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Farmington Hills council approves revised Mulberry Park / Tabernacle PUD after months of debate
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Summary
After repeated hearings and neighborhood opposition focused on flooding, density and tree loss, council approved a revised 59-unit PUD for 12 acres west of Middlebelt (Mulberry Park / Tabernacle) subject to engineering, planning and fire conditions and a PUD agreement.
The Farmington Hills City Council voted Jan. 12 to approve a revised planned-unit development (PUD) covering roughly 12 acres west of Middlebelt Road near 13 Mile, permitting a mixed project with 59 units that combines age-restricted ranch homes (Tabernacle) and for-sale townhomes (Mulberry Park). The approval came after extensive public comment and months of staff and council review.
Aaron Schafer of Schafer Development presented the revised plan and said it reduces density from earlier proposals (down from 63 units in the most recent submittal and from 76 in the original concept), increases open space (he cited roughly 54.8% excluding the basin and about 60.7% including it), and provides a continuous 100-foot buffer to the south where one-story ranch units back up to existing residences. Schafer described stormwater design that captures on-site runoff in a basin and said the project is intended to deliver —attainable— market-rate housing and public benefits such as a sidewalk along 13 Mile and public art.
Giffels Webster staff confirmed plan changes and recommended that remaining engineering, lighting and design comments be addressed prior to final construction approvals. Baptist Manor, the adjacent senior living campus, testified in support and said the project responds to strong demand for senior housing in the region.
Neighbors from Holly Hill Farms, Westgate and surrounding streets urged denial at the meeting, citing the potential removal of mature trees, increased stormwater runoff into Pebble Creek and adjacent yards, traffic and pedestrian safety along 13 Mile and a concern that the project does not meet the preservation intent of the master-plan —flex residential— language. Several speakers disputed whether the proposal preserved at least one-third of the site in an untouched buffer and questioned the basin's downstream impacts.
Debate on the council reflected the split in public comment. After procedural discussion about a previously tabled denial motion, Council Member Aldred moved to approve the updated plan, with findings that the project meets the master-plan direction for flex residential, achieves a density consistent with RC-1 multifamily when using the master-plan reference, and provides public benefits. The approval included specific conditions: all outstanding Giffels Webster review issues must be addressed to the city planner's reasonable satisfaction, the city engineer and fire marshal must sign off on their pending interoffice review items, and the city attorney must draft the final PUD agreement stipulating deviations and conditions.
A roll-call vote recorded a narrow approval. Councilmembers Dwyer, Aldred, Boulware (listed in packet as Bolaware/Bollawear) and Mayor Tricia Rich voted in favor; Councilmembers Knoll, Starkman and Bridges voted no. The approval moves the project into the PUD-agreement and detailed engineering phase, with the developer required to satisfy those technical conditions before construction permits are issued.
