Chikaming planners approve Union Green simplified site plan, recommend zoning ordinance text amendment

Members of the Chikaming Township Planning Commission approved a simplified site plan for the Union Green development, subject to conditions, at their Wednesday, May 4, meeting.

Planners approved the site plan designated as Alternate Two subject to the following conditions: that approval from the county drain commission be provided, that a site plan showing a loading space and a plan showing screening on the air conditioning units be provided as well as showing a fence being moved back one foot from the property line.

If the Chikaming Township Board doesn’t approve the zoning ordinance text amendment, planners approved the first option subject to the same conditions and findings.

Planners approved and recommended to the Chikaming Township Board amending the text in the Union Pier Corridor Standards portion of the Union Pier Districts Development Standards Table for First Floor uses in Article 5 Section 5.01 (H) (3) (e) (i).

The Table under Union Pier Corridor Standards for First Floor Uses currently reads that “commercial first floor shall extend for the entire width of the front of the building as viewed from the adjoining public street.” An amended text would read: “Commercial first floor shall extend for the entire width of the front of the building as viewed from Red Arrow Highway.”

Planner John Chipman said that Union Pier is split

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

between New Buffalo Township and Chikaming Township.

“The discussion was how can you have two different townships with two zoning ordinances in one town,” he said.

It was agreed that the townships would work together to do an overlay district, which means it “overlays the two townships for that little community, so they’re all working from the same ordinance.”

Chipman added that the “intent” was to have commercial on the first floor in “these small, condensed areas,” which are called “town centers” in the master plan. Both Union Pier and Sawyer are town centers.

Union Green’s planned location is outside of the Union Pier Corridor portion of the overlay district in the ordinance; however, Chipman said it’s still in the town center.

He said the intent was not to have retail on any of the side streets (like Goodwin and Center) that are in that community, but to eliminate it or only have retail on Red Arrow.

Chipman said that when they got the ordinance and looked at it, it was interpreted by Kelly Largent, zoning administrator, that Union Green has two front yards, Goodwin and Red Arrow Highway.

“We said, ‘Okay, but we don’t want to have retail in a residential neighborhood,’” he said, adding he sees the text amendment as a “definitional clarification.”

At their Feb. 9 meeting, planners approved an amended site plan with conditions that included getting a variance.

The amended plan for the project, which has a planned location at the corner of Red Arrow Highway and Goodwin Avenue, includes 18 independent dwelling units and one commercial space.

Members of the Chikaming Township Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) rejected a request for a variance in March.

Applicant Suzanne Schultz of Progressive AE, who was representing developer Brad Rottschafer, was seeking a variance that would allow 76% residential use on the first floor along Red Arrow and 100% residential use on the first floor along Goodwin Road.

Per the site plan being presented that evening, “should the zoning ordinance be amended to allow commercial uses to the Red Arrow Highway frontage and limit ground floor uses along side streets such as Goodwin to residential, Mr. Rottschafer would like to make a voluntary commitment to the Planning Commission that the limited office space proposed along Goodwin (two 13 feet by 14 feet spaces) would be replaced with residential uses.”

Alternate One includes the office spaces, while Alternate Two involves reverting the spaces back to residential.

Three parking spaces that were being proposed in that night’s site plan would be located between the northern portion of the carriage house along Red Arrow Highway and the dumpsters, one of which could be used as a loading area for cars.

On the site plan, a new fence is currently shown on the property line; however, Schultz said it can be moved one foot off the line.

During the public hearing, Susan Szymanski said no one’s been addressing parking, rentals, beach overcrowding, delivery to the commercial spaces and density.

“We just developed Red Arrow Highway for pedestrians, for bikes, for children, for dogs - where is the consideration of all that we’ve done for our community to make it safer, instead of overpopulating it?” she said.

Nora Gyls asked if there’s mention of some units being wheelchair accessible as well as floor plans conducive to seniors and that “nobody talks about affordability,” adding that units by the same developer in New Buffalo are running at $600,000. She asked if there was anything in place to “curtail” the number of units that can be used as short-term rentals. Mary Paukstys said the development “will, in effect, be The former Riveria Gardens, the site of the proposed Union Green a big hotel, it’s going to be short term rentals, it’s going to have tons of people.” “We’re talking about 18 units with four bedrooms and somewhere between 200-240 people in a one -acre parcel,” she said. Regarding the ordinance amendment, Nick Martinski said that the planners “are conforming to the property rather than the property conforming to the rules.” The planners recommended to the township board approval of a request from applicant Rocky Troxell to convert an existing principal residence at 7237 Youngren Road to an accessory dwelling unit intended for family use. A public hearing regarding a request from applicant Edita Maier to build an accessory dwelling unit on the second floor of a detached garage to be used by family only was set for Wednesday, June 1. Planners approved a requested amendment from applicant planning commission chair Cam Mammina (who recused himself from the vote) to a previously approved site plan for a vendor truck to be located at 5870 Sawyer Road.