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Sterling Heights council approves 10th amendment allowing Parkway Christian to build stadium, 6-1
Summary
The city approved a 10th amendment to a decades-old consent judgment to allow Parkway Christian School to build a phased athletic complex including bleachers, a press box and a track; the measure passed 6–1 after debate about sidewalks, noise and student safety.
Sterling Heights — The City Council on Tuesday approved the 10th amendment to a consent judgment that clears the way for Parkway Christian School to add a phased athletic complex at its Metropolitan Parkway campus, including a 4,000-square-foot support building, a football field with a surrounding track, a press box and bleachers. The resolution passed 6–1.
The amendment, which updates a consent judgment first entered in 1976 and amended several times since, authorizes the school to build new locker rooms, weight rooms, storage, a snack stand, public restrooms, a scoreboard and expanded parking. City planner Dr. Jake Parcel told the council the full project will be delivered in three phases over approximately four years, with initial site work starting this spring and the final building work scheduled from spring 2027 to spring 2029.
The city planner said the proposed home bleachers would seat about 1,000, visiting bleachers about 500, and the school plans about 50 additional parking spaces. Parcel said the site will be fenced and used for private events organized by Parkway Christian. He said the applicant proposes berms and evergreen plantings to screen the field from nearby single-family homes and that the consent judgment will include limits on press-box decibel levels.
Brett Buholz, an engineer representing Parkway Christian, told the council the school hopes to provide “a really great environment for their students” and answered technical questions from council members.
Todd Carly, Parkway Christian’s business manager and treasurer, said current enrollment at the school is 546 students and that the facility will support athletics and related programs including band and cheer. "In the last three years, we've had 15 kids go to state," Carly said, citing competitive successes.
Council debate focused on pedestrian safety, site circulation and neighborhood impacts. Councilmember Reinke said he supported the stadium project but opposed the amendment without a sidewalk connection from Shaner Road to the campus, calling the lack of a dedicated pedestrian route “a safety issue.” Reinke said students and pedestrians presently share parking areas with vehicles and warned of potential risk. He said he would vote no for that reason.
Other council members said the site has functioned for years with parking-lot circulation and that Parkway Christian has coordinated with police and emergency responders on access and evacuation plans. Councilmember Schmidt, who supported the amendment, noted the school is private and argued the development would benefit students and the community.
Council members asked about noise and neighbor outreach. Parcel said the city expanded its noticing around the full consent-judgment property and that the city’s nuisance and noise ordinances would apply. He also said the applicant committed to landscaping and sound mitigation measures.
The amendment passed following a recorded voice vote; the minutes show the motion carried 6–1. The council approved language authorizing the mayor and city clerk to sign all documents required to finalize the amendment.
The project summary submitted to the council describes three phases: spring-site work to install utilities and detention; the addition of lights and bleachers the following year; and final construction of the building, concessions and amenities in the final phase. Parcel said a formal traffic-impact analysis was not required; using a national planning ratio of roughly one arrival per five seats, staff estimated about 200 trips per hour at peak events.
The consent judgment for the property is identified in council materials as Bonucci et al. v. City of Sterling Heights, Macomb County Circuit Court case numbers 76-2912-CE and 76-4645-CE. The approved amendment references prior amendments that established the school’s use at the site.
Council members and staff said they expect additional site-plan details, construction permits and public-notice steps to follow as the project proceeds.
