REZONING REALITY: Sun is setting on more Canton Twp. farmland
The 11-acre farm is anchored by this home on Cherry Hill Road.
For a long stretch of the 20th Century beginning in the mid-1920s, Canton Township was known as the “Sweet Corn Capitol of Michigan”. Not anymore.
The yet-to-be-steadily-developed township was populated by farms that produced mouth-watering crops and much-sought-after milk products that were processed in local creameries and transported to larger cities throughout “The Mitten”.
Westward-creeping residential development, however, has wiped out much of the fertile farmland in favor of sprawling housing projects that have supplanted rows of corn with paved streets and high-end homes.
The ignition of the latest farming-to-housing transformation unfolded Monday night when the Canton Township Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend that the Board of Trustees approve the rezoning of 11 acres north of Cherry Hill Road and west of Beck Road from RR (Rural Residential) to R-2 (single-family residential).
Meeting the standards
The commissioners unanimously agreed that the rezoning request by applicant Pulte Homes met the 10 standards of the township’s rezoning ordinance.
If the rezoning is approved by the Canton Township Board of Trustees in the coming weeks as expected, Pulte will shift into site-plan mode as details have already been carved out (but not set in stone) for a 68-unit detached single-family condominium development covering 34.68 acres northwest of the intersection of Beck and Cherry Hill roads.
As explained at Monday’s meeting by The Umlor Group spokesperson Mike Noles, Pulte will build its project on the rezoned 11 acres and approximately two parcels of land east of the property that already fall under the R-2 designation.
Noles presented initial site plans for the development during Monday’s meeting — although the future plans did not factor into the rezoning request — in order to seek input from commissioners regarding their thoughts on the project.
The price point for the planned detached condos will range from $400,000 to the mid- to high-$500,000s, Noles projected.
Early details emerging
When asked about annual HOA fees for the development, Noles said he was unsure of the exact figure, but estimated residents would pay around $1,800, which would include snow removal, lawn mowing and landscape maintenance.
The early-stage plans include entry/exit points off of Beck and Cherry Hill roads, Noles said.
Noles said if site plan approvals go as expected, construction of the development could begin in approximately one year.
Although a traffic study provided by Pulte predicted a minimal impact on traffic in the area if the development comes to fruition, Commissioner Alan Cruz expressed concerns regarding the effects more development would create to an already-congested traffic zone.
“My main concern (with the proposed development) is the impact it will have on Beck Road traffic,” Cruz said. “If you’ve ever driven northbound on Beck between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, you know the intersection of Beck and Geddes, which is just south of the proposed development, is the worst, and the traffic coming from Michigan Avenue is only going to increase with this project.”
Road upgrades needed
Cruz suggested the developer work with Wayne County (which oversees maintenance on Beck and Cherry Hill roads) to implement a 50-foot deceleration lane for drivers making a right turn from southbound Beck to westbound Cherry Hill.
Commissioner Gordon Janowski added that, considering the increased traffic load created by residential developments in Canton, Wayne County needs to contemplate widening Cherry Hill Road to five lanes from Haggerty Road to Cherry Hill Village.
“These roads were not built for this much traffic,” Janowski said. “I’m getting tired of everybody talking about how bad traffic is in the township, but nobody is doing anything about it.”
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
