MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Board met on April 9 to discuss a rezoning request made by Woda Cooper Companies.

The rezoning request is for approximately 4.6 acres of the property located at the east end of Sirhal Drive, north of the Whole Foods store at2750 Grand River Avenue, and west of Greencliff Drive. The applicant is requesting the rezone the property from RX one and two family residential zoning to RC multiple family at a maximum 14 units per acre.

The remainder of the property, approximately 1.3 acres, would remain in the RX zoning district. According to the memo, the applicant has offered the following conditions on the rezoning:

•The rezoned parcel will only be developed as an affordable housing development using Michigan State Housing and Development Authority (MSHDA) programs and resources.
•The development will not exceed two stories in height.
•Either Greencliff Drive or Sirhal Drive will be extended to create one hundred feet of public road frontage and be dedicated to the appropriate public entity.
•The remainder parcel created by land division to the south will be combined to an adjacent remainder parcel to the west owned by the seller, so the parcel division of this property does not create an island parcel.

The Planning Commission held the public hearing on the rezoning request at its January 14, 2019 meeting and voted to recommend approval at its February 25, 2019 meeting, citing the following reasons for their decision:

• The 4.6 acre portion of the property proposed for rezoning to RC (Multiple Family) meets the
11,000 square foot minimum standard for lot area for the proposed PO (Professional and
Office) zoning district.
• The subject site is located adjacent to property zoned RC (Multiple Family, 14 dwelling units
per acre) to the west.
• Public water and sanitary sewer services are available to serve the subject site.

The Township Board decided to discuss this request further at their next meeting on April 23.