Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com

The Hamburg Township Board has shot down changes to an agreement that would allow for a new access point for a proposed car wash in a busy shopping plaza.

Developers were seeking a new curb cut on M-36 to provide access for a proposed express car wash on a westerly parcel in Chilson Commons.

A current HPUD agreement states “No new access point to M-36 shall be proposed or permitted. All units shall be accessed through the interior layout of the Chilson Commons development”.

Regardless, developers were before the township board at a May meeting requesting an amendment to allow access to the subject site from East M-36, citing “multiple hardships” preventing access. Those include denial of cross access from adjacent neighbors, regulated floodplains and wetlands, steep slopes, standing water/drainage easement, and ability to obtain an EGLE permit for disturbing the aforementioned natural features.

A memo states that due to existing wetlands, the Kroger gas station would be the only available access point to the east and Kroger felt it would cause traffic issues to allow car wash traffic to cross through the gas station – thus denying access.

Township planning staff expressed several concerns about the proposed access onto M-36. Documents state that “Principally, the proposed intersection will cause major safety issues, especially during rush hour. Staff believes that a curb cut on M36 is unnecessary and that the proposed site can be easily accessed by the existing curb cut(s) to Chilson Commons site. If the owner/operator of Chilson Commons wishes to develop that out parcel, then utilizing the existing access points is the most logical route”.

A motion made by Clerk Mike Dolan to deny any changes to the agreement related to curb cuts on M-36 was approved unanimously. Treasurer Jason Negri was absent.

A separate motion regarding a boundary adjustment was approved as presented, also unanimously.