Council approves first reading to rezone 2.73 acres for Wayne Luxe Estates after resident concerns about trees and drainage

The Romulus City Council on June 23 approved the introduction and first reading of a rezoning request (RZ-2022-001, Wayne Luxe Estates) to change 2.73 acres at Beverly and Wayne Road from R‑1B single‑family residential to RM low‑rise multiple‑family residential.

Project representatives said the rezoned strip is about 100 feet wide and would be attached to the developer’s existing RM parcel to facilitate a townhouse development the applicant described as 11 buildings with 83 attached units and internal circulation and buffers. Johad Tafuni, project manager for JED Services, presented a conceptual rendering and said the plan includes landscaping buffers and a park area.

Councilwoman Roscoe moved to approve the first reading and Councilwoman Abdo supported the motion. Several council members confirmed the vote: Roscoe, Abdo, Talley, Jones, Croft and the chair voted yes and the motion passed.

A resident who identified herself without giving a full name said the neighborhood is a 1950s single‑family area and expressed concern that trees had already been removed and that existing drainage issues across the neighborhood had not been resolved. Counsel and council members clarified that the action taken that evening was only the rezoning; site plan approval, circulation details and mitigation measures would be considered later under separate processes. Councilwoman Roscoe invited residents who had attended the planning commission hearing to raise specific questions in follow‑up meetings.

The council packet listed the parcel as DP# 80‑017‑99‑0025‑000 and the rezoning was recommended by the city’s planning commission; the council motion authorized the first reading only, not final site‑plan approval or building permits.