FeedsOakwood gets approval for new Canton Township site
There will soon be not one new medical facility in Canton Township, but two.
Despite opposition from some nearby residents, the Canton Planning Commission granted preliminary approval Monday night for a Planned Development District (PDD) that could ultimately bring a full service Oakwood Hospital to the community.
A plan to bring a Beaumont medical facility similar to the St. Joseph Mercy building on Canton Center Road won approval, too.
“It’s yet another option for people for health care,” said Planning Commissioner Melissa McLaughlin. “The health care industry is really starting to take off. It’ll be a plus for Canton. It fits in well in the industrial district and it’s a very pretty building.”
The Oakwood project will be located on 144 acres of property at Beck Road and Michigan Avenue. Constructed in phases, it will ultimately include a variety of medical offices, senior citizen residential uses, commercial and possible condominiums, as well. Should the need arise, the plan could allow for a six-story full service hospital, too.
Doug Weldey, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Oakwood Health Care, said the project represents a $400 million investment that means 3,000 jobs for the region.
“This has been a long process, but I expect it will be a fruitful one for all involved,” he said.
The health care chain first approached the township on a plan last year. That plan was ultimately rejected because it was too close to the neighboring residential uses. The new site, which is in what would have otherwise been an industrial district, has less impact on the residential neighborhoods which now sit along its northern border.
It would blend in better with the neighborhoods than the nearly four million square feet of warehouse that could have been constructed on the site.
“We’re getting rid of all those industrial uses,” said Community Planner Jeff Goulet. “In some respects this plan is a much better transitional zoning than what was there before.”
Even so, some residents didn’t like the plan. They talked about the increased traffic, noise from helicopters and overhead heating and air-conditioning units—not to mention the thought of having a four-story structure constructed 100 feet from their property lines.
“We’re not looking forward to it,” said Ron Hardy, who lives in the Chatterton Square subdivision to the north. “We don’t want it. We know we’re going to get it, but we’d like a bigger buffer between the buildings.”
“I can’t imagine that it’s very appropriate transition to go from a residential neighborhood to a four-story building,” added resident Tom Earls.
The development agreement was relatively vague because the make-up of the campus will be dictated by market conditions. The agreement set up rules for setbacks. It also stipulated the formation of two citizens groups, one to work with the developer through the site plan design and another to work with the hospital on an ongoing basis to suggest services and community outreach programs.
“It’s not that specific,” said Goulet of the preliminary agreement. “They don’t now what building is going where. That’ll be decided at a later date.”
Oakwood must also perform an updated traffic study at the beginning of each phase of the project. The plan will be subject to updated ordinances, too.
Welday said the State of Michigan has to approve an application to create the hospital portion of the plan. That is based on need, he said, and probably wouldn’t happen in the foreseeable future.
