Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission recommends revised Silver Creek Estates plan after wetlands and traffic changes
Summary
The commission recommended preliminary approval for Silver Creek Estates (formerly Everton Reserve) after the applicant redesigned access to reduce wetland impacts and offered to add a south‑side passing lane on Cherry Hill Road as a condition. Staff and commissioners requested additional variances and coordination with state wetland regulators and Wayne County.
The Canton Township Planning Commission on a unanimous vote recommended preliminary approval of the Silver Creek Estates revised site plan after the developer redesigned access and greatly reduced wetland impacts.
Staff presented the revised plan and said state wetland reviewers (EGLE) flagged too much wetland fill under the previously approved design. To address that, the developer narrowed a proposed full-access Beck Road entrance to a 20‑foot gated emergency access and reduced the previous wetland impact from roughly 0.5 acres to just under 0.1 acres, while maintaining a 62‑unit layout around preserved areas and stormwater ponds. Township staff said the change lowers wetland impacts and reduces grading but creates follow‑up items: revised wetland‑setback variances, a potential drain‑setback variance tied to a proposed 70‑foot easement, and continued coordination with county and state permitting.
Applicant Mike Knowles of Pulte Homes told the commission the revisions were made specifically to satisfy EGLE’s request to minimize impacts and that the company has nearly completed several other permitting steps. Knowles said the team will revise the permits and return with final site‑plan materials once EGLE’s wetland line and the county easement issues are settled.
Traffic consultants updated the commission that shifting the Beck Road entrance to emergency‑access‑only consolidates vehicle trips to the Cherry Hill Road entrance. The applicant submitted a traffic study showing only minor intersection impacts that could be mitigated by signal retiming; township and consultant reviewers recommended considering a left‑turn passing flare on the south side of Cherry Hill Road to ease school‑period congestion. Several commissioners said anecdotal school‑period backups reinforced the value of a passing lane; the applicant offered to make that passing lane a condition of preliminary approval.
The commission’s recommendation includes conditions requiring any necessary variances from the zoning board of appeals for wetland or drain setbacks, continued engineering coordination with Wayne County and EGLE, and the construction of the passing lane on Cherry Hill Road as part of later approvals or permit conditions. The matter will go next to the township board and back to the board and zoning board of appeals for variances as required.
Commissioners and staff emphasized that the revisions were intended to preserve more wetland area and that final approvals will depend on outside permits and any additional variances the township or county require.
