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Madison Heights council deadlocks on alley easement for proposed 611 W. 12 Mile restaurant
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Summary
After extended public comment and a planner presentation, the council failed to approve a proposed widening and easement for the public alley serving 611 W. 12 Mile Road; the motion failed in a 3-3 vote, leaving the alley at its current 17-foot width and the restaurant owner the ability to use the existing access by right.
A proposal to widen the public alley behind 611 West 12 Mile Road and record a nonexclusive ingress/egress easement to serve a proposed restaurant failed after a 3-3 roll-call vote at the Madison Heights City Council meeting on April 27.
The council considered an agreement that would add five feet to the alley to create a 22-foot drive aisle, require site improvements and screening, and include a one-time payment from the developer of $20,000 that city staff said could be used for neighborhood traffic‑safety measures. City planner Matt Lonerstadter summarized the staff recommendation and the developer’s plans, telling the council that the widening was intended to allow two-way vehicle passage and reduce the risk of vehicles blocking the alley. "At that width, only one vehicle can travel in at a time," Lonerstadter said, describing the difference between the existing 17-foot alley and the proposed 22-foot configuration.
Residents who live near Dartmouth Street urged the council to reject the easement, saying the additional access would increase cut-through traffic, harm pedestrian safety and lower property values. "Vote no to the entire Dartmouth Alley access project," said Kathy Sapia, a longtime Dartmouth/Bel Air resident who recalled a prior final 'no' vote on the topic. Other speakers asked whether the traffic‑study recommendations had been implemented and urged stronger sound and traffic mitigation measures.
The property owner and developer, Najor Companies, said the plan had evolved after community meetings and an independent traffic engineering study that, the developer said, concluded the alley would not cause a significant increase in Dartmouth traffic. "They came up with findings that this would not significantly increase traffic on Dartmouth," developer Brian Najor told the council, and described changes to parking, screening, and site layout made in response to neighborhood concerns.
Council discussion focused on competing safety considerations: some council members said widening would reduce head‑on conflicts in the narrow alley and provide better visibility; others said allowing two‑way traffic into a residential subdivision could create new safety and congestion problems on Dartmouth and 12 Mile. Planner Lonerstadter noted that the use is permitted by right in the B‑2 zoning district and that the applicant already has the ability to use the existing alley; the easement would change the width and impose maintenance obligations on the applicant.
The clerk conducted a roll-call vote. Councilors Gerald, Mayor Pro Tem Muir and Councilor Wright voted yes; Councilman Fleming, Councilor Rohrbach and Mayor Haynes voted no, producing a 3-3 tie and causing the motion to fail. Because the motion failed, the alley will remain at its current 17-foot condition and the developer retains the existing by‑right access unless the applicant returns with a revised plan or other approvals.
The council moved on to its next agenda item. The planner said the Road Commission for Oakland County would need to review and approve any signal or intersection changes if the developer later pursues those improvements.
