By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


An RV storage center in Green Oak Township is inching closer to final approvals.

Tranquil Woods Storage is a proposed mini-storage facility with outdoor RV storage on a 10-acre parcel off Ten Mile Road, near Rushton Road. There would be seven new buildings, with four of them being single-story mini-storage buildings. A roadside building would be climate-controlled and house the office. Two canopy structures are proposed for RV storage, with 59 additional uncovered RV parking spaces around the site.

The site is mostly undeveloped but there are some structures on it and it's mostly surrounded by an existing single-family neighborhood.

The Planning Commission held a lengthy meeting Thursday night about the project, which had received prior approvals but those have since expired. One change noted was that more RV storage is now proposed, with no new additional mini-storage.

Commissioners reviewed a lengthy list, item by item, of concerns raised by residents at a prior public hearing and via other correspondence, which were addressed by the applicants. Some items included lighting, stormwater management, traffic, and zoning regulations but mainly landscaping and buffering. The project met all setbacks and the site is already zoned light industrial.

Special land use approval was ultimately granted with some conditions, including that lights will be turned off one-and-a-half hours after dark but then be controlled by motion sensors. Action on potential site plan approval was postponed to the next meeting until landscaping and buffering issues can be worked out and be clearly updated on plans.

Four residents spoke during call to the public that abut the property or have views that will be impacted. They expressed frustration and disappointment over what’s become a four year process and want to make sure there’s adequate buffering.

Clerk Michael Sedlak is the township board representative on the commission. He said there were a couple of items in question in that the tree count was off in relation to the tree ordinance and replacement of landmark trees. In addition, he said they want to see some changes with the landscape buffers and make sure there’s an appropriate turning radius and clearance for fire trucks with the facility – the latter of which is an item that can be rapidly resolved.

Sedlak told WHMI earlier ordinance violations at the site were quickly addressed. He said there were some questions and some very obvious violations at the site with the improper storage of recreational vehicles, so the Commission postponed any action on approvals until the site was brought into full compliance - which the applicant did within one week. Sedlak added that this type of facility will serve a need in Green Oak as there is only one other located on the far west side of the township and it will serve the surrounding residential area with a high-quality RV storage facility.

The applicants were agreeable to conditions. Construction is anticipated in the spring and would be an 8 to 12 month process, but it was stated that could be impacted by supply chain issues.