Council approves rezoning of 373850 Second Street for 207‑unit PUD amid traffic and density concerns

The Wyoming City Council on Aug. 4 adopted Ordinance 10‑25 to rezone 373850 Second Street Southwest from a stated residential designation to Planned Unit Development (PUD) 4, clearing the way for a proposed 207‑unit, owner‑occupied single‑family project by Eastbrook Homes.

The rezoning vote came following public comment from nearby residents who urged the council to address traffic, density and setback questions, and after council members and staff discussed traffic mitigation coordinated with the adjacent elementary school.

Residents said they were not uniformly opposed but worried the PUD’s density and lot sizes would harm neighborhood character and safety. “Our group is not against the development, but concerned about density,” Pam McGlenathan of 3566 Evanbrook Drive told the council. McGlenathan said neighbors had circulated a petition and asked that the developer reduce the number of 50‑foot lots and increase lot frontage.

Ted Bresiak, who described himself as “a math man,” challenged aspects of the traffic study used in the packet and urged an independent study. “I caution you: don’t send the fox to count the chickens in the coop,” Bresiak said, criticizing the study’s sampling description and the single‑sample conclusions he read in the report.

Mike McGraw of Eastbrook Homes said the company remained “excited about this community” and that homes would be custom built to buyer preferences; Gary Solomon, the property trustee, said the owners chose Eastbrook because they “liked what we saw.”

City planning and public‑safety staff told council members the city and the developer had met with Granville Elementary School officials to address morning and afternoon stacking that has affected 50 Second Street. Planning staff said the school agreed to reconfigure its on‑site drop‑off to three lanes (using cones and staff direction) and that police personnel would assist when the school year starts to prevent vehicles from queueing onto 50 Second Street.

Nicole (city staff) said the city engineer, Jeff Unk, “reviewed it thoroughly and said that it was in line with all the other traffic studies that we’ve received,” and recommended approval. The council also heard from Greg (city staff) about a protest petition that the city had reviewed; he said the submission raised the threshold needed to adopt the ordinance under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act and recommended the council adopt by five votes if they determined the petition to be valid. Council adopted the ordinance 6‑1, exceeding the higher threshold.

Council member de Krieger moved adoption of Ordinance 10‑25 and Brethauer supported the motion. A roll call vote recorded six yes votes and one no vote from Council member Hill; Mayor Kent Vander Wood voted in favor.

Council and staff noted additional site‑plan and construction approvals remain. The developer said vertical construction will require separate approvals and that, if schedule allows, vertical construction could begin next fall with first units delivered in 2027.

Why it matters: The rezoning converts the property to a PUD that allows departures from standard lot and setback rules for a larger, master‑planned development. Neighbors and the planning commissioner raised questions about density, tree preservation and traffic; council approval moves the project into detailed site‑plan and permitting stages where staff and the developer will address those operational concerns.

Next steps: The developer and planning staff will proceed with engineering, site‑plan approvals and permit reviews. Council members said they will monitor whether the school’s drop‑off adjustments prevent stacking onto 50 Second Street once the school year begins.