After two years work with Beaumont Hospital, the time for argument has long passed.
‘If you’re here to say you don’t want Beaumont, or ‘we don’t need another hospital,? or you think the traffic is going to be bad, we don’t want to hear it,? said Sam Moraco, chairman of Independence Township Planning Commission, Sept. 26. ‘We already gave them conceptual approval. If you have comments on specific details of the plan, then I’ll take some comments.?
The commission granted conceptual site plan approval June 26. Planners voted 4-2 to approve final site approval, Sept. 26. Commissioners George Krull and Larry Rosso voted against. Planner Curt Carson was absent.
‘We’ve been going through this process beginning Sept. 26, 2006, when we had our pre-application meetings,? said Eric Hunt, vice president of operations for Beaumont. ‘After two years of working on this, it’s certainly a sense of relief that we finally have what we think is a good plan and something both parties are agreeable with.?
Beaumont’s proposed, multi-stage campus on 62.5 acres at the northwest corner I-75 and M-15 includes medical office building, convalescent center, laboratory, radiology department, imaging center, and 100-bed hospital. Developers addressed the commission’s areas of concern, including traffic, lighting, storm water and wetlands, conservation easement, and property on Cranberry Lake Road.
Moraco said the Michigan Department of Transportation confirmed a boulevard on M-15 is not needed, but a service light at Amy Drive would help traffic.
Beaumont agreed to buy 0.3 acres of wetlands to offset development. They also agreed to lower lights at the convalescent center down to 18 feet, with concealed bulbs.
‘The township ordinance requires them not to exceed 0.5 foot candle of light at the property line, and they have agreed not to exceed 0.1 foot candle, which exceeds the township,? said Moraco. ‘In the middle, the township ordinance allows for 0.20 foot candles, and they don’t exceed 0.13 anywhere on the property.?
Hunt said they will continue to work with township planners and building department concerning lighting to make sure they are being ‘very cognizant of the surrounding neighborhoods and any impact on them.?
‘We talked about what color of bulbs are going to be in. Are they going to be the amber or the white,” he said. “Some of those details still need to be ironed out and will be done so in collaboration with the township.?
Beaumont also agreed to a 15-acre conservation easement, which means they can’t develop it. The township will be co-steward of the property, said Moraco.
‘I think we still need to iron out some of the terms of the conservation easement and put together a document that we’re going to sign, but we’re very amiable to the concept agreeing to a conservation easement for that 15-acre park,? said Hunt.
Beaumont approved a deed restriction on property along Cranberry Lake Road, 200 feet deep.
‘If at some point down the road, Beaumont wanted to let a developer come in and develop houses on Cranberry Lake, we could certainly do that,? said Hunt. ‘That is not our plan at the time. We have no intent to do that, it was just a matter of giving us down the road some flexibility to make some use of that property consistent with the current residential zoning.?
‘We pushed them as far as I believe the township was able to push them without denying them a reasonable use of their property,? said Moraco. ‘They did everything we’ve asked of them.?
Planner Joan McCrary thinks it’s a great project. ‘We’ve worked really hard as a planning commission for a couple years to make it what it is. They have been more than willing to work with us, so that’s why I felt like we shouldn’t change anything else.? she said.
Rosso was satisfied with the reduced density of the project, but his main objection was its four-story hospital, which violates township height ordinance.
“It’s not keeping with the residential area there. It’s not like the McLaren project, which is on commercial property in a commercial business district,? he said. ‘The other reason I was primarily against it was the traffic congestion, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hour.?
Beaumont compromised on all other issues, he said.