Council sends rezoning request for 340 North Main back to planning commission after resident concerns

Clawson City Council on Tuesday sent a rezoning request for 340 North Main Street back to the planning commission for additional review after residents and some council members raised concerns about building height, privacy and how the parcel fits the surrounding neighborhood.

The council’s action followed a presentation by the city’s planning consultant and the applicant’s development team and public comments from neighbors who said the parcel has deteriorated in recent years. City staff said the parcel is designated Core Residential on the city’s recently adopted future land use map, and the applicant said the rezoning would allow townhome-style for-sale units intended to meet local demand.

The planning consultant, Joe Tangieri of Giffels Webster, told the council the master plan designates the parcel as core residential and that the requested Core Residential (CR) zoning “is consistent with the master plan.” Tangieri explained the CR district is intended to provide a graduated edge to downtown and allow attached housing such as townhomes rather than large apartment buildings.

Neighbors urged caution. Jessie Wasilewski, who said she and her wife live at 184 Fisher Court, told the council she is “very excited at the prospect of having some new development” but asked the council to “make sure that...we all understand the implications...in terms of privacy, noise,” noting the lot is long and narrow. Lisa Ball, whose property abuts the parcel, said the site has “deteriorat[ed]” and that there has been an increase in rodents and trespassing; she said she welcomed redevelopment but wanted it done carefully.

Developer representatives said the church-owned property is derelict and the buyer intends to build high‑quality townhome units. Andy Miliya, a development consultant for the applicant, said the meeting was about rezoning—not site plan approval—and that “this is specifically a rezoning, and we got into some issues on building height and site plan issues. This is not a site plan meeting.” He added the project team would work with staff and neighbors through the site‑plan process if rezoning is approved.

Council members pressed planning staff and the applicant on technical limits and neighborhood impacts. Officials noted that under CR zoning the maximum building height is 30 feet whereas the current R‑2 single‑family zoning limits height to 25 feet; staff recited setback figures that would apply under the CR standards. Members also noted the planning commission considered the request at an Aug. 26 public hearing and recorded a 4–3 vote in favor there. Several council members said they wanted the planning commission to revisit the issue and provide clearer rationale for dissenting votes before the council took a final position.

After discussion the council rescinded an earlier motion to approve the rezoning and voted unanimously to refer consideration of rezoning 340 North Main Street back to the planning commission for further discussion and findings. The council did not approve a site plan or change any zoning at Tuesday’s meeting.

The council’s referral means the planning commission will reexamine the request, and any subsequent rezoning approval would be followed by a separate site‑plan review that would consider building height, setbacks, screening and other design details.

Consent and other routine business preceded and followed the rezoning discussion; the council also held a closed session later in the evening to receive updates on pending litigation involving the city.