Residents Heard in Drayton Church Development, Apartment Idea Thwarted
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 15, 2018)
Ferndale, MI – About 35 residents attended a Ferndale Planning Commission meeting on July 11 to halt efforts by Drayton Avenue Lofts LLC to convert the former Drayton Avenue Presbyterian Church at 2441 Pinecrest into a 30-unit apartment complex. The proposal called for maintaining the exterior of the historic structure and increasing the green space at the property.
The property is currently zoned R1 residential which allows for single family detached dwellings, home business, manufactured homes, residential apartments as part of a garage or accessory structure, state licensed residential facilities, state licensed residential group day care facilities, public parks, bed and breakfast facilities, cemeteries, educational institutions, essential services, institutions for religious worship, libraries, nursery schools, public buildings including police or fire stations and community centers.
The Planning Commission was asked to approve conditional rezoning to R3 to allow the developer to keep the historic building. The church was put on the market in December when the congregation moved to Berkley due to the increasing cost of upkeep on the property, and to partner with other congregations in focusing on their faith mission of serving the community.
Neighboring residents opposed the rezoning, with many stating that this was “family neighborhood,” that renters were “transient,” and that they wanted people to live there who were “invested in the community.” Other concerns were over increased traffic and noise, as well as the impact on sewer and electrical system capacity. Some residents have vowed to fight any change at the property, while most expressed the desire to keep it R1 residential.
Originally the developer, Drayton Avenue Lofts LLC, had requested to turn the church building into 32 units and to add six townhomes to what is currently the parking lot. The latest proposal limits the number of units to 30, and there would be no more dwelling units built.
Without the R3 rezoning, the current building could be removed and replaced with single-family homes, or other permitted uses. With a density of 10 units per acre, the 2.46 acre property could support 25 homes or more. A developer at the meeting said they had hoped to achieve the same density without having to tear down an historic building. “It’s the same number of cars, the same number of bedrooms,” he said. “It would be a darn shame to level it.”
Some residents suggested selling the building to another church, however with church attendance shrinking as a national trend, many congregations are downsizing. Drayton Avenue Presbyterian’s congregation moved to a location in Berkley and put the building up for sale in December because of the draining costs of maintaining a building that no longer suited the size of the congregation.
City Staff had recommended the adaptive reuse of the historic building. Development Director Jordan Twardy stated benefits such as increasing diverse housing options, including the need for workforce housing and apartments for older adults.
After a lengthy public comment session, Planning Commission members discussed whether R3 was appropriate in the neighborhood. The City’s Master Plan focuses on increasing density in the Downtown and industrial areas, but does not give clear recommendations about new multi-unit additions within residential neighborhoods.
“A majority of the comments went to they don’t want this to be rezoned to R3,” said Planning Commissioner Joshua Farr in discussion.
“The Master Plan is there in general to add some predictability,” said Dan Martin who serves as the City Council representative on the Planning Commission. “I’m just not convinced that change in zoning is the best and highest use of the property.”
Without a motion made, there was no vote on the zoning recommendation. A vote would have automatically put the issue of rezoning on the City Council agenda. Without a Planning Commission vote, rezoning could still be considered by the City Council if at least one member asks for it to be put on the agenda.
The developer also has the option of revising their plan and bringing it back to the Planning Commission, though any plan that has more than two units in the existing building would require R3 zoning.