Planning commission tables 8 Mile office site plan over parking, impervious-surface and alley concerns

The Eastpointe City Planning Commission on March 5 tabled consideration of a site-plan application for a proposed roughly 2,800-square-foot office building along 8 Mile to allow the applicant and staff time to resolve design and property-access issues.

Planning staff described the application as an MU1 mixed-use project that would provide office space, accessory storage and four electric-vehicle charging stalls in the parking area. Staff told the commission the current plan exceeds the ordinance's maximum impervious-surface coverage (the plan shows north of 80% while the ordinance caps coverage at 70%), and that the front façade glazing is at 37.2%, short of the 40% required by code. The applicant has requested waivers for the front entrance orientation (the building’s main access faces the parking lot, not the street) and for the glazing percentage.

"As it's drawn it doesn't meet [the impervious coverage requirement]," planning staff said, noting reducing parking or relocating some pavement could bring the site into compliance. Staff also flagged that the proposed layout crosses a public alley and uses a small triangular parcel currently zoned residential for a transformer and dumpster enclosure, which would require either an alley vacation, recorded easements or a rezoning to allow the combined commercial use.

Tom Paglia, the applicant, said the family-owned parcel has been in his family for decades and that the plan was drawn to avoid vacating the alley if possible. He told commissioners the proposed transformer location was recommended by the utility (DTE) and said the office is a small operation (three employees), so a front door on the street would likely be unused by customers. "We technically could completely remove the requirement of a dumpster enclosure and just use your regular roll cans because of the use," Paglia said.

Commissioners pressed the project on two policy fronts: (1) whether approving waivers for a new building would undercut the master-plan goal of pedestrian-friendly street-facing storefronts along 8 Mile, and (2) how to address the project's impervious coverage without sacrificing landscaping. Commissioner Naylor argued that new construction should adhere to the corridor design goals, saying the city should "move everyone forward" toward more walkable facades. Other commissioners noted many existing buildings along the corridor have side entrances and found the glazing shortfall modest; one commissioner described the glazing variance as approximately 2.8% and said they were inclined to approve that waiver if other issues were resolved.

After staff and the applicant indicated that additional engineering comments, easement options and revised drawings were needed, the commission voted to table the item to the April meeting to allow the applicant to revise the site plan. The motion to table was made by Commissioner Moody and supported by Commissioner Naylor; subsequent roll call recorded unanimous support, and staff and the applicant were instructed to return with revised plans addressing impervious-surface coverage, dumpster/transformer placement and facade adjustments.

Next steps: The applicant will coordinate with planning and building staff to revise the site plan and return to the commission in April with updated drawings and documentation (possible approaches discussed included reducing parking, relocating or removing the dumpster enclosure, and showing easements or revised transformer placement so the triangular parcel no longer requires rezoning).