Planning commission recommends site plan for Muslim Educational Community Center of America (MECA) with landscaping and parking modifications

The Canton Township Planning Commission on Sept. 8 recommended approval of the site plan for the Muslim Educational Community Center of America (MECA) at 6200 Northridge Road, subject to several landscape and material modifications and standard state, county and township conditions.

The applicant proposes a principal building roughly 48,409 square feet in size and an adjacent 660‑square‑foot accessory storage building on a parcel just under 11½ acres. The planning commission previously recommended approval of the special land use for a religious institution; the board of trustees approved the special land use on June 24. The site plan returns to planning for the technical review and plan modifications.

Patrick Sloan, planning staff, summarized key technical items addressed since the special land‑use review: an addition of a 660‑square‑foot accessory maintenance/storage building in the southeast corner; a proposed dome top that reaches 65 feet (10 feet above the zoning ordinance height standard) for which the applicant may seek a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals or reduce the dome height to 55 feet to comply; a traffic/turning modification that replaces a proposed bypass lane with a southbound center left‑turn lane (subject to Wayne County approval); and a parking modification request for 354 spaces (staff recommended approval for up to 358 spaces based on the traffic analysis).

Sloan also described the building materials: the facade shows about 49.94% brick plus limestone, burnished block and glazing. Because the masonry percentage narrowly misses the 50 percent brick requirement, staff recommended granting a modification under section 26.06 footnote h on the basis that the proposed limestone and burnished block are complementary masonry materials of similar quality.

Landscaping and buffering were the most discussed technical items. The applicant proposes preservation of existing mature trees along the north and east property edges and supplemental plantings, including 27 Green Giant arborvitae in a screening row. Staff recommended allowing arborvitae to count toward the evergreen buffer in this case because the site’s existing tree cover and shading make other conifer species less viable and because preserving healthy mature trees provides better long‑term screening than removing them to create berms. Staff recommended several buffer modifications (single/double rows of evergreens without berms on the north and east sides and a reduced 3‑foot berm on the south side) subject to final approval by the township’s landscape consultant during post‑construction inspections.

Commissioners discussed pedestrian connections and reiterated that where feasible sidewalks should be extended to property lines; staff and the applicant noted topography, wetlands and a tributary of Fellows Creek constrain safe, practical sidewalk extensions without additional permitting. Commissioner comments emphasized coordination with Wayne County on the roadway design and the desirability of keeping pedestrian access connections where practicable.

A motion to recommend approval of the site plan carried unanimously. Approved modifications include: up to 354 parking spaces per staff analysis; a facade‑material modification allowing less than 50 percent brick given complementary limestone and block material; and multiple landscape‑buffer modifications with conditions that the township landscape consultant may require additional plantings if field conditions permit.

Ending: The applicant may file a Zoning Board of Appeals variance request for dome height; final site‑plan approval will be conditioned on state, county and township permits and on satisfying any items identified by the township landscape consultant during field inspection.