Planning commission reviews special land-use request for 5441 E. ML Ave.; proposed accessory building larger than zoning allows

Planning staff presented a special land-use application for 5441 East ML Avenue and said the applicant seeks to construct a 3,200-square-foot accessory structure on a parcel the assessor shows as a combined 1.47 acres in an R-1B (single-family) district.

Kyle, the planner, told commissioners that while the combined lot meets minimum area and frontage requirements, the proposal exceeds the township’s accessory-size allowances. "They are permitted to go up to 2,000 square feet. Again, they're at 3,200 requesting with us," Kyle said, and he noted the applicant proposes a 24-foot accessory height where the code permits 22 feet. Kyle added staff has not received a clear statement from the applicant about the intended use of a structure that large and requested that information before further action.

A nearby resident, Aileen Coscarelli of Saginaw Drive, asked commissioners to consider neighbors "We have babies in our area. We have older people. Please consider us," she said, urging sensitivity to noise and impacts on nearby homes. Commissioners discussed proposed evergreen screening for noise and generator concealment and generally found the proposed landscaping preferable to the township's baseline requirements.

Several commissioners also raised a separate but related concern: the township owns property adjacent to the site that is planned for sale to help finance a new fire department facility. One commissioner asked staff to flag potential impacts on that township-owned property's value before any final approvals.

No formal decision was recorded in the transcript. Commissioners asked staff to request clarification from the applicant on the intended use, to review setback and height compliance, and to consider conditioning any approval on screening and decommissioning or financial surety if applicable.