Last October, plans for a Planned Unit Development at the Nye’s Apple Barn property were put on hold by the St. Joseph Township Planning Commission due to issues with the application.
In February, developers came back with a revised plan and presented it to commissioners – who voted 4-1 to approve a special use permit to build multi-family housing at the site, but voted against the PUD proposal with a 2-2 vote.
At a special St. Joseph Township Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, commission chair Ben Baker and trustee Ray Matejczyk explained to John Nye and a representative from Abonmarche why they voted against the plans.
Baker said the development proposal – which included multi-family housing units, two restaurants, a gas station and a bank on the 12-acre property – does not adhere to all of the neighborhood mixed use section of the zoning ordinance in the 2017 township master plan.
“The master plan states a mixed use areas should be characterized by development patterns that provide a vibrant, safe, attractive, and walkable pedestrian environment,” Baker said. “This is where I feel the layout falls short.”
The 12-acre Nye’s property sits at 3151 Niles Road, just off I-94, Exit 27 and is currently zoned as R1 residential. However, township in its 2017 Master Plan identified the site as a possible neighborhood mixed-use site.
The master plan lists elements that may be included for a mixed-use development – bike lanes, on street parking, street trees, landscaping, sidewalks, seating and more.
“While the proposed PUD application has some of these elements in the street, the layout … is vehicle oriented,” Baker said. “No provisions were made for pedestrians entering or arriving to the site. … The site plan has presented does not meet the intent of the neighborhood mixed use category or the general standards for special use.”
Matejczyk’s concerns ranged from traffic increases to possible health and noise hazards.
“We’re going to see trucks coming every day and night bringing in gas – cars pumping it out,” he said. “There’s always the possibility of a fire or a spill occurring. It’s definitely going to have an impact on the people that are living there. … I see too much negative impact.”
Mr. Nye addressed the commission during public comment.
“This isn’t the first time that you’ve seen our plan,” he said. “We came to you with the same basic plan originally, and now we’ve come back with details, and you’re questioning whether its the right thing for the community. It just doesn’t seem fair. We’ve spent a whole lot of effort and money with Abonmarche to come up with what we thought was a good plan. So, it’s really disappointing.”
On advice of the township attorney, the proposal will still head to the township board of trustees as outlined in the master plan – unless the developers decide to pull the proposal or start the process over.
The representative from Abonmarche at the meeting declined further comment after the meeting.
