Novi Council approves amended consent judgment and preliminary site plan for Society Hill development, 5–2

After nearly four hours of presentation and deliberation, the City of Novi council on Aug. 25 voted 5–2 to approve an amendment to a 2001 consent judgment and to grant preliminary site‑plan approval for the Society Hill redevelopment at the northwest corner of 12 Mile and Novi Road.

Background and motion: The property is subject to a long‑standing 1999 site plan and a consent judgment entered in 2001 that froze development rights and tied the city’s obligations to construction of a SAD 94 sewer. Staff and the developer presented a modernized site plan: roughly 500 residential units across multiple building typologies (two‑ to five‑story buildings and townhomes), about 1,580 rooms, extensive on‑site amenities and preserved wetland/open space. The applicant said the revised plan will provide on‑site trail connections and additional stormwater detention to avoid discharging to the existing pond. “This is a more modern mix of units,” the applicant said in the presentation, noting about seven acres of active open space and a program of indoor and outdoor…