FeedsCanton trustees approve Oakwood concept plan
A proposed medical campus in the southern portion of Canton Township moved one step closer to fruition Tuesday night.
The board of trustees unanimously approved a preliminary Planned Development District (PDD) for Oakwood Health Care systems that could ultimately site a six-story full-service hospital in the township.
“We expect this to be a long term, multi-phase investment,” said Doug Welday, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Oakwood Health Care.
The medical campus will be located on 144 acres of land just north of Michigan Avenue and west of Beck Road. The concept shown by the health care firm showed only three developmental areas–labeled A, B and C–that represent planned phases of the project. The patient tower would be located in section B, which is closest to the industrial uses to the south and furthest from the residential subdivisions to the north.
Welday said the project represents a $400 million investment in the community that could bring as many as 3,000 skilled jobs to the township.
“This is going to be an economic stimulus for the region,” he said.
The site is the second one the firm investigated in the township. The first, about a mile north, was rejected because it was too close to the surrounding neighborhoods.
The new site addresses the costs of most of those residents, according to Canton Supervisor Tom Yack, who has supported the new location. It is also less intensive than the warehouse uses that could go there now.
Even so, the plan wasn’t popular with everyone.
“I haven’t noticed any negative impact with the warehouses that are there now,” said Resident David Marsh, a candidate for township supervisor. “Maybe that’s because they don’t use any ambulances or helicopters.”
The preliminary plan included several recommendations put on the proposal by the township planning commission, including that the health care company form a citizens advisory committee to help with issues that will arise during site plan development.
Trustee Todd Caccamo had concerns about the specifics of that, since there was no guarantee that representatives of the health care company actually implement any ideas put forth by the residents, only that they listen to them.
He asked: “What truly is the purpose of this committee?”
Another concern was the reduction–in some areas–of the proposed green belt buffering the project from the neighborhoods. The planning commission had recommended a 120-foot green belt, but Welday said that would be ‘too onerous’ a request, because of the loss of land and additional expense–both in start up costs and ongoing maintenance.
The plan would save a 120-foot swathe of woodlands at one place along the northern border, but the green belt could be as limited as 50 feet in others.
That didn’t make resident Arlene Lidell too happy.
“I’m going to have to put up with 10 years of construction and all the havoc that this will bring to my peaceful neighborhood,” she said. “That 120 feet is important.”
The commercial strip on the east side of Beck Road–which includes a Target and a Kohl’s store–was developed with a smaller buffer zone in some areas.
Planning Commissioner Greg Greene proposed the 120-foot green belt when the issue was at the planning commission. He said he still thought it was a good idea.
“It’s a safeguard,” he told the board Tuesday night. “We didn’t have a site plan. We didn’t have specifics. We’re dealing with conceptually a lot of different areas. I felt that this was fair.”
Resident KiKi Gleneski, who lives about a half mile north of the site, said she was still concerned about the increase in traffic. She said she was not opposed to the facility coming to the township, though, and wanted to serve on the advisory council.
“We just hope they’ll listen to al of us that live here,” she told the board. “I think it’ll be a wonderful venture for us all.”
The full-service hospital with six-story patient towers could only be constructed if the firm can prove there is a need for it, according to Welday. They have to apply for a certificate of need from the State of Michigan in order to make that happen. He admitted it was one of the goals of the company, however.
He has also said that the company plans to continue to operate the Oakwood Annapolis facility in the City of Wayne, which has been the site of several million in improvements during the past several years.
He said he was pleased to get the preliminary approval for the Canton facility. The issue has to go back to the planning commission for a final PDD approval. Each phase will have to go through site plan review, as well.
“This is a project we’re planning for decades to come,” he said. “We look forward to being a great part of the community for many years.”
