West Bloomfield Township Officials Approve First Phase of Town Center Zoning Study

West Bloomfield Township officials on Monday agreed to spend $49,500 on the first phase of a zoning revision for the Town Center Overlay District. 

Officials have said zoning rules that were designed to create a central business district along Orchard Lake Road, between 14 Mile and Pinehurst Court have instead caused problems for businesses wanting to locate or redevelop property in that area.

Trustees approved a portion of a contract with Chicago-based Houseal Lavigne Associates, after discussions over hiring an out-of-state firm and questions over how well the company was vetted. The full contract had a price tag of up to $100,000, but Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste argued for spending less. 

"I'm very torn on the price tag associated with this work," said Ureste, who served on the Township Center Task Force, which recommended the contract. She urged the board to consider starting with the market study, because the township has not done one since 2007.  

Ureste suggested that senior planner Sara Roediger, who previously worked with Houseal Lavigne, could do "a lot of the codifying associated with the district."

Trustee Catherine Shaughnessy expressed concern over hiring and out-of-state firm, but officials noted Houseal Lavigne has an office in Northville. Rosenberg said the Town Center Task Force felt the firm was best suited to ensure the township has a plan that fits. 

"We were satisfied that this was a marvelous deal," he said.

Officials also wanted to see more positive references. Roediger said the company provided three in Illinois, but she contacted three former clients in Michigan: Benton Harbor, Flint and Traverse City. She said she spoke with officials in Benton Harbor, who were "very happy" with the firm, and agreed to collect two more positive reviews.

Officials made their resolution contingent upon receiving those reviews, and the township attorney's review of the contract. 

"Everybody agrees the current township overlay ordinances are not working for the district," trustee Howard Rosenberg said. "We're spending a lot of money on Orchard Lake Road. If we don't have the right ordinances, we're going to fail. This is our board's legacy."

Trustee Lawrence Brown said the township will see a "ten-fold, if not twenty-fold" return in value from the contract. The longer officials wait, he said, the more business the township will lose to other communities.