ADRIAN — A proposed rezoning that would allow a residential development on the site of the now-demolished Bixby Hospital will be discussed by the Adrian City Commission on March 17.

This follows a vote by the Adrian City Planning Commission on March 4 to recommend that the plan be approved. The proposal is on the city commission’s March 17 agenda for discussion only, with a vote anticipated at a future meeting.

Developer Scott Gibson spoke at the March 4 planning commission meeting about the plans, which involve building 63 single-family, market-rate rental homes on approximately 7.45 acres.

In response to a question from planning commission chairman Mike Jacobitz about whether the houses would be built all at once or in phases, Gibson said both options are on the table, but his preference would be to build all 63 houses in a single phase.

“Ideally we would do it all in one shot. That makes the most sense,” he said.

Gordon Gauss, who is the city commission’s representative on the planning commission, said he supports the project. He said that the level of traffic from 63 homes will be far less than what the area had when Bixby was operating.

“I’ve heard some concerns about traffic,” Gauss said. “However, my personal conclusion is there’s not going to be anywhere near the traffic that was in and out of the hospital.”

Gauss said the development will help meet a need in the city.

“Obviously we need housing in the city of Adrian, so I’m very pleased to see it moving forward,” he said.

The planning commission heard comments from several area residents.

Shirley McDaid of Adrian expressed concern about the density of the development. “There’s an awful lot of people that are going to be living on 7 acres of property,” she said. “That seems awfully crowded and busy to me.

Jerick Timm of Adrian took the opposite view. He said that rather than being too dense, the proposed development has about the same density as the neighborhood just south of Adrian High School, and that because it consists only of single-family homes, it represents a missed opportunity to create more different types of housing in Adrian, such as townhouses, duplexes and triplexes. That type of development would more accurately fit the term “missing middle” housing that the developers have used to refer to their proposal, he said.

Timm also expressed concern about safety on Riverside Avenue, noting that there are only two crosswalks along the road — one at Bent Oak Avenue and one at Budlong Street — with nearly a mile between them.

Another comment about safety came from Mike Coffey, who lives on Budlong Street.

“I don’t really have a problem with what they want to do at the hospital,” he said. But Coffey said he runs in the area, and from the end of Budlong Street you often can’t see cars coming up the hill on Riverside. He said that if the city could take steps to improve visibility, it would be a big benefit to everyone who lives in the area.

Julie Jungwirth of Adrian said she is concerned about the impact on the neighborhood, including water, sewer, and policing. She said that not enough was done to inform residents about the plans.

“There was no transparency and there was no information given to the residents of the neighborhood,” she said.

Gauss disagreed with that opinion. “In all due respect, we’ve been discussing this project for well over six months,” he said, adding that the proposal been covered extensively in the media.

“The Lenawee Voice has published information about this. The Telegram has also. If the public doesn’t feel that they’ve been informed — again, due respect — they’re not paying attention,” Gauss said. “To say we’re not being transparent, that’s just not the case.”

The planning commission received a report from planning and zoning administrator Jeremiah Klemann, with input from the utilities and engineering departments. In their analysis, city staff said that the current utilities in the area are adequate to support the proposed development.

The planning commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Adrian City Commission approve a Planned Unit Development designation for the property, which would allow the development to be built. A Planned Unit Development is a tool that can be used to add flexibility to the city’s zoning as long as the proposed use is in line with the city’s future land use plan. The site is currently zoned for office use.

The planning commission’s recommendation does come with four stipulations. One was that the developer must be responsible for maintaining the common areas, which Gibson did not object to, saying that was already their intent. The others were that the developer provide a lighting plan, a development schedule, and documentation that the Lenawee County Drain Commission has signed off on the plans.

A discussion of the proposed development is on the agenda for the Adrian City Commission’s upcoming meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 17, in the City Chambers Building, 159 E. Maumee St. Click here to view the agenda packet.

More links:

• Click here to view the plans submitted by the developer.
• Click here to read the city staff report.