Residents, developer clash over style changes

Residents, developer clash over style changes

KRISTYNE E. DEMSKE C & G Staff Writer
Published: December 31, 2008 in the "Shelby-Utica News"

SHELBY TOWNSHIP - Dozens of residents descended on the Dec. 16 Board of Trustees meeting, angered at proposed changes to the condominium development they live in that could bring about a totally different style of housing for the last 15 of more than 150 units. "The board needs to address the residents' fears that this proposal is going to further damage the already shrunken value of our homes," said Mike Grobbel, a member of the board of directors for the condo association and a resident in the development. "Those of us who have purchased a condo in the Manors (at Central Park) bought there on your promise that it was to be a collection of 167 two-and three-bedroom, visually similar, all ranch-style condos."

The township Board of Trustees announced that it would hold off on a decision to approve building modifications to the Manors at Central Park until after a January meeting they're planning between the board, Lombardo Homes and residents of the Manors who are not pleased with how the development is proceeding.....


[read the full article by clicking here]

Board of Trustees Work Session set for Jan. 7th

The Shelby Township Board of Trustees will hold their promised Work Session on Wednesday night, January 7, 2009 at 6:00 PM in the Shelby Twp. municipal building.

The board will hold a discussion concerning the request by Lombardo Homes modify the Manors at Central Park Planned Unit Development site plans (#02-55 PUD-1). The public, the petitioner and several members of the Planning Commission have all been invited to attend and will have the opportunity to speak when recognized during the Work Session.

The Township Clerk will be sending out a copy of the meeting notice in tomorrow's mail to all of those who received a notice of the Planning Commission meeting. I will also distribute a flyer to all homes in the Manors sometime in the next few days.

Board of Trustees pospone decision on Lombardo proposal

Prior to the Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees Regular Meeting at 7:00 PM tonight, the Board conducted a Work Session meeting at 6:00 PM, during which they were briefed on the Regular Meeting agenda items by the various Department Heads. While discussing the Lombardo request to revise the Manors site plan for Lots 1-15, the Board decided that they would not be in a position to make any decision at tonight's Regular Meeting. Instead, the Board wants to have a special Work Session Meeting limited to just this proposal, to which the petitioner, a couple of Planning Commission members and the public would be invited. The petitioner, the Planning Commissioners and the public will all be allowed to speak at this meeting and the Board indicated that they wanted to be able to ask as many questions as needed and to be able to hear our concerns in a more conducive setting.

The special Work Session Meeting will be scheduled for sometime in January and the Board said they would mail out a meeting notice to everyone who had received a notice for the Nov. 24th Planning Commission meeting. I will also post the date, time and place of the meeting on this blog and also distribute a flyer to each door in the Manors.

Instead of holding the planned agenda item tonight, the Board allowed Lombardo Homes and myself to each briefly address the Board. I gave the Board members, the Planning Director and Mr. Lombardo a copy of my prepared remarks and then delivered an edited version of those planned remarks. My prepared remarks can be read in their entirety by clicking here (bolded text represents the edited portions which I verbally presented). During the petitioner's abbreviated presentation to the Board, I heard them say that the Planning Commission had included in their recommendation a "condition of approval that Manors Lot 124 was not included". Here is the Planning Commission's Motion to recommend approval, judge for yourself:



Also contrary to what some people are being told by the petitioner, the Detroit Carpenters Pension Trust Fund (represented by Fifth Third Bank) has no financial interest in Manors Lots 1-15 and the Bank did not request Lombardo Homes to petition for this site plan modification. Sable Realty Ventures is the owner of record for Lots 1-15 and Lombardo Homes likely has an agreement to purchase them that is conditional on receiving approval from the Township Board for the site plan modifications. On March 1, 2008, those lots were forfeited to the Macomb County Treasurer due to non-payment of property taxes by the owner of record. A PDF file containing copies of the notices for the upcoming Jan. 13, 2009 Show Cause Hearing and Feb. 6, 2009 Judicial Foreclosure Hearing on these lots can be viewed here.

Click here to view a web page with the Dec. 16th Board meeting agenda, plus the background information packet that was prepared for use by the Township Board members at that meeting, including the minutes of the Sept. 10th and Nov. 24th Planning Commission meetings on this subject. Here are my prepared comments that I gave at the Nov. 24th Planning Commission public hearing.

Click here to view an earlier post on this subject, which contains links to a map, the petitioner's proposed models, elevations and site plan modifications, plus the Feb. 27th Planning Commission meeting minutes.

Hold this date

The 2009 Annual Meeting of the Manors at Central Park Condominium Association will be held on Wednesday evening, January 21, 2009 at Utica High School. Sign-in will be from 6:00 PM until 6:30 PM, with the meeting beginning promptly at 6:30 PM.

You will receive a mailing shortly with full details and an agenda.

Dec. 16th - Township Board to decide on the Lombardo Request

On Tuesday, Dec. 16th at 7:00 PM, the Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees will make their decision on the Lombardo Homes request to build two-story units instead of one-story ranch units on Manors Lots 1-15. While this is not a formal public hearing like the Planning Commission held, Mr. Wynn, (the Shelby Twp. Planning Director) assures me that the public will be permitted to speak during this agenda item prior to the Board making their decision.

Click here to view a web page with the meeting agenda, plus the background information that has been prepared for the Township Board members.

This weekend, I plan to distribute copies of this flyer to every door of the Manors with the details about this meeting.