Public hearing about Downs project is set

A rendering from the Downs preliminary site plan of the corner
of Cady and Griswold. Concepts by Presley Architect/M Architects.

Members of the Northville Planning Commission have scheduled a public hearing regarding the site plan for the Northville Downs project for 6 p.m. next Tuesday, March 15. Commissioners stated that there would be more sessions for public discussion as the project moves forward.

The public hearing will take place at the Northville Community Center and as a large audience is expected, will be a hybrid meeting with online guests also able to voice comments. Letters and emails can be sent to the Planning Commission via City Clerk Dianne Massa prior to the meeting to be included in public comments. While the commissioners won't express their opinions on comments or debate the merits of them, they will consider the public comments as they review the site plan and discuss the project with the developer, Hunter Pasteur Northville, and associates at future meetings, according to a city spokesman.

The format the commissioners plan to follow as a guide to their discussion when reviewing the Downs site plan divides aspects of the project into five core topics: roads, pathways, connections and parking; residency, commercial land uses and locations; parks, public spaces and the Farmers Market; architecture, landscaping and aesthetics and infrastructure, financials and phasing

Each of these topics, which may be covered in any order, has a half-dozen issues that may be discussed to seek commissioner input and consensus of the commission. For each topic, commissioners could focus on the following: what is proposed per the site plan; is the proposal compliant with the Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance; what flexibilities are being requested by the applicant; what flexibilities will be acceptable to the planning commission; what modifications to the site plan does the planning commission recommend, perhaps in exchange for those flexibilities and what common ground can be reached. 

The planning commissioners said that due to the sheer size and scope of the Downs project, it will likely take multiple meetings to review the site plan thoughtfully. There will be an opportunity for public comment at various points in the deliberation process. As of March 3, no timeline had been set for presenting a recommendation on the Downs site plan to members of the Northville City Council.