The prospect of another new shopping center in Oxford Township doesn’t bother the planning commission as long as it doesn’t have multiple entrances and egresses on M-24.
‘That’s too much for me,? said Commissioner Tom Berger referring the three entrances/exits on M-24 shown on a conceptual site plan for a proposed 81,865-square-foot shopping center north of the village.
Last week, commissioners met with Joe Kosik, Jr., a manager for the Bloomfield Hills-based JFK Investment Company, to discuss his proposed plans to develop the northern 9.46 acres of a 25-acre parcel zoned for commercial use and located on the east side of M-24, south of E. Market Street and just north of the village limits.
The concept plan calls for three large retail buildings on the east side with square footages of 24,740; 17,800; and 7,100.
The 24,740-square-foot building in the northeast corner has a 24,360-square-foot ‘sideyard? next to it for the display and storage of outdoor equipment. Kosik said the potential tenant is a Tennessee-based store called Tractor Supply Company (TSC), a retail farm and ranch supply chain with more than 550 stores in 34 states.
The western half of the property calls for a 3,105-square-foot restaurant and 4,760-square-foot bank.
Commissioners were favorable to idea of more shopping in Oxford.
Berger said he looks ‘foward to some of other things that can take place there (around Meijer) so we can begin to shop in our own community for some of our needs.?
‘That TSC is probably my favorite store,? said Commissioner Tom Lepping.
However, commissioners were critical of the entrances/exits on M-24 the concept plan depicted.
‘I’m not real crazy about the three (access points) here onto M-24,? said Commissioner Pat Fitchena, telling Kosik she would like him to ‘look into? utilizing service drives in the front to connect multiple businesses ‘so people don’t have to come in and out onto M-24 and create more traffic problems.?
Berger also had a problem with the three M-24 access points given it’s not known at this point how the southern portion of the parcel (approximately 15? acres) will be developed.
He noted that the proposed Promenade at Waterstone shopping center between the Meijer drive and E. Market Street doesn’t have any M-24 access points.
‘In this case, it’s almost like the opposite ? all the ingress and egress (is on M-24),? Berger said.
Both Berger and Fitchena brought up how these M-24 access points would affect traffic heading north around the bend near the McDonald’s, the point where traffic exits the village and enters the township.
Fitchena said this bend is ‘very, very dangerous? and ‘it seems like as soon as people get to the township line, here we are at 55 (miles per hour) automatically. It’s scary there.?
‘Traffic is going to always be a concern on M-24,? Kosik said. ‘I will take that very seriously. We have some ideas. We’re going to take the feedback from today and we’ll get to work on that.?
Kosik said he’s already ‘informally? talked with the Michigan Department of Transportation about some possible changes on M-24, but ‘what happens along that road is still up in the air.?
Kosik said the reason the concept plan showed three access points was to allow for truck circulation and help traffic on the site flow. He said the third access point to north was added as an exit only for bank traffic coming from a drive-through.
As for what will be developed on the southern portion of the 25-acre parcel, Kosik said his company is working on concepts ranging from a ‘larger type of box (store),? which ‘would be your Lowe’s or something of that nature,? to a combination of several ‘medium-sized boxes? such as ‘Borders? and ‘Old Navy.?
Kosik insisted he does not already have a big box store lined up.
‘We’ve approached just about everybody out there that we thought the community might want. I don’t have one at this time,? he said. ‘With Michigan’s current status and reputation in the country right now economically, many retailers have pulled back. They’re very cautious at this time until they see how our economy settles out.?
Jennifer Duncan, executive director of the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce, asked the commission, ‘When developers like him come in, do you take into consideration what businesses are already here??
Given all the new drug stores popping up along M-24 and the fact that TSC ‘pretty much duplicates a lot of the things Oxford Farm & Garden does,? she asked the commission, ‘Do you make suggestions on trying to have different businesses so we don’t keep duplicating the same ones??
This duplication ‘makes it difficult for everybody to do business,? said Duncan, noting she has a suggestion list of businesses Oxford needs based on a chamber survey.
Although commissioners said they can’t make such suggestions, Commissioner Todd Bell recommended she give the list to the developers.
‘That would be the best thing to do.?