Yet another large retail shopping center has been proposed in Oxford Township, but the planning commission wasn’t sure that’s what this community needs.
‘Oxford right now at this stage does not need (about 500,000 square feet) of commercial area across from each other on M-24,? said Commissioner Todd Bell.
Randy Bellestri and the Bloomfield Hills-based Talon Development Group are proposing turning a 21-acre site on the west side of M-24, just north of W. Market St. and across from Meijer, into an approximately 200,000-square-foot commercial shopping center.
The site is currently occupied by the 210,000-square-foot building which previously housed Odyssey Industries, Inc., an aircraft and automotive tooling manufacturing company owned by Bellestri. He moved his business to a facility in Orion two year ago.
Bellestri currently leases space in his Oxford building, which longtime residents will remember as the old Sea Ray facility, to five different businesses including Elite Gymnastics. He still has about 60,000-square-feet that sits vacant.
The property is currently zoned Research-Office (RO) and the township’s Master Plan shows it staying that way in the future.
RO districts are intended to provide sites for uses which combine research, office, manufacturing, and/or educational activities within the same building or group of buildings in a campus or planned development atmosphere.
But Bellestri told commissioners that ‘RO is very tough to find users for right now.?
‘I’m really restricted with the RO which has limited uses,? he said.
That’s why Bellestri would like to have his property rezoned to retail/commercial.
‘We need retail out here,? he said. ‘I know when I try to go shopping around here I’m always chased out and have to go somewhere else.?
As for which businesses would fill his proposed center, Bellestri admitted that’s not yet been determined.
‘I am currently talking to quite a few users,? he said. ‘Do I have anything concrete? No. I can’t promise anything to anybody at this point.?
But the planning commission wasn’t sure more retail is what the township needs.
‘Can we absorb that much more commercial in and around this area?? said township planner Don Wortman, of the Ann Arbor-based Carlisle/Wortman Associates.
Just south of the Odyssey site on the east side of M-24, the 87,000-square-foot Promenade at Waterstone lifestyle shopping center is expected to begin construction this year.
Just south of Promenade is where the JFK Investment Company is proposing the 204,000-square-foot Oxford North Shopping Center.
Wortman said he recently spoke with Promenade’s developer, Aragona Properties, and so far they have secured a Chili’s Grill & Bar and ‘possibly another tenant, but as of now they’ve not been able to attract new tenants at that facility.?
‘Is there a market for these types of uses or an additional 200,000 square feet?? he said.
Because the Master Plan calls for the Odyssey site to remain zoned RO, both land use and appropriate zoning are going to be the ‘big issue,? according to Wortman.
‘I think the township is going to be concerned about jobs, tax base, etc.,? he said.
Wortman told Bellestri and Talon the ‘burden? is going to be on them to demonstrate why it was ‘wrong? or an ‘error? for the Master Plan to designate the property as an RO use.
Commissioner Bell expressed his desire to keep the property’s zoning as is.
‘Research Office makes a lot of sense on this piece of property as far as I’m concerned,? he said.
Planning commissioners Jack Curtis and Don Silvester suggested Bellesti and Talon consider building a ‘mixed use development? that combined Research Office with retail/commercial.
‘We do need jobs other than commercial jobs,? Curtis said. ‘We need research jobs. We need light industrial jobs to get a base back.?
Silvester suggested building the ‘lower impact? RO use on the north end of the Odyssey site in order to be sensitive to the neighboring condominiums along Stony Lake while constructing commercial uses on the south side of the property.
‘That’s probably the best compromise there is,? he said. ‘Obviously I would like to see some Research Office there.?
Silvester noted that the Master Plan calls for additional RO uses in northern part of the township indicating it was viewed as ‘important enough? to add more.
Curtis advised the developer to ‘try to create jobs based on what is needed in community.? He noted that because Oxford no longer has a lumber yard, people have to go to either Lapeer or Orion.
Commissioner Tom Lepping noted the township also lacks any kind of hotel or conference center.
‘We’re in the same boat with that as we are with the lumber yards ? you go to Lapeer or you go to Orion,? he said.