By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — A proposed elderly and an elder care center development with multiple-family housing will have to seek approval from the City Council and Zoning Board of Appeals before the project can move forward.
The proposed site sits on 1.5 acres at 6906 Kingsley just south of Warren Avenue at Blesser Avenue. Under the plans, the current vacant structure on the property will be demolished and a four-story mixed-use building totaling 54,019 square feet will be constructed.
“An adult day care and community space are located on the first floor, and senior apartments are located on all four floors,” the Planning Division staff report read. “The proposed building contains 49 two-bedroom senior apartments that are approximately 797 square feet per unit.”
During the Aug. 12 Planning Commission meeting, a request for special land use and site plan for the project were approved, contingent on rezoning and variances approval.
The city council will have to consider and approve the rezoning request from the current Industrial A, Industrial B and paring lot to Residential E, multiple family residential district for the development to take place.
“Rezoning the property to Residential E would not affect the overall character of the area,” the staff report read. “This development would also provide a benefit to the community by creating a transitional buffer between the industrial uses and residential neighborhood.”
After reviewing 10 standards for granting the special land use, a recommendation was made to approve the land use, and site plan was made with the condition that the required variances are granted by the Zoning Board of appeals.
Those variances are, waive the required lot minimum of 1,500 square feet of area needed per unit, waive the required maximum density of 29.04 units per acre, waive the required front yard setback of 25 feet, and waive the required rear yard setback of 30 feet.
As for the “waive the general site landscaping” and “waive the required landscaped screening or wall” variances, the staff report said the planning commission may waive both of those items in its review of the site plan if it was determined that the plan would produce substantially the same results.
One of those variances was impact on traffic, but the proposed vehicle circulation will help minimize any traffic flow issues that could potentially occur, according to the report.
“There are two proposed access points into the site, one is via a curb cut along Kingsley Street, and the other utilizes the public alley along Blesser Avenue,” the report said. “The public alley extends 140 feet into the site and the remainder of the alley is vacated, eliminating any potential for through traffic. The proposed 16-foot-wide dropoff location for the adult day care is located on the eastern side of the building. Those who attend the daycare will either be dropped off or brought in via a small bus.”
Senior Planner Jeffery Polkowski said the project would be a “great use of the property to fill the huge need for a senior citizen housing and adult care center serving Dearborn’s aging population.”
The center will be owned by Rod Issa and have MHT Housing Inc. as the affordable housing developer.
Dearborn Town Center Senior, 4550 Calhoun opened last year with 77 apartments and MHT Housing Inc. as a partner on the project.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])