November 13, 2024 Donate

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Scio Township is Looking at a PUD Amendment Request that Could Impact Staebler Road

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Scio Township is Looking at a PUD Amendment Request that Could Impact Staebler Road

The request, if approved, could change some things at the intersection of Park and Staebler. photo by Lonnie Huhman

Is it a major or minor amendment when a plan that’s nine years old is asking to make some changes, such as the relocation of a section of road?

Well, to cut to the chase and according to the Scio Township Planning Commission, it is a major amendment.

That was part of the question before the Scio Township Planning Commission at a meeting last month. The meeting’s agenda listed a “Trailwood PUD minor/major amendment determination.”

In explaining the proposal, township community planner Laura Kreps said the need for a determination comes from an applicant request wanting to make an amendment to the approved Trailwoods planned unit development (PUD).

The applicant wants to make the following changes:

  1. Relocation of existing drain/creek.
  2. Relocation of Staebler Road and associated right-of-way.
  3. Conversion of 0.56 acres of open space to right-of-way.
  4. Removal of 25 previously planted greenbelt trees.
  5. Removal of 11 native (existing) on-site trees.

image courtesy of Google Maps

The location is listed as the northeast quadrant of the Staebler and Park intersection. The applicant is listed as Midwestern Consulting while the owner is H.C. Investment Holdings LLC.

In the township report, dated from Feb. 9, 2024, it takes a look at the original plan and gives the project and site descriptions:

“The Trailwoods PUD (formerly Honey Creek) is located on the east side of Staebler Road, north of Park Road and south of Honey Creek and the approved Menards site. The PUD zoning was approved by the township board on August 11, 2015.”

“The proposed 133.24-acre single-family residential development encompasses two types of lots: Village and Estate. Village Lots are located in the northern portion of the project and are approximately 60-feet wide by 100-feet deep. There is a total of 213 Village-type lots and 103 Estate-type lots which are approximately 85-feet wide by 120 to 140-feet deep.”

“The southern-most Estate Lots adjacent to Park Road are approximately 100-feet wide to 140-feet deep to reflect the agricultural densities to the south of the development.”

“Of the total 133.34 acres, 42.8 acres (32.18 percent of total area (net)) was proposed to be preserved as open space. Preserved open space will incorporate the existing hardwood forest, Honey Creek, areas within the 100-year floodplain, regulated wetlands and the proposed detention basins.”

“The applicant’s request is specific to the relocation of a creek/drain as required by EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) impacting the relocation of Staebler Road and the associated ROW (right-of-way). The applicant should provide a narrative explaining the rationale for the proposed modifications and listing of specific of proposed changes.”

A drive down Staebler shows that the Trailwoods neighborhood has come a long way since the 2015 PUD approval with homes built and being lived in.

photo by Lonnie Huhman

In follow up with Jan Culbertson, chair of the township planning commission, the Sun Times News was told the Planning Commission “recommended that the requested change to the PUD was a major PUD amendment.”

Culbertson said the recommendation will go to the Board of Trustees and if they agree then the developer will submit a new PUD site plan for approval to the Planning Commission and ultimately the Board of Trustees.

The next step with this will see the Planning Commission hosting a public meeting on the proposal at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 22.

According to the meeting notification, during this meeting the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the following matters:

1. Major amendment to Trailwoods Planned Unit Development to allow relocation of existing drain/creek; relocation of Staebler and associated right-of-way and conversion of 0.56 acres of Open Space to right-of-way. Trailwoods is located at the northwest quadrant of the Park and Staebler Road intersection.