Commission approves veterinary hospital expansion that spans Pontiac–Bloomfield boundary

The Pontiac Planning Commission on Oct. 1 approved preliminary site-plan review for a veterinary-hospital expansion at 1881 South Telegraph Road. The project will enlarge an existing veterinary hospital whose campus lies on both Pontiac and Bloomfield Township land; roughly half the proposed 12,000-square-foot addition will sit within Pontiac.

Planner Michael Betcher said the facility is an expansion of an existing hospital and that Bloomfield Township has already approved its portion; the applicant obtained township approvals first and then requested municipal review from Pontiac for the portion in the city. Betcher told commissioners staff recommended approval with two conditions: that the applicant provide a hazardous-materials management certificate (which was provided as a medical-waste registration) and that the site plans be revised to show required informational items, including roof pitch meeting a 5/12 minimum, 40% ground-level transparency on the Pontiac façade, dumpster/recycling enclosure details, photometric plans for lighting on the Pontiac parcel, parking maneuvering-dimension callouts and landscaping that meets Pontiac’s requirement of at least 5% landscaped open space.

Mike Blanick of Stuckey By Tully Architects said the team revised elevations to meet the city’s transparency requirement and added the 5/12 roof pitch on the revised documents. Owner Jim Thompson and project engineers were on hand to confirm the design and to note that the new parking will address existing needs; the applicant said they had supplied an Eagle certificate to register hazardous materials and that photometric information for the city parcel would be supplied.

Commissioners praised the project as a quality investment and noted its workforce implications; Commissioner McGinnis thanked the applicant for expanding services and employment opportunities in and near Pontiac. Commissioner McGinnis moved to approve the preliminary site plan with the required staff revisions; Commissioner Duval supported the motion. The roll-call vote was unanimous in favor of approval. Staff will confirm the informational items are incorporated into the final site plan before final administrative or commission sign-off.