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Planning commission approves 147,790-sq.-ft. industrial building at 3285 Northridge Drive with conditions
Summary
The City of Walker Planning Commission approved a final area site plan for a speculative 147,790-square-foot industrial building at 3285 Northridge Drive NW, subject to engineering corrections, removal of trailer parking stalls and sidewalk conditions tied to an ownership gap along Hendershot.
The City of Walker Planning Commission approved a final area site plan on Sept. 3 for a new 147,790-square-foot multi-tenant industrial building at 3285 Northridge Drive NW, subject to conditions requiring engineering corrections, submission of sealed civil plans and removal of specified trailer parking stalls.
The project, listed in staff materials as Case 25-008, was presented by Planning Director Paula Priebe, who told commissioners the site is Lot 5 of the Northridge East IPUD and that the proposal is "a pretty straightforward industrial building" with two entrances off Northridge and truck docks to the south. Priebe noted the ownership of the parcel changed since the original PUD approval but that the development details themselves have not changed.
The nut graf: City staff and the commission approved the FASP on the basis that the proposal meets the previously approved preliminary area site plan standards, but they added conditions to address engineer comments, ensure adequate emergency access and resolve sidewalk and trailer-parking issues identified during review.
City Engineer Scott Connors told the commission the applicant must extend sidewalk frontage under the Consumers Energy/ITC power-line corridor to the Hendershot intersection but that a "sliver" of property along Hendershot is not included in the applicant's parcel. Connors and commissioners discussed that the ownership gap dates to earlier rapid approvals when Amazon was added to the larger PUD and that the city may need to use general-fund dollars to fill any remaining sidewalk gap if private owners do not. Connors also said trailer parking shown at the southeast corner must be limited so fire apparatus and other trucks can circulate.
Applicant representative Dave DeYoung of Visser Brothers said the building is a speculative shell and that tenant fit-outs would proceed under separate permits; he agreed to remove trailer stalls from the plan where those stalls would impede emergency access. During deliberations the commission added a condition removing two trailer stalls (two of six shown) from the plan of record to maintain at least a 30-foot turning radius for emergency vehicles.
Commissioners also discussed easement and grading interactions near the power lines; DeYoung said the applicant has received clearance from ITC for work that encroaches about six feet into that area and objected to being required to construct sidewalk on property the applicant does not own. Commissioners and staff said the portion under the ITC lines and frontage the applicant owns must be built now; the remaining gap will be considered for city funding or resolved by future title work.
No PUD benefits were requested for this project, Priebe said. The commission's approval included the following written conditions incorporated into the motion: applicant to address items in the city engineer's report dated 07/10/2025; provide three sets of sealed civil engineered plans to the Community Development Department prior to building or stormwater permit issuance; and remove two trailer parking stalls from the site plan so required turning radii and fire access are preserved.
The motion to approve was made at the meeting, supported, opened and closed the public hearing with no public comments for this item, and the commission carried the motion by voice vote; the transcript records the motion, a support and the chair calling for ayes, but no roll-call tallies were recorded in the minutes.
The commission and city staff identified two follow-ups: (1) staff will confirm the final civil plans show the required clearance and turning radii and (2) staff will monitor whether city funds are needed to close the sidewalk gap if private owners do not resolve the title issue in the future.
Ending: The applicant may now proceed to finalize civil plans and apply for permits after satisfying the listed conditions; staff will incorporate the engineering and fire-access conditions into permit review.
