Livonia planning commission backs auto-repair use at 27819 Plymouth Road with conditions

The Livonia City Planning Commission voted 6-1 on Jan. 31 to recommend that City Council approve a waiver use for Eman Enterprises LLC to renovate a vacant commercial building and operate a light automobile repair facility at 27819 Plymouth Road, subject to conditions including limits on outdoor vehicle storage.

The motion, offered by Planning Commissioner Ventura and supported by Commissioner Denaro, approves the petitioner’s site and elevation plans and imposes conditions on parking, landscaping, lighting, screening, and outdoor storage. The resolution limits outdoor storage to a maximum of 10 operable vehicles — seven parked on existing paved area and three positioned near the south wall of the building — and prohibits outdoor storage of junked, inoperable or unlicensed vehicles. The commission’s action is a recommendation; City Council will make the final decision after its own hearings.

Why it matters: The property sits at the southwest corner of Plymouth Road and Cardwell Street in a commercial corridor that abuts a residential subdivision. Neighbors pressed the commission during public comment about potential noise, towing activity, parking spillover onto Cardwell and the visual impact of vehicle storage. The commission’s conditions aim to balance reuse of a vacant commercial site with protections for adjacent residents.

Staff presentation and site details Planning staff presented the petition as a request under section 6.06 of the Livonia Zoning Ordinance to operate an automobile and light-truck repair business (up to 1 ton) at a site currently zoned C-2 (general business). Planner Uehasi told commissioners the 0.37-acre property has 148 feet of frontage on Plymouth Road and 110 feet on Cardwell; the existing building measures about 2,049 square feet. The site previously received approvals for light auto repair in 1971 and 1982 but was not operated as such; Mickey Schore Electronics occupied the building in 1987 and the property now sits vacant.

Staff noted the ordinance’s parking standard for repair shops — two spaces per workstation plus one per employee — and that the petitioner’s plan shows three service bays, three workstations and three employees (a minimum of nine parking spaces required). The submitted site plan (updated after the study session) depicts roughly 15 parking spaces in multiple groupings including three parallel spaces along Plymouth Road and several spaces behind the building; staff also described added landscaping and a proposed six-foot masonry wall at the rear of the property.

Agency reviews and technical stipulations The commission received written reviews from city divisions. The engineering division (Dave Lear, assistant city engineer) said the parcel is served by public sanitary sewer and water and noted that if redevelopment extends beyond the building it may trigger Wayne County stormwater requirements and Michigan Department of Transportation permits for Plymouth Road right-of-way work. The fire marshal (Brian Kukla) asked that fire suppression and alarm needs be evaluated — in particular because some vehicles may be electric. The police traffic sergeant (Paul Walters) raised no objections. The inspection division (Jerome Hanna) required specific parking striping dimensions, barrier-free parking compliance with the Michigan barrier-free code, and details for a three-sided dumpster enclosure with a solid gate.

Public comment and petitioner’s response Several nearby residents spoke at the public hearing. Jeff Nicholas, who lives at 11563 Cardwell and owns the fence adjacent to the site, said he was “50/50” on the proposal but favored a masonry wall and asked that grass behind the building be preserved rather than converted to gravel or asphalt. William Clark, who lives a few doors away and organized a petition that he said had 42 signatures, opposed the waiver, citing concerns about tow trucks, noise, and parking spillover onto Cardwell. Steve Alexander, president of the Plymouth Circle Civic Association, urged locating the dumpster toward the front so odors do not affect neighboring yards and said residents would prefer trash handled away from rear yards.

The petitioner, Mohammed Issa, described plans to refinish the north and east facades with brick veneer, patch and paint the west and south sides, replace two in-ground hoists with above-ground hoists, and operate mainly with electric power tools. Issa said the intent of the masonry wall and fencing is to screen vehicles that might be stored overnight and that he does not intend to store junked or dismantled cars in public view. He said normal hours would be roughly 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday (he asked to record 8 a.m.–7 p.m. as a not-to-exceed range), and acknowledged he owns a tow truck that, if kept on site, would be stored behind the proposed wall.

Commission action and key conditions The commission’s approving resolution (motion offered by Commissioner Ventura, supported by Commissioner DiNaro) included the following, among other conditions: adherence to the submitted site and elevation plans; landscaping meeting ordinance standards (including the possibility of credit for existing right-of-way trees); parking areas repaired and restriped to 10x20 feet double-striped stalls; barrier-free parking sized and signed per the Michigan barrier-free code; a masonry dumpster enclosure of required height and material; a variance requirement for any proposed six-foot vinyl fencing; light fixtures limited to 20 feet in height, angled and shielded to minimize glare; prohibition on outdoor storage of auto parts, scrap, waste petroleum products, and junked/inoperable/unlicensed vehicles; overhead doors to remain closed when not actively in use for vehicle movement; no LED signage or exposed neon; and a required average illumination of about 1 foot-candle in the parking lot. The motion also caps outside vehicle storage at a maximum of 10 operable vehicles and explicitly states there shall be no parking on Cardwell Street.

Votes at a glance - Motion: Approve waiver use for Eman Enterprises LLC at 27819 Plymouth Road with conditions (see body). Petition ID: Petition 2025-01-02-01. - Mover: Commissioner Ventura; second: Commissioner DiNaro. - Tally: Ventura — aye; Denaro — aye; Bongero — aye; Long — aye; Charles — aye; Magnaud — no; Willshaw — aye. Motion passed (6–1).

Next steps and implementation notes The commission’s approval is a recommendation to City Council; the project must return to council for final action and the approval is valid for one year from the date council approves it, with the condition that a building permit must be obtained before that period expires. The motion notes the petitioner must submit the approved plans to the inspection department with permit applications. Additional approvals or permits may be required from the zoning board of appeals (for any fencing variances), the Michigan Department of Transportation (for right-of-way or drive approach work), and Wayne County (for stormwater improvements) if the scope of work expands beyond façade renovations. The fire division will conduct a plan review to determine whether suppression or alarm systems are required for electric vehicles.

The commission’s conditions aim to allow reuse of a vacant commercial building while imposing limits on outdoor storage, screening, lighting and signage to address neighbors’ concerns. The council will set the final outcome at its upcoming public meetings.