The Highland Township Planning Commission did not approve Larry
Shew's Highland Station building plans at its meeting last Thursday
night.
However, the commission did offer him the next-best thing to
approval. Members gave Shew's plans a unanimous vote of confidence,
but asked that he return before them for a final decision.
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Commission chair Eugene Beach
explained their reasons for delaying formal approval.
"We've signaled our general acceptance of the concept, but in
order to have an approved site plan you have a lot of engineering
details — grade, elevation, drainage — and so those are the things
that we're looking for in an updated submittal," Beach said. "Once
those are provided and the engineering planning consultants and
in-house staff have a chance to review them along with us, than
(Shew) would be ready for a final decision."
The commission reviewed the proposed signage for the complex and
requested a shorter main sign.
Two Highland residents expressed concern about increased traffic
brought about by the development, which Shew plans to build on three
lots located on N. Milford Road south of M-59 and north of
Livingston Road.
Melanie Swords-Beverly said that traffic is already too fast
along Livingston Road, where she lives. She was especially concerned
about children walking to school along that route.
Helen Collar, who lives near Milford Road, agreed with
Swords-Beverly's suggestion that the township lower the speed limit
to 25 miles per hour along southbound Milford Road.
Planning director Elizabeth Corwin said that the township would
include citizens' concerns in its report to the Road Commission for
Oakland County. The road commission, which sets speed limits, will
review Highland Station-area streets and parking if the Shew project
is approved.
Shew, who presented his project briefly at the meeting, said that
the commission's feedback was "very positive."
"I'm in total agreement with all the concerns they have, and we
want to address them," he said.
Since his project, if approved, will be the first major building
project in the Highland Station area under the Main Street program,
Shew said that he and his colleagues want to set a good precedent.
"If (the commission) sees something else down the road, we'll
come back," he said.
Shew, who owns Shew Construction Company, Inc., has worked as a
designer and builder in the Milford area for the past 28 years.
Alyson Iott is a reporter for the Milford Times. She can be
reached at (248) 685-1507, ext. 21, or by e-mail at aiott@gannett.com.
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