OXFORD VILLAGE ? Only a few residents spoke during the Dec. 1 public hearing concerning a proposed 76-unit multiple-family housing development at 98 S. Glaspie St., but their message was very clear.
‘I am completely against it,? said Jennifer Myers-Spencer, who lives directly across from the site in one of the 16 single-family homes that line the west side of the street.
‘I think that 76 units is over-populating the area,? said Janice McQueen, who lives on nearby Pearl St.
The father-son development team of Chuck and Craig Schneider is looking to transform the 3.6-acre former industrial site into two multifamily buildings, two and three stories high, with footprints totalling 42,070 square feet. They would be built in five phases as part of a proposed planned unit development (PUD) agreement between the developer and village.
Village planner Chris Khorey, of the Northville-based McKenna Associates, explained the PUD process is a ‘collaborative? effort in which the developer and municipality work together to craft an agreement where both sides make concessions to gain certain things they want.
The developer is allowed things such as more units, smaller dwelling sizes and taller buildings in exchange for the municipality getting amenities such as new sidewalks, bike racks and improved green space, he explained.
‘Some of the details are still being worked out,? Khorey said.
One of the proposed buildings, called the Lofts, would contain 52 units and be located on the north side of the property. Two phases of the building would contain two stories, while the remaining phase would be three stories high. The building would have a footprint of 31,950 square feet.
The other building, called the Villas, would contain 24 units spread across three floors. Located on the east side of the site, it would have a 10,120-square-foot footprint and be constructed in two phases.
‘My understanding is, as drawn, all the units will be 1,200 square feet or right around there,? Khorey said.
Based on information submitted to the village, the typical floor plan for a Lofts unit is 1,337 square feet, while the Villas? typical floor plan contains 1,251 square feet.
Units would be a mix of one and two-bedroom units.
‘I just don’t think it’s a good idea,? McQueen told commissioners.
She expressed her concern the proposed development lacked sufficient parking and questioned where the stormwater runoff would go so as to avoid flooding.
Plans submitted to the village show a total of 140 parking spaces, which is more than the zoning ordinance requires.
Khorey explained the village requires 1.7 parking spaces per multifamily unit. So, at 76 units, the Lofts and Villas would need 129 spaces. ‘This site is in compliance with that,? he said.
Those 140 parking spaces include 24 individual garages for residents of the Villas as well as 48 covered spots
As for stormwater runoff, Khorey said the issue is currently being addressed. ‘That is a serious concern of the village engineer who is working that out with the developer and the end result will be satisfactory.?
Myers-Spencer is concerned about the increased traffic such a large development would generate.
‘It’s already busy as it is because a lot of people use our street to avoid M-24,? she told commissioners. ‘This is only going to make it worse . . . I think if we get too many people in there, it’s going to just cause chaos.?
As the mother of five children, Myers-Spencer is worried how this development would impact the safety of the area.
‘I really don’t care to see a large amount of people moving into the neighborhood,? she said.
She’s also concerned this proposed development could result in a loss of privacy for surrounding homeowners.
‘I really would like to try to avoid that,? Myers-Spencer said.
Some members of the public questioned if this proposed development would be low-income housing and if it would be receiving any government funding.
The answer to both was no.
‘The units will be market-rate units,? Khorey said. ‘We can’t require that by zoning, but that’s the developer’s plan. There are no low-income subsidies involved with this, correct??
‘Correct,? replied Craig Schneider. ‘Units will be marketed according to market rates for sale and lease.?
The Schneiders are expected to invest approximately $10 million in the project.
The proposed development’s lack of green space was an issue. McQueen pointed out ‘every bit of property,? as shown on the proposed site plan, is occupied by buildings, parking spaces and asphalt.
The only significant green space would be a 1.984-acre piece of village-owned property to the east abutting Round Lake.
Right now, what’s being proposed is the village would lease the Schneiders this land in exchange for them agreeing to clear, landscape and maintain the area as a ‘park space? open to residents of the Lofts and Villas as well as the general public, according to Khorey.
‘That is being worked out,? he said.
In order for this proposed development to proceed, the village has to approve a site plan, PUD agreement and lease agreement for the proposed park space.
Since so many of the details are still being worked out, planning commission Chairman John DuVal said, ‘Really, there is very little that we can do right now.?
Commissioners voted 4-0 to set it aside.
Village attorney Bob Davis is expected to present the commission with updated copies of the proposed PUD and lease agreements at its Dec. 15 meeting, so commissioners can review and discuss them at their Jan. 5 meeting.