Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Nursing Facility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission tables proposed 98‑bed nursing and rehabilitation center after residents raise access and tree removal concerns
Summary
The planning commission tabled case 1707J, a proposed 98‑suite skilled nursing facility at 1155 North Wayne Road, after extensive public comment from residents of the Abbeys of Westland objecting to proposed driveway access via private Campus Drive and to removal of trees and impacts on private roads.
The Westland Planning Commission voted to table consideration of case 1707J, a proposed site plan and special land‑use application for a 98‑suite nursing and rehabilitation center at 1155 North Wayne Road, after extended public comment and commissioner requests for additional review and compromise with residents.
Administration described the site as a roughly 17‑acre parcel zoned CB1 low intensity commercial. The petitioner seeks approval to construct a 24‑hour skilled nursing facility with 98 private suites, dining and therapy spaces. Administration said the building is designed with residential character, complies with bulk standards, provides 119 parking spaces where 77 are required, and includes landscape screening and a stormwater plan to be reviewed by the county. Staff recommended approval.
After the presentation, scores of Abbeys of Westland residents and association leaders addressed the commission. Speakers said Campus Drive is privately owned and maintained by the Abbeys and said they were told in a prior meeting that access would be from Marquette; they asked that all construction traffic and permanent vehicular access be from Marquette or Wayne rather than using Campus Drive. Residents raised concerns about tree removal and loss of wooded buffer, wildlife impacts (deer), increased traffic and pedestrian safety for residents who retrieve mail at roadside mailboxes, snow removal, and long‑term maintenance costs to the Abbeys if heavier traffic accelerates wear on private roads.
Petitioner representative Eitan Flank (noted in the meeting as correcting a transcription of his name) said the project is intended to be a high‑quality skilled nursing facility, that the northern Campus Drive access would be used primarily for emergency and limited internal circulation while most traffic would use a southern entrance across from an existing assisted living facility, and that title work and recorded easements show Campus Drive is split between property owners and was intended to provide shared access. Flank said the developer will work with residents on mitigation and that contractors would be instructed not to use private resident roads for staging. He also said modern car wash‑style water conservation is not applicable here; rather, site stormwater will be handled through detention basins and Wayne County review.
After hearing extended public testimony, Commissioner David Swokas moved to table the matter to allow further discussions and potential design adjustments; Commissioner Fox seconded. The chair called for a voice vote and the motion to table carried. The commission and administration agreed to facilitate a follow‑up meeting between staff, the petitioner and Abbeys representatives to explore options such as modifying access points and limiting construction traffic on private roads. The item will return to the commission after that outreach and any plan adjustments.
