By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Conditional rezoning has been approved for a new apartment development in Green Oak Township.

The Parc at Green Oak is proposed to be located on 20 acres off of Maltby Road between Whitmore Lake Road and Rickett Road, near the cemetery and existing garden center. Vector Development requested conditional re-zoning for the parcel that was zoned for light industrial and research office which was accepted by the Green Oak Township Board of Trustees, Wednesday night.

As part of the conditional agreement, the development will consist of no more than 23 two-story multi-family buildings, with no more than 230 total units. Trustee Richard Everett asked during the Board’s meeting about numerous letters of objections from the public which included distances from existing homes, building heights, noise, and general concern about property values. Township Supervisor Mark St. Charles said that history does not support the claim that new apartment developments sink the values of homes in Green Oak Township neighborhoods. He said they heard those concerns about Hidden Lakes, Woodland Ridge, and Whitmore Hills, and that they didn’t drop.

Clerk Mike Sedlak also sits on the planning commission and said these concerns came up there as well. He attributed much of it to a very vocal small number of people who attended many meetings, and said the developer has worked cooperatively with the township to meet their desires. Sedlak said they have increased the height of trees and natural barriers, would meet building height requirements as part of the accepted rezoning, will add parking spaces at the township’s request if needed, and have gone from having only one dumpster on site to multiple dumpsters. He said he still has concerns about traffic on Maltby Road, but that he is okay with what Vector has come up with. Vector changed the location of the entrance and will add an acceleration and deceleration lane to the street.

St. Charles added that when he looks at the picture of the types of housing provided in Green Oak, he thinks The Parc can fill a need for apartment space for empty nesters. He also believes the development will act as a nice buffer between light industrial and commercial zoning and residential properties.

The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the conditional rezoning, and Vector will now go back to working with the planning commission to get a site plan approved.