Southfield Planning Commission sends Northland sports dome to council with safety conditions after 3–2 vote

The Southfield Planning Commission on June 24 voted 3–2 to forward a favorable recommendation to city council for PSP26-0012, a site-plan review for a sports and recreation dome at Northland City Center.

The motion, moved by Commissioner Steven Gun and seconded by Commissioner Martin, included amendments to two conditions and overall required the project to comply with the submitted revised plans and applicable codes. The resolution directs the petitioners to implement the Southfield Police Department Crime Prevention Bureau’s site-security recommendations, satisfy the city’s public art requirement (section 5.22-5), and obtain final planner approval of the dome’s foundation treatment. The developer must also provide emergency vehicle turning-radius information for all interior service roads; staff indicated one condition about outdoor seating and accessible pedestrian routing would be revised as discussed.

The applicant’s architect, Jeff Clatt of CregerClad Architects, told the commission the design changes include a brick-embossed, stained concrete base to match surrounding masonry and the removal of exterior storage pads. "Weare going to now do a brick-embossed concrete wall, and well stain it to match the color of the brick around the development and the entry building itself," Clatt said, adding the team adjusted parking striping and added a pedestrian access point from the boulevard to the entry.

Clatt presented parking analyses for various uses. In an 11-v-11 soccer scenario the applicant estimated roughly 318 occupants and calculated a need for about 80 parking spaces using a one-per-four-occupants ratio; the applicant noted about 70 spaces are provided in front of the dome and approximately 84 overflow spaces behind it and shared parking nearby. The architect also said the auxiliary building would include restrooms and plumbing fixtures exceeding International Building Code minimums.

Commissioners pressed the project team on landscaping, the turf system and its concrete base, on-site first-aid/AEDs and on bicycle and pedestrian safety for children traveling to the site. A commissioner raised particular concern about children crossing Greenfield Road, 8 Mile Road and nearby thoroughfares to reach the facility; planning staff and the applicant responded that sidewalks, crosswalks and the developing site road network are part of design reviews and that bicycle/pedestrian safety will be considered and built to applicable city or county standards, though they acknowledged they cannot eliminate every risky behavior.

Planning staff read the recommended resolution and its conditions into the record. After the roll-call vote Commissioners Gruber, Martin and Dr. Steven Gun were recorded as voting in favor; Commissioners Bernardi and Chair Willis opposed. Staff confirmed the recommendation will proceed to city council for the council’s final decision.

Public comment included resident Pamela Gerald, who praised the commission’s favorable recommendation and urged careful construction and material selection, citing past problems at other developments as a cautionary example.

Next steps: PSP26-0012 will appear on an upcoming City Council agenda for final review and approval. The planning department will coordinate outstanding materials required by the commission conditions prior to that council review.