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Planning commission recommends vacating storm drainage easement at 18586 Comstock to allow utility shed
Summary
The Livonia City Planning Commission voted to recommend vacating a 30-by-40-foot portion of a private storm drainage easement at 18586 Comstock Street to allow construction of a utility shed, forwarding the approval to City Council with conditions and an updated legal description.
The Livonia City Planning Commission voted to recommend approving a petition to vacate part of a private storm-drain easement at 18586 Comstock Street so the property owners can build a small utility shed.
Planning staff told the commission the engineering division reviewed the request and found the partial vacation acceptable, describing the area as an overwide easement with trees and slope that make maintenance difficult. "The request for the vacation of a portion of the private storm drain easement is acceptable," staff said when summarizing the engineering letter.
Andrea Edwards, who said she owns the property at 18586 Comstock, told commissioners the shed would sit on the far east piece of the yard and "would not really impact the storm storm drain." She also said the owners will obtain required building permits and meet setback and foundation requirements.
A neighbor’s written comment, read into the record, opposed the shed’s placement and said the installation would harm the site’s open landscape: "I do oppose this placement," the letter stated.
Commissioners discussed whether the easement covered storm drainage or utilities and asked staff to include the engineer’s legal description in the approving resolution. Commissioner Bongero, who said he walked the site, told the commission he saw structures up to the drain on the north side and that the building department raised no objection to the proposal.
Commissioner Long moved an approving resolution that described the portion to be vacated (the south 40 feet of the east 30 feet of Lot 239, Gold Manor Subdivision) and found the portion unnecessary for utility purposes; the motion was supported with the caveat that the legal description be updated. The motion passed on a roll-call vote and the commission forwarded an approving recommendation to City Council.
The commission’s recommendation will be considered by the Livonia City Council at a later public hearing; the council makes the final determination on zoning and easement vacations.
