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| The proposed development includes several community amenities and will now move on to consideration by members of the city council. |
The plans will now move forward for consideration by the members of the city council, expected later this month.
Planning commissioners voted 7-2 during the meeting, which began Sept. 6 and stretched into Sept. 7, to recommend approval, with conditions, of the Hunter Pasteur Northville Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Preliminary Site Plan. The plan includes the entire racetrack property and sections of South Center, Cady and Griswold streets which will become a mixed-use development.
The proposed project will be a primarily residential area with commercial space on Cady Street. Housing styles include single-family homes, townhomes, row houses, carriage houses, single-family attached homes, a condominium building, and an apartment building. In addition, two new parks would be added, a central park and a river park. Daylighting the river, creating a new south gateway and contributing to the restoration and relocation of the historic log cabin at the site are included in the plans.
The extended meeting took place at the Northville Community Center and included public comment along with nearly four hours of deliberation by commissioners. Vice-Chair Steve Kirk and Commissioner Jeff Gaines cast the two dissenting votes.
Approval of the plan included several conditions the developer must meet. The approval includes a list of public benefits and lists deviations from design standards agreed to by commissioners.
Chair Donna Tinberg expressed pride in the comprehensive deliberations by the commission relative to the preliminary site plan/PUD that began in earnest in April 2022 following a formal public hearing in March 2022. Various revisions by the developer were presented in response to commissioners' suggestions, task force recommendations and public opinion. Tinberg was complimentary about the civil discourse of public comment.
“Part of our city's character is how we behave toward one another,” she said. “Diverse opinions were expressed and listened to respectfully throughout the process. I really appreciate that about this community.”
There will be further opportunities for public input as members of the city council begin considering the project. Council members could delete, change or add conditions to the list provided by the commissioners. If the PUD and preliminary site plan are approved, the developer will return to the planning commission for approval of the final site plan. That plan is likely to be submitted in phases that align with the construction schedule, officials said. The Downs Project Advisory Commission (DPAC) will make recommendations regarding project costs and funding sources.
