Garden City planning panel approves Dunkin' site plan, recommends special-use OK to council

The Garden City Planning Commission on June 12 unanimously approved a site plan and recommended city council approve a special land use so a two-tenant commercial building with a Dunkin' drive-through can be built at 28484 Ford Road.

The project sits on a 19,165-square-foot vacant lot and proposes a 3,385-square-foot building with two tenant spaces, one of which would be a Dunkin' restaurant with a drive-through lane. The commission voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the special land use contingent on final site-plan approval, and later voted 4-0 to approve the site plan with several conditions.

City planning staff summarized how the proposal fits current rules and the master plan. “The applicant is proposing to construct a 3,385 square foot, 2 tenant commercial building,” city planning staff member Mister Ortega said during his presentation, noting the site’s prior drive-through use and that the master plan designates the area as mixed use.

Why it matters: the property is adjacent to multifamily and single‑family residences to the north, and commissioners and staff required specific measures to reduce impacts on nearby homes. The commission’s approvals are conditional; the special land use still must be handled by city council before final authorization of the drive-through use.

Key facts and approved conditions

- Site and building: 19,165-square-foot lot; proposed building 3,385 square feet with two tenant spaces. The applicant proposes 17 parking spaces total.

- Parking allocation: staff noted a 400-square-foot dining-room/standing-area calculation creates an eight-space requirement for the Dunkin’ plus four employees; that would allocate about 12 spaces to Dunkin’, leaving about five spaces for the second tenant.

- Traffic and curb cuts: the applicant plans to shift an existing east curb cut and add a new west curb cut to allow an east-in / west-out circulation. Staff said the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been consulted and “generally” found the configuration acceptable.

- Hours: the application narrative listed operating hours as 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

- Noise, lighting and menu board controls: commissioners required the drive‑through menu board to include a volume control and recommended a photocell dimmer so screen brightness is reduced at night or during storms.

- Deliveries and truck maneuvering: the commission required the applicant submit a truck‑maneuvering plan showing how delivery and emergency vehicles will access the site without backing onto Ford Road. Staff reminded the commission that the zoning text technically requires a 10-by-50-foot loading zone but that the commission can modify that requirement based on site conditions.

- Screening and utilities: the zoning ordinance requires a six‑foot masonry screening wall along the property’s rear edge adjacent to residences. Staff flagged a potential conflict where the proposed wall may overlap an existing sanitary‑sewer line; final location must be field‑verified and adjusted if necessary.

- Landscaping and receptacles: staff noted the lot needs six trees and 18 shrubs per landscaping requirements; the commission required adjustments to the landscape plan and added a condition to show one or more outdoor trash receptacles on the east (parking) side of the building.

- Lighting: the site’s photometric plan was found to meet minimum safety standards, but staff asked the applicant to resolve an inconsistency on pole‑height notes and confirmed the maximum pole height not exceed 25 feet from grade.

Public comment and opposition

No speakers appeared at the public hearing, but staff received one written objection from a resident on Crowder Avenue within the notification radius. The email cited concerns about noise, litter and odors associated with the drive-through.

Applicant response and timeline

Andrea Bader, an architect with Jeffree Scott Architects representing the applicant, told the commission the team can provide the truck‑turn plan and will fix the light‑pole note and landscaping. “We will provide a truck turn plan,” Bader said. She also confirmed the applicant would check with Dunkin’ about available menu‑board equipment that can meet the volume‑control and dimming requests.

Commission action and next steps

- Special land use recommendation: motion to recommend approval of PPZ25‑0003 (special land use for a drive‑through at 28484 Ford Road) passed by roll call 4-0 (Commissioners King, Walls, Daniels and Chairperson May – ayes). The recommendation to council is contingent on final site‑plan approval.

- Site plan approval: the planning commission approved the site plan for PPZ25‑0003 by roll call 4-0, with explicit conditions including submission of a truck‑maneuvering plan (including fire and delivery vehicles), resolution of the screening‑wall location if it conflicts with utilities, revisions to landscaping (six trees / 18 shrubs required), correction of lighting notes (pole height consistency), menu‑board volume control with photocell dimmer, a requirement that delivery trucks not back into Ford Road, and location(s) of outdoor trash receptacles.

Staff said the council will act on the special land use. Staff and the applicant discussed a possible city‑council hearing date around June 23 at 7 p.m.; staff indicated the council may not need a separate public hearing for this particular item.

What commissioners emphasized

Commissioners repeatedly raised concerns about delivery trucks and the difficulty of controlling third‑party delivery operations, the need to limit noise and light impacting the houses to the north, and the limited parking available for a second tenant. The commission placed several of those operational and design items into the site‑plan approval conditions to give staff enforcement leverage if problems arise after construction.

Background

The site previously had a drive‑through use and now is vacant after demolition of earlier structures. The proposed development would reintroduce a drive‑through on a lot already surrounded by other commercial activity along Ford Road and multifamily housing behind the site. Staff advised the commission the master plan designates the corridor as mixed use and that similarly configured properties exist elsewhere in the city.

Housing/retail impacts and next steps

If council approves the special land use, the applicant must meet the site‑plan conditions before construction permits are issued. Staff will verify the screening wall location, review the truck‑maneuvering plan, and confirm required landscaping and lighting notes in revised plan sets. The commission’s conditions are intended to limit off‑site impacts to nearby residents while allowing reuse of a long‑vacant parcel.