Grosse Ile planning commission recommends township adopt updated master plan

The Grosse Ile Township Planning Commission on May 19 voted to recommend the township board adopt an updated Township Master Plan after a public hearing and discussion among commissioners and residents.

The recommendation came after a multi-year update process led by the SmithGroup and township staff that included workshops, web solicitations, steering‑committee meetings and a 60‑day public comment period. Chairman John, acting as the commission chair, told the audience the plan documents the township's present conditions and a vision for future land use and housing and serves as the underlying basis for zoning decisions.

Commission members described a long review process in which officers and commissioners collaborated on roughly 150 pages of text and an action‑item list of about 150–200 proposed actions. Commissioners said they sought consensus where possible and acknowledged that not every individual received all of their requested changes but that the body voted to forward the plan recommendation.

Public commenters focused on housing, particularly senior housing. Father Mark Koronski, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, and Leo Gonzales, CRS (commercial real estate), urged the commission to ensure the master plan allows flexibility—specifically planned unit development (PUD) options or zoning provisions—that could permit single‑story, assisted‑living and memory‑care buildings on church property at 21599 Park Lane. Father Koronski said parishioners submitted dozens of letters supporting changes to accommodate senior housing and asked the commission to reflect that need in the plan. Leo Gonzales and parish finance committee members pushing the proposal said demographic data in the draft plan shows a growing population over age 65 and argued that island residents should not be forced to leave Grosse Ile when they need assisted care.

Commissioners and staff acknowledged the master plan’s housing and land‑use sections note an aging population and the need for more housing types. Ross, the township planner, said the commission will evaluate any future application on its quality and fit with existing zoning and the master plan, and he described a concept‑review committee that meets with prospective applicants to help them align proposals with ordinance requirements before a formal filing. Commissioners urged applicants to prepare complete, neighborhood‑sensitive proposals to ease review.

At the close of deliberations, a commissioner moved to adopt a resolution recommending the master plan update and forwarding it to the Grosse Ile Township Board of Trustees; the motion carried with an affirmative voice vote. The recommendation does not itself adopt the plan—final approval rests with the Township Board.

Residents who addressed the commission included Ken Yipe, Deborah Stevens and Margaret Shelton, who thanked the commission for the work and urged clear connections between the master plan and future zoning decisions. Ross said he scanned and circulated roughly 100 signed parish letters to the commission earlier in the review process.

The commission’s recommendation begins the next step: referral to the Township Board for consideration and final action.