Project leaders have received approval for a nearly 87,000-square-foot Amazon distribution center in Lyon Township.

Amazon Inc. is looking to develop a distribution center along Grand River, west of Napier Road. The company is seeking a special land use for the center and a temporary parking lot. A special land use permit is needed as the lot in question, located on Automation Boulevard, sits in a Wellhead Protection Overlay District, which requires additional safeguards to prevent groundwater contamination.

The Lyon Township Board of Trustees on Monday considered the special use request, with several members considering the parking lot’s capacity as traffic generation has been a concern among community members. Lee Vander Meulen, Professional Engineer of Progressive AE, tried to assure that board that traffic coming into the center would be stagnated stating, "The (delivery) drivers come in sometime around seven o'clock in the morning and they come in in shifts, so it's not like all the drivers are going to arrive at the same time...really it's broken down a 32-person van arrival and happens over a 30 minute period so it's spread out throughout the day."

The project has been proposed in two phases, with the second including improvements at the Wetlands Commercial Park entrance drive location in the form of deceleration and passing lanes along Grand River. Additional pavement striping lanes would also be made on Automation Boulevard to delineate approach lanes to Grand River. Board members also noted that the traffic impact study submitted from project leaders was a draft and several preferred a final traffic study before moving forward.

But Supervisor John Dolan felt that if the company put up a refundable $350,000 cash bond, it would hold them do their word to complete the road improvements. Other board members agreed and voted to approve the special land use for phase one under that condition, along with the stipulation that there only be 55 employee vehicles per shift and 155 delivery vans on site until phase two. Trustee Lise Blades was the only dissenting vote.