Planners recommend changes at Country Creek Commons

Following a lengthy discussion Tuesday evening, the Oakland Township Planning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend a Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment that would allow Country Creek Commons to add certain businesses and services.

The amendment request goes before the Oakland Township Board of Trustees for approval or denial.

Chuck DiMaggio of Burton-Katzman -- the owner of the shopping complex on the northwest corner of Adams and Silverbell roads in Oakland Township – presented PUD amendments at several Planning Commission meetings in recent months.

The most recent PUD amendment request asks to add a veterinary clinic and animal grooming, to have special events and to construct a new LED sign at the intersection of Adams and Silverbell roads, below the clock tower.

Third time's a charm

In January, DiMaggio presented a PUD amendment request that included the addition of a Kroger gas station and drive-through fast food restaurant at Country Creek Commons. The planning commission at the meeting, then voted two months later.

Last month, a was held during a planning commission meeting and a few residents , citing increased traffic and noise. The commission did not vote on the amendment request at that time.

The commission ultimately voted Tuesday to recommend the Country Creek Commons PUD Amendment Request to the Oakland Township Board of Trustees, but not until after almost three hours of deliberation, and not without adding their own stipulations to the request.

Please pick up the poop

Before recommending the request, the commission expressed concern about the addition of veterinary clinics and animal grooming  because of the pet waste and noise that could be generated.

Commissioner James Carter said he did not see it as an "insurmountable problem," suggesting mandatory waste bags outside the businesses and requiring the tenant to clean up any waste not picked up by the pets' owners.

Commissioner Amy Carels stipulated that veterinary hospitals should have accreditation, not just state licensure. The commission agreed to consider making certain veterinary accreditations mandatory for a new tenant.

DiMaggio agreed with the commissioners on both counts, saying, "That seems reasonable; we can do that.”

No carnivals in Oakland Township

The nearly 20-year-old PUD that currently governs the use of the shopping complex severely restricts special events – something that business owners in the complex say also restricts their sales.

Allowing special events would mean that businesses in the complex could have sidewalk sales, antique car shows, blood drives and other pre-approved events that would draw traffic to the shopping complex, argued DiMaggio.

“There are certain things that we don’t want," said Commissioner and Trustee Marc Edwards. "But as long as we have parameters, then it can be handled administratively."

If the amendment request is approved by the Board of Trustees, the board would have the final say as to what special events are allowed on the premises.

Give us a sign

The biggest concern to the commission – and the amendment request item they spent the most time discussing – was the electronic sign.

The proposed sign would be 6 feet tall and 7 feet wide and would sit at the base of the clock tower, parallel to the wall. The electronic portion of the sign would be 3 feet tall and 7 feet wide.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to make this LED hurtle,” said Commissioner Janine Saputo, who also noted that current and proposed township ordinances prohibit electronic signs.

“I would question whether it would be readable, the size of the type," added Carels. "I would almost like to see a demo on-site to see if it’s really readable."

Commissioner Carter agreed with Carels and Saputo, though only to a point.

“I think the idea of a lighted, changeable electronic sign flies in the face of the character of Oakland Township," he said. "On the other hand, I understand the desire to have it. I’m starting to see a little daylight as to why that would be acceptable, personally.”

When the shopping complex was proposed in the early 1990s, it was  designed to be mostly hidden from passersby to preserve the aesthetics of the rural township. DiMaggio and other business owners in Country Creek Commons are concerned that without signage, many drivers don't even realize the shopping complex is there.

“I don’t know of any shopping center that I can think of that doesn’t have signage," said Edwards. "I can understand the discomfort with the type of signage. It’s new technology.

"We owe it to the businesses to help them succeed and if signage is something that will help them and let people know what’s in there, that’s a little step. That’s not a big step – we’re not changing the world here.”

Planner Larry Nix agreed, saying: “There are 20-30 businesses that are in this facility. This sign affords a modern means of displaying business names in an effective, aesthetically appealing setting that minimizes distraction from traffic but allows the person to have more exposure. That’s what I think is different here.”

Before approving the amendment request, the commissioners developed LED sign stipulations:

1. The message content must be limited to tenant name, hours, dates and special event information.
2. The variable illumination levels will be be subject to township administrative approval.
3. The dwell time per message will be subject to township administrative approval.
4. The overall result will be a sign that is effective, but not distracting.
5. There will be no moving messages.

What's next?

The planning commission can only recommend or not recommend amendment requests to the Board of Trustees. The board may approve or deny the amendment request.

The Board of Trustees meeting agenda for July 12 has not been posted.

Note: Commissioner and Trustee Marc Edwards moved to recommend the amendment request, which was seconded by Barbara Wolak. Commissioners Edwards, Carter, Wolak and James Foulkrod voted yes and commissioners Saputo and Carels voted no. The motion carried 4-2. Commissioner Roger Shultze was absent.