Commission sets public hearing for 28‑unit PUD on 12 Mile; developer details open‑space and access plans

The Farmington Hills Planning Commission on April 16 set a public hearing for Planned Unit Development Plan 01/2025, a proposal for 28 townhome units in six buildings on a site fronting 12 Mile Road.

Planner/consultant Joe told the commission the developer was seeking a final PUD determination after qualifying the project on Oct. 17, 2024. The plan proposes 28 units — four buildings with five units and two buildings with four units — each unit with a two‑car garage. Joe said full final site plan materials (elevations, detailed lighting, and complete lot‑coverage information) were not included with the package and the commission should request clarification on building height, lot coverage and pedestrian circulation before final approval.

Developer Steven Shaffer (speaking with the Shaffer team present) responded to commission questions and said the project provides about 63 percent open space, that building heights would be 26 feet 6 inches (below the 30‑foot maximum), and that the western branch of the proposed internal T‑road is intended to connect to the school site west of the property. Shaffer also said the unit mix is a combination of 24‑ and 28‑foot townhouse products; end units are proposed as three‑bedroom units and interior units as two bedrooms with an optional third bedroom, resulting in an estimated unit count falling between 96 and 101 bedrooms depending on buyer selections.

Staff and commissioners flagged transportation and emergency access issues: engineering and fire reviews were still evaluating whether a fire‑truck turning radius could be accommodated and whether a 50‑foot turnaround requirement would apply if a recorded secondary access easement is used. Shaffer said a recorded 2007 document requires a secondary means of access for both properties and that the team will coordinate further with engineering and fire officials.

Commissioners also asked about proximity to mapped floodway and the 1 percent floodplain on the site; one commissioner requested an estimate of the acreage the developer proposes to preserve between the floodplain and the limits of earth disturbance for the PUD. A resident‑engineer in attendance urged preservation of trees along Pebble Creek and suggested leaving the buffer natural.

The commission set the project for a public hearing at its next available regular meeting and will review the full final site plan materials, responses to engineering and fire comments, and any pedestrian‑circulation details at that time.