The following comment was provided by Hartland Township – explaining their view why Menards abandoned their 10 year pursuit of a location in Hartland. This response is appreciated, and is provided without edit. Of course, the end result is that a desperately needed anchor tenant decided to abandon Hartland as a location – and departed. As described by the Township – Menard’s reason was simply that they were unwilling to “stray from their standards”.
As for Menard’s early attempt to locate on the Waldenwoods site – it simply could not fit – because of topography. The back of the store would have been underground.
Menards had some type of communication about bringing their business to Hartland somewhere around 2005 with what I understand was to be placed on Waldenwoods property, west of the Target property. To my knowledge Menards never came to the Township for any type of informal or formal review. I am not sure why that project did not go forward. Perhaps Frank Crouse can shed some light on the particulars.
Menards came to the Township informal review team to look at the possibility of building on the Ramco Gershenson property, west of Meijer. Ramco had a pattern book for their PD and this site was originally planned as a hotel. Ramco’s entire 35+/- acre is planned as general commercial. The Ramco site is a PD (planned development) that used a pattern book. The pattern book is a tool used to look at what is in the realm of possible in a development and speaks to the types of businesses, traffic patterns, lighting, signage and design standards that will be used. The pattern book is an agreement between a Developer and the Township.
Menards, due to it’s intense outside storage, unlike a Lowes or Home Depot, is not zoned in the General Commercial area or was it anticipated in the Ramco pattern book. A Menards lumberyard is permitted in the light industrial or industrial district. That’s not to say it could not happen on the Ramco site, but there would have to be some mitigation to occur due to the intensity of the use.
Due to the higher intensity use of an outdoor lumberyard vs. general commercial, the Township looked at all options for Menards to be located on the Ramco site. The Township Planner at the time, Mardy Stirling, worked on the site plan proposed by Menards. There were three main areas of concern for the Township.
Due to the intensity of the use next to the neighboring residential units, Mardy suggested flipping the building so the highest intensity would be adjacent to the Township Park on the east side of the parcel. The Township thought that was a reasonable request. Menard’s statement to the Township was that we have our building lay out and we do not stray from that plan.
The second issue was the outside skin on the proposed building as it did not meet the PD pattern book agreed upon with Ramco. A typical Menards site offers concrete walls or a faded wooden skin. Ramco was willing to assist in finding a compromise to meet the standards of their pattern book of the PD. Menards statement was that they do not deviate from their design as this would set a standard for the next community in which they would develop.
The third issue was screening between the residential and Menards. Ramco was willing to assist with Menard’s in building a retaining wall and landscape the buffer between Menard’s and residential. Menards was not willing to again stray from their standards.
Menards has always been welcome in our community and still are. When it comes to any type development in our community, one of the most important parts of our zoning ordinance is to have buffers between two types of land uses. The proposed intensity of the land use next to residential required a buffer between the uses.
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