Planning Commission Meeting

CITY OF MADISON HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES November 19, 2024 Council Chambers – City Hall 300 W. 13 Mile, Madison Heights, MI 48071 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Champagne called the meeting of the Madison Heights Planning Commission to order at 5:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Josh Champagne Mayor Roslyn Grafstein Mayor Pro Tem Mark Bliss City Manager Melissa Marsh Commissioner Eric Graettinger Commissioner Cliff Oglesby Commissioner Grant Sylvester Also Present: City Planner Matt Lonnerstater Assistant City Attorney Tim Burns Business Services Coordinator Mary Daley 3. EXCUSE ABSENT MEMBERS Motion by Commissioner Oglesby, seconded by Commissioner Graettinger to excuse Commissioner Kalnasy. Motion carries unanimously. 4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Motion by Commissioner Bliss, seconded by Oglesby to approve the minutes of the regular Planning Commission meeting of September 17, 2024. Motion carries unanimously. 5. PUBLIC COMMENT - For items not listed on the agenda Chair Champagne opened the floor for public comment at 5:31p.m. Seeing none, public comment was closed at 5:31 pm. 6. PUBLIC HEARING Rezoning Request No. PRZN 24-01 by Ahmad Nassar d/b/a Detroit 75 Kitchen, on behalf of property owner Raghunath Singh, to rezone (1) parcel of land located at 32275 Stephenson Highway (TM# 44-25-02-101-036) from M-1, Light Industrial, to MUI-2, Mixed-Use Innovation 2. Planner Lonnerstater introduced the rezoning request to the Commission. Owner Ahmad Nassar owner of Detroit 75 kitchen was available for questions. The applicant requests a rezoning to MUI-2, Mixed-Use Innovation 2 district, to permit the operation of a food truck in association with a brick-and-mortar restaurant on the property. Per the newly adopted Zoning Ordinance, accessory food trucks, formally called “Mobile Food Vehicles”, are only permitted to operate from approved “Mobile Food Sites.” Mobile Food Sites are only permitted as an accessory use within the City Center, Mixed-Use Innovation 1 (MUI-1) and Mixed-Use Innovation 2 (MUI-2) zoning districts. The subject property’s current M-1, Light Industrial zoning designation does not permit Mobile Food Sites. The applicant originally requested MUI-2. After further discussions, the applicant amended his request to a rezoning of MUI-1. Staff believes this zoning of MUI-1 is a good middle ground and restaurants are allowed under MUI-1. Motion by Commissioner Sylvester, seconded by Commissioner Graettinger, to recommend that City Council approve the rezoning of 32275 Stephenson Highway (parcel #44-25-02-101-36) from M-1, Light Industrial, to MUI-1, Mixed Use Innovation 1, as supported by staff and as requested by the applicant, in lieu of the original rezoning request to the MUI-2, Mixed-Use Innovation 2 district. This recommendation of approval was made after the required public hearing based upon the following findings: (1) A rezoning to MUI-1 satisfies the map amendment review standards contained in Section 15.07 of the Zoning Ordinance and contained within the staff report dated November 12 th, 2024. In particular, the Planning Commission finds that, in lieu of the MUI-2 district originally requested in the application, a rezoning to MUI-1 more satisfactorily addresses the following standards: • Compatibility of the site’s physical, geological, hydrological and other environmental features with the uses permitted in the proposed MUI-1 district. • Compatibility of all the potential uses allowed in the MUI-1 district with surrounding uses and zoning in terms of land suitability, impacts on the environment, density, nature of use, traffic impacts, aesthetics, infrastructure and potential influence on property values. • Consistency of the MUI-1 district with the goals, policies, and objectives of the Master Plan (including the Future Land Use Plan). • The boundaries of the MUI-1 district will be reasonable in relationship to surrounding zoning districts, and construction on the site will be able to meet the dimensional regulations for the requested zoning district. • The MUI-1 district is considered to be more appropriate from the city’s perspective than another zoning district. • Rezoning the land is considered to be more appropriate than amending the list of permitted or special land uses in the current zoning district to allow the use. Page 2 of 3  • The requested MUI-1 district will not create an isolated or incompatible zone in the neighborhood. • The capability of the street system to safely and efficiently accommodate the expected traffic generated by uses permitted in the MUI-1 district. • The amendment will not be expected to result in exclusionary zoning. (2) The applicant has provided an email letter dated November 14th, 2024, stating their support for a rezoning to the MUI-1 district in lieu of the MUI-2 district originally stated on the rezoning application. Motion carries unanimously. 7. New Business Adoption of 2025 Meeting Calendar Motion by Commissioner Grafstein, seconded by Commissioner Graettinger to approve the 2025 planning commission meeting calendar as presented. Motion carries unanimously. PLANNER UPDATES Safe Streets for All - Open House - Planner Lonnerstater extended an invitation to the Planning Commissioners to an Open House meeting to be hosted on November 21st from 6-7:30 at the Active Adult Center. 8. PUBLIC COMMENT Seeing no further comments, Chair Champagne adjourned the meeting at 6:15 pm. Page 3 of 3