Brandon Twp.- Silverman Development Company is seeking preliminary approval for 144 units of 1-bedroom apartments near M-15, north of Oakhill Road.
The Planning Commission will hear the request during a meeting set for 7:30 p.m., June 12, at the township offices, 395 Mill St.
The traditional, garden-type apartments are planned for property that is north of Solley’s Appliance and Fireplace Center, and zoned RM- residential multiple.
Township Building Director Tim Palulian says some specific concerns that Silverman will need to address before approval include primary access, emergency vehicle access from another location (Oakhill Road), grading, wetlands protection, and storm run-off management.
‘This is all pretty standard stuff that will be discussed,? he said. ‘If they can adequately address all these and any other questions, there should be no reason why the preliminary wouldn’t be approved… Oftentimes the committee will condition preliminary approval on resolving all outstanding issues prior to getting final approval, which they will come back for.?
Silverman purchased the nearly 50-acre parcel in 2004, of which 20 acres is regulated wetlands which cannot be built upon without a permit. Another 5-10 acres is slated for a wastewater treatment facility for the complex, leaving approximately 20-25 acres for several 12-unit buildings.
‘There is no groundbreaking date set yet,? said Steve Robinson, Silverman president. ‘Possibly we could start in the fall. We have an apartment company, Amurcon of Southfield. We’re excited about this and doing business with Brandon Township… Most of these issues have been worked out.?
Silverman, based in Bingham Farms, is no stranger to the township. In 2004, the developer sold a 70-acre parcel of property northwest of Seymour Lake Road off M-15 to Centex Homes for the construction of 94 homes, now known as Long Lake Village. That development currently has 12 homes built of which five are occupied.
In January, Silverman won approval from the planning commission to excavate 170,000 yards of material from the land that is slated for the apartment complex after initially being denied in August because of traffic and environmental concerns. The excavation has not yet taken place.
The parcel exits to M-15 within about 50 feet of the 20-acre regulated wetlands, a nature sanctuary with a conservation easement owned by the Michigan Nature Association, which purchased the rights to the land in 1994. A conservation easement (or conservation restriction) is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values.
Fred Dye, a trustee with the Michigan Nature Association told The Citizen last August that the nature preserve includes about an 1/8 mile of boardwalks through wetlands and other environmentally fragile plant areas. Included in the preserve is the Wahoo plant, or burning bush, a variety of special concern to the Department of Natural Resources, says Dye. A total of 117 species including 102 native plants exist in the area.
Palulian said most of the wetlands issues were taken care of when the excavation permit was granted.
‘When you look at any major project, one side is that you knew it was going to come eventually and the other side is that we are very well prepared for it,? Palulian said. ‘We’ve been working toward development in the township for a number of years. Luckily, it hasn’t come at a pace that other communities have experienced… We’re confident we’re ready for any proposal, even one of this size.?