Council approves consent judgment to allow 121-unit mixed-use project at 37600 Van Dyke (Union 53)

Council approves consent judgment to allow 121-unit mixed-use project at 37600 Van Dyke (Union 53) The Sterling Heights City Council voted 5-1 to approve a consent judgment that settles pending litigation and authorizes a mixed-use redevelopment of the Sterling Place Plaza property at 37600 Van Dyke Avenue, a project presented as "Union 53" by Gallo Companies. What the council approved: Staff described a four-story building with 121 residential units (92 one-bedroom and 29 two-bedroom units), three ground-floor retail spaces and associated site improvements intended to reduce a large existing surface parking area. City planner Dr. Jake Purcell told council the site currently contains "1 shy of a thousand parking spaces, so 999 parking spaces." Assistant city planner Sean Keenan and the applicant requested a package of nine deviations from strict zoning standards covering items including curb height, wall signage area, projecting signage, rear-yard setback, parking encroachment into setback, and reduced tree and parking-lot tree counts. Key design and project numbers (from staff and applicant): Keenan described the building as "a 4 story mixed use building that contains 92, 1 bedroom units…