More Liquor At Lahser/Maple and Other Zoning Changes on June 18 Agenda

MOST OF THIS BLOG IS ABOUT MONDAY, JUNE 18 @ 7 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.   The first part is background information.

What I was looking for was a Design Review Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 20 @ 2 pm. There is no agenda to report at this time.  Unfortunately, the township closed down as usual on this past Thursday and did not post the agenda.  What is still showing is the June 6 meeting which I missed due to being in Colorado.  I wonder where these issues (shown below) are located on Maple Rd. that was discussed by the three township leaders on June 6?  Too bad there was no "board packet" for the public to review.  Can't see MINUTES until the next meeting is held.  No ARCHIVED video meeting to review.  Not the way the township should do business and keep the public in the dark.  Where is OPEN and TRANSPARENT government in Bloomfield Township?  What happened at this meeting on June 6?  Where are some facts?
C. Site Plans / Rezonings:
1. 3611 W. Maple Rd. – ML Restaurant – Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Seating
2. 4145 W. Maple – Bloomfield Plaza – Rezoning

Here is a guess  for one item...Lahser and Maple, southeast corner....Bill Roberts wants to have another restaurant with outdoor seating.....but oops....can only have ONE LIQUOR LICENSE for a restaurant in the shopping center.   The township must be busy breaking the existing rules and making new ones so it can happen.  Could be something else.  Like I said...guessing...because the township didn't give any details.  Read on....I found these SAME  items scheduled for the Monday, June 18 Planning Commission meeting.


WELL, WELL, WELL...
Planning Commission meeting on MONDAY, June 18 @ 7 PM.  One is a PUBLIC HEARING.  Did you see the noticing? Not on the website under "legal notices".  Couldn't read about it in the Design Review Board minutes...not posted.

III. Call for Public Hearing

A. Proposed Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance – Rezoning from O-1, Office, to B-2, Community Business, a portion of the Bloomfield Plaza Shopping Center known as 4145 W. Maple Rd.
 
IV. Site Plan Review  
A. 3611 W. Maple Rd. – Restaurant ML – Special Use Request / Class C Restaurant

The Public Hearing:
4145 W. Maple Rd. is a vacant bank building zoned O-1 next to residential zoning, but part of the Bloomfield Plaza Shopping Center at the SW corner of Maple & Telegraph which the owners want it to be rezoned to B-2  (location between Maple Theater and the fire station).

Let's talk reality here.  Remember Tim Horton's....placed next to residential....which was originally a parking lot for a restaurant for YEARS?   The owners of this new request are asking for B-2 Zoning...saying "retailer uses", but B-2 does allow fast food restaurants, etc.  Keep that in mind. Once the zoning is approved...the township can NOT really deny valid business proposals. At least that is what Township Attorney Bill Hampton basically ruled in favor of Tim Horton's next to residential.  Now, don't get excited. No fast food restaurant is proposed...but neither is anything else.  Surprises may be around the next township board meeting that goes unnoticed by the public.  Do you trust the township leadership?  Do they already know what will happen there?  Just asking.

The Township put the ...DRAFT? ...minutes of June 6 Design Review Board in the meeting packet for this planning commission meeting on Monday, June 18.   June 6 minutes have not yet been approved.

I can not copy the meeting packet information in the PATCH blog. YOU need to go to this link:  http://www.bloomfieldtwp.org/Government/Agendas/PCCurrentAgenda.htm   and read the pages 6 - 18 in the "meeting packet".

The Planning Commission was to hold this public hearing on JULY 16.   Guess the township wanted this done FASTER...and since the public has not seen the minutes for the Design Review Board yet..is the township theory.. Just Get It Done....Quick...before too many in the public know about it ??....remember the "problems" with the public and Tim Horton's???

More details provided in the board packet for the Monday, June 18 Planning Commission meeting:
NOTE:  THE DRIVE THRU WINDOW of the bank IS NOT scheduled to be REMOVED FROM THE BANK BUILDING.... why?  fast food?  just asking?

*****PAGES 6 -18 OF THE "MEETING PACKET" FOR THIS MEETING HAVE MUCH MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR REVIEW ON THIS TOPIC, INCLUDING MAPS.....

The second issue at the Monday Planning Commission meeting is at the SE corner of Lahser and Maple Rd.  It is Bill Roberts wanting a new restaurant....and there is a problem granting another liquor license in this shopping center.  The township leadership knew it when they approved the liquor license for the Honey Tree Grille.  The leaders suggested at that time, including our paid attorney...we'll just have a VARIANCE.  No problem....township rules apparently are easy to break.  Standard practice IF you are the right petitioners. There can only be one liquor license within 250 feet of the other.  Sorry...problem here. 

Can you imagine the parking issues at this shopping center?  Don't worry, the township hired expert will tell us how to make your parking and navigating the traffic work!  You just have to deal with it.  By the way, this proposed restaurant with liquor license is NEXT to RESIDENTIAL and there are plans for OUTDOOR seating....more things in the parking lot!

The township "three" heard this proposal at a Design Review Board meeting on a Wed. June 6.  Those minutes are not yet approved.   OOPS...Khederian was a substitute. Who was absent? Savoie or Devine or were there just two people?  Too bad these minutes or a video archived copy of the DRB meeting isn't available.  The township CAN record these meeting.  They just have REFUSED to do so.... won't you please call and demand video recording of all public meetings?  Thank you.

AHA......A LOOPHOLE WAS DISCOVERED ....  I wonder when?  The leadership did NOT know about the loophole when approving the Honey Tree Grille.  Read the meeting packet for this reason why another liquor license may be at this location.... so they say.  I find it interesting that this loophole was just discovered.

*****READ MORE IN THE "MEETING PACKET"  PAGES 19-38

  *****INCLUDING A PROTEST LETTER FROM PLUM MARKET 

So....who will show up for this meeting?  More liquor issues without the township policy being taken off the "TABLED" list at the Board of Trustees.  They must need all these proposed liquor issues to be "grandfathered" in when they finally address the issue.  Just thinking out loud....

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