Planning commission recommends special land use and approves site plan for warehouse expansion at 1401 Farrow Street

FERNDALE, Mich. — The Ferndale Planning Commission on Wednesday, Feb. 19 recommended City Council approve a special land use and approved a site plan for an expansion of the warehouse at 1401 Farrow Street, a project that will add roughly 12,310 square feet across two additions and bring the overall warehouse to about 52,000 square feet.

The special land use recommendation and the site plan approval followed a public hearing and staff presentation outlining conditions intended to limit hazardous uses and address safety, circulation and design. Commissioners voted to recommend approval of the special land use and to approve the site plan with several conditions and one waiver; both actions passed on roll-call votes.

City staff said the project proposes two additions: a smaller roughly 2,250‑square‑foot extension and a larger roughly 10,060‑square‑foot addition. Staff reported the expansion will increase the site's warehouse area from about 40,000 square feet to roughly 52,000. The applicant sought a waiver of a prohibition on sheet‑metal as an exterior material and requested to retain an overhead loading door facing Farrow Street; commissioners declined to waive the overhead‑door rule and required removal of that door from the east façade as part of the approval under the older zoning code governing this application.

Roger (staff) told the commission the special land use is limited to "only the handling and storing of chemicals deemed hazardous by state or federal regulations. Manufacturing, blending, refining, or using such…