4/12/13 - Plans for a new church building on M-59 were reviewed by the Hartland Township Planning Commission and subjected to public comment at a meeting last night. The River Community Church is planning to construct a new 40,000 square-foot building on the southern part of a parcel located between Cullen and Hacker Roads on the north side of M-59. The plans were presented to the planning commission last night at a public hearing. It will include three parking lots, two driveways, exterior lighting, and a storm water management system that would be the first in the township to use bio-swales. A few citizens spoke up at the hearing, mostly residents of the adjacent Hartland Estates subdivision. They expressed concerns about lighting, privacy, development plans for the rest of the property, and the close proximity of a driveway and parking to the property line. Commissioner and Township Board Representative Larry Hopkins tells WHMI the commission shared many of these concerns. It recommended that the designers make sure the lighting and traffic have minimal impact on the nearby community, and that the eastern driveway be moved westward to provide buffer room for the homes. The project may lead to an expansion of M-59 around the entrances through the extension of the left turn lane and addition of a turning lane on the north side. The designers will make changes to the plans and could present them to the planning commission for further review as early as next month. They hope to begin work this construction season. (TD)
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