in the negotiation process you meet in the middle and you create a planning development that is approvable.”

This project has been considered for a few years and has faced many revisions based on the concerns of city officials and residents who live near the area.

The area is currently approved for 14-unit three-story townhomes by the Planning Commission, but other options for that area were considered in order to preserve older homes and because residents and city officials expressed disinterest in three-story homes.

In its current iteration, representatives with GFA Development Inc. have reduced unit numbers from 44 to 33, increased the preservation of older homes from two to three, improved the architecture, and added increased internal sidewalks and crosswalks.

“The feedback we have gotten on this PUD throughout the process so far has been very helpful,” Gary Abitheira, a representative with GFA Development Inc., said during the August City Council meeting. “I’ve listened to and taken suggestions into account as I’ve revised and updated the plans. I also share your concern for Troy as a community and want to see it thrive. I’ve lived and raised my family in Troy for the past 37 years.”

During their meeting in May, the Planning Commission recommended the project’s approval with a vote of 6-2.

With this in mind, residents still had their reservations against the project, which resulted in a rezoning protest petition being submitted on Aug. 9 by John Mollot, who lives near the planned development area on Telford Court. The petition included over a hundred signatures and was considered valid due to the fact that it was signed by 33% of the owners of land included in the proposed area — the PUD would need five votes from the City Council members to be approved.

Residents have been providing feedback in relation to this project, and many of their concerns are directed towards the layout of the project, preserving older homes, traffic and flooding. Many have sent letters to government officials, while others spoke during the public hearing portion for this business item during the Aug. 12 meeting.

“One reason I do NOT support this development effort is due to lot sizes that will not be consistent with Troy’s Master Plan,” Brad Sheppard said in a letter to city officials. “I am opposed to a PUD at this location. Overall, my biggest concern with this development is related to the increase in traffic around this area that will be associated with a large development being added on this corner. The traffic is already heavy around this area especially during school start/end times. A development planned in the way this PUD is being considered is very concerning to me that it will become unbearable. I live in the Sylvan Glen subdivision and increased traffic will greatly impact the quality of my daily life.”

Rosemarie Thommes said in a letter to city officials that the proposal would disrupt the character of the neighborhood.

“The existing single-family homes, many over 100 years old, contribute significantly to the charm of the area,” she wrote. “A PUD with multi-family units would be a stark contrast and not a welcome addition. It would disrupt the look and feel of the community, similar to the negative impact of the 3-story townhomes built on Livernois.”

Jeff Williams, a representative of the Save Troy Corners group, spoke during the City Council meeting.

“Our Save Troy Corners team spent a tremendous number of hours researching and meeting with experts to try and understand the current zoning ordinances, especially section 1103 standards for approval,” Williams said. “We put together a substantial PowerPoint presentation. …  After all of this, we truly believe that unless you lower your standards on what qualifies for a PUD in the city of Troy, this does not qualify for a PUD.”

Despite the concerns, some residents supported this project.

“I support this project because it includes the types of housing both that residents are asking for (ranches) and that will be affordable compared to the $600k+ houses you see elsewhere in the city,” Chuck Shepherd said in a letter to city officials. “This commission has several times discussed affordability, but when types of housing that are affordable are proposed and discussed there are many trifling objections that are rarely if ever made in discussions about purely single family development.”

During the City Council meeting, Abitheira answered questions from council members and further explained the details of his project.

“I have to disagree with people who say I still have a high-density project,” Abitheira said. “What I’m asking for is only nine units over what is currently permitted on the property.”

He also said that, for stormwater issues, the project would employ surface drains that would go directly into catch basins, storm drains around the property that would drain into a detention basin, and a dry pond to store and release rainwater.

In terms of traffic issues, a single access point instead of two access points are being considered in order to address the possibility of traffic cutting through the area.

“Having two points of access instead of an (emergency vehicle access), all we’re going to do is create cut-through traffic going through here,” Abitheira said. “Telford is 21-22 houses. It has single access also. … As far as cars coming out of here, zipping up Livernois and doing 60 mph down, I don’t think it matters if it’s a PUD or the 10 homes that are going in there.”

However, City Council members also expressed their reservations with the project when the time for voting on the issue approached.

“The Planning Commission and the work that the commissioners did together with the developer, I’ve watched every meeting, taken in every detail,” Troy Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Hodorek said. “I know that you are a resident of Troy and you care, and I am not antidevelopment or antideveloper. In fact, many of the residents I’ve spoken to recognize something is going to go there, that as a developer, you have private property rights and what we’re discerning is what makes sense to go there. A PUD has to meet a high test, and this, to me, fundamentally did not meet that test.”

“I’ll just concur, too, that I see a lot of hard work put into this project,” City Council member Mark Gunn said. “I do think you have a community willing to work together to try and develop what you think could work there. … Several of these people have said they know you’re going to develop something. Maybe, I guess, another meeting of the minds, and come on back.”

“I’ve gone through a big back and forth over this project for a few years now,” Mayor Ethan Baker said. “I ultimately am with my colleagues on voting no on this project. The PUD standard is tough. I really struggle … with, you know, how do we really define a sufficient number. That’s a very subjective thing, and it’s probably subjective by design in a certain respect, because every PUD is different, as Mr. Savidant said, but it does make it difficult — not just for us, but for Mr. Abitheira.”

Following the denial of this PUD, some residents expressed their satisfaction with the decision.

“We are very pleased with the decision made by the City Council not approving a rezone request to a PUD,” a statement from the Save Troy Corners group said. “We are very fortunate in the city of Troy having a very detailed and transparent City Council. As Mayor Baker stated, we look forward to seeing what the next proposal for the development will be. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Planning Commission, Ben Carlisle and Brent Savidant. Those commissioners worked very hard over several meetings to try and support all parties involved. We did stand up for what we believed and did our best to show respect to the process and the commissioners. We will continue to stay engaged with the city during the process of supporting ordinances that will keep our Troy Corners the best first corner of Troy!”

Abitheira has not provided any comment on this decision or future plans related to the property at this time.

For more information, visit the “Save Troy Corners”!!! Facebook page or troymi.gov.