Consumers Energy representatives told the commission they need a temporary aggregates staging site at 24300 Drake Road to support a large gas main replacement project spanning 12 Mile to 13 Mile and other nearby work.

Amy Gulpin, a Consumers Energy representative, said the site would be used for aggregate material and a backhoe, not for permanent equipment or employee parking. Joe Taylor, Consumers Energy gas construction supervisor, told the commission the staging yard would serve crews working in Farmington Hills and reduce round trips from a distant staging yard. Taylor estimated about 10 loads per day and said access would be from an existing bridal driveway; he told the commission the site would be staffed variably and that trucks would come, load and leave.

Hours, duration and controls: The company proposed access hours of roughly 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and said the yard would be used through Dec. 31, 2025. Taylor said the company can provide water trucks and other dust‑control measures and that they would coordinate with the city’s construction engineering staff. The applicant provided the city with written landowner permission to use the parcel.

Why neighbors objected: Commissioners and residents raised concerns about dust, early‑morning noise and pedestrian exposure. Commissioners repeatedly noted that the Drake Road neighborhood is densely populated and that residents use the area for walking; one commissioner asked for strong monitoring and enforcement conditions. Several commissioners required clear dust‑suppression plans and suggested limiting entry points to avoid trucks using other property as informal circulation.

Commission action and conditions: The commission voted to grant the special approval as requested by Consumers Energy subject to conditions: the activity must conclude by Dec. 31, 2025; the company must comply with all applicable city requirements and engineering standards; and the site is subject to “stringent dust control.” The motion included a staff direction for engineering to confirm circulation details and to require executed site access or easement agreements as necessary.

Dissent: One commissioner recorded a no vote and said the planning commission should require proposers of temporary operations to demonstrate, in advance, reasonable alternate sites and explain why they were not used; the commissioner said that requirement is needed before approving future temporary staging operations.

Implementation and oversight: City staff told commissioners that supervision of site operations and dust control would be managed by construction engineering; the commission asked staff to make monitoring plans explicit and to require the applicant to provide a single point of contact and to comply with any directions from the city’s engineering supervisor.

Authorities and timeline: The applicant proposed to begin soon after local approvals and anticipated intermittent Saturday work starting in June; the approval is time‑limited to Dec. 31, 2025. The file contains public comment from a neighboring property owner expressing concern about trucks crossing private property; the letter and the city’s conditions are included in the record.