Bloggin’ on the Edge

Posted by Scott Spielman at 2:00 AM | Comments

The concept to turn 20 acres of research and development land into a commercial corner in Northville Township is an interesting one with plenty of potential pratfalls.

For it to succeed, it will require township trustees to be firm and the developer, steadfast, for it will face opposition throughout the process.

I admit I was a little perplexed at the vehement opposition township residents showed to the plan at a neighborhood meeting last week. I didn’t understand why people who would willingly move close to a prison—the Scott Correctional Facility—would blanche at the thought of a Kohl’s or some other large retailer at the corner.

They did, though, as they vowed to drive to the existing retail space on Six Mile and Haggerty roads instead. That, according to township officials at least, is part of the problem. Everybody is driving east and the roadways are clogged.

The residents brought up several good points, though, that trustees—and the developer—will have to consider if they ever hope to win popular support for the concept at the northeast corner of Five Mile and Beck roads.

First of all, a commercial strip would be open on weekends, where a research park would not. That means additional traffic on more days of the week. It might not matter if it only attracts customers from a 2-mile radius—that traffic will still be in front of their homes.

Although township officials have said the proposed development would not trigger a domino effect—that is, if part of the research park is rezoned for commercial uses, it makes sense to rezone the rest of it, too—I’m not convinced.

If the proposal is approved as planned, the westernmost portion of the site could be a problem in that regard. The plan would leave a portion of the research park between the commercial spot on the corner and a bank on the north. Since it’s directly across the street from the prison, keeping that zoned for research and development uses might be a difficult case to win in court—if it came to that.

I don’t think that should prohibit the plan from going forward, but I think it will require a great deal more care. A stipulation to keep that as it is should be strongly worded in whatever contract comes out of this concept.

If the Jonna Co. and REDICO want to go forward with this, they’ll have to make some concessions, too. They’ll have to come out and stand firm about what they will and won’t allow there.

“We won’t have any 24-hour operations.”

“We won’t have a Wal-Mart.”

“We won’t put in a car dealer.”

Residents asked these questions and more—rightfully so, I might add—but Frank Jonna brushed them off. He seemed to be hedging his bets, not wanting to eliminate any possibility.

That might be a wise thing to do in a struggling economy—the last thing you want to do is scare any potential tenant off—but it won’t help his cause any.

In fact, it will hinder him in the long run. If this site is as desirable for retailers as he claims, and if the market is as strong as he claims, someone will come.

I don’t want it to be just anyone.

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