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Council approves car‑wash site plan under court consent judgment despite resident objections
Summary
A site plan for a car wash at Plymouth Road and Middlebelt was approved 6–1 under a court consent judgment; council members said rejecting the plan would return the city to litigation and risk large liability.
The Livonia City Council on Thursday approved a site plan petition for a Johnny’s Express car wash at 30207 Plymouth Road that the city had previously negotiated as part of a court consent judgment.
The approval followed legal briefing from the city attorney and debate among council members and residents. Councilman Brandon Donovic and the city attorney explained that the consent judgment was a negotiated settlement enforceable by the court; a council rejection would likely trigger immediate litigation and the city could be liable for damages under the court order. For that reason, several council members said they felt constrained to approve the site plan despite public objections.
The vote on the site plan passed 6–1. Council members Carrie Budzinski, Scott Scheel, Mark Morgan, Laura Toye, Brandon Donovic and Vice President Tashnick voted in favor; Council President McCullough cast the lone no vote.
Resident reaction: Several residents criticized the decision; Chris Muldoon said the added car wash and nearby dense commercial uses undermine plans for higher‑quality redevelopment in the area and make it harder to attract the housing and retail the neighborhood needs. Other residents asked why the city had reached a settlement that required council approval rather than seeking different remedies.
Legal context: City Attorney Carter said the matter arose from a court case (consent judgment case number 222CVDash12734) and that paragraph 1.5 of the consent judgment specifies that the approved plan proceed through planning and council review; Carter warned that a denial would likely result in a court order compelling approval and potential monetary liability for the city. Councilmembers said that while they could vote no, that course would likely return the matter to court and expose the city to substantial financial risk.
Outcome: Council approved the site plan 6–1 and instructed staff to continue monitoring developments in the Plymouth/Middlebelt corridor and to report any ancillary impacts relating to the consent judgment.
