Charter Township of Orion

The meeting involved the review and approval of the agenda. Key business involved two applications, AB-2026-04 for Andrew Zuker at 3711 Waldon Rd. and AB-2026-06 for Ryan Skalnek/Skalnek Ford at 1900 S. Lapeer Rd., both of which were approved as presented. There were no public comments, communications, or committee reports presented.

The Zoning Board of Appeals meeting included organizational nominations, with Dan Durham confirmed as Chairperson, Tony Cook as Vice-Chairman, and Diane Dunaskiss as Secretary for 2026. Key business involved multiple public hearings. The first public hearing, regarding variances for petitioner Gaspare Vitale concerning a property on Dollar Bay Dr., resulted in a motion to postpone the hearing to the March 9, 2026 meeting to allow the applicant to provide additional data, particularly regarding water management. The second public hearing concerned variances for Elinor Smith regarding a fence installation on Walmsley Circle; after extensive discussion regarding ordinance compliance and established neighborhood appearance, the three requested variances were granted on a 3-2 vote. The third public hearing involved variances sought by Jeffrey Jones for a new detached accessory building on a parcel without a primary residence; the request for two variances was unanimously denied as the petitioner did not demonstrate practical difficulty or unique circumstances, and granting them was deemed potentially detrimental due to neighboring water flow concerns. The final public hearing addressed eight variances requested by The Kroger Co. for a fuel station sign plan at South Baldwin Road; all eight variances were unanimously granted based on demonstrated practical difficulty related to advertising visibility angles and site layout. The Board also presented the 2025 Annual Report.

The Planning Commission reviewed and approved the agenda, noting an amended version was published which included new items 7A through 7E. Key discussions centered on new business items. Site plan amendments were addressed for PC-26-01 (RCOC Lake Orion Garage Fencing Improvement) and PC-26-05 (GM Orion BET 2 Site Plan Amendment), with the latter involving detailed explanations of railway improvements, new truck docks, a relocated squeak and rattle area, and pavement enhancements. Approval for PC-26-05 was conditioned upon compliance with the Engineer's and Fire Marshal's reports. Additionally, the Commission granted four separate approvals (PC-26-06 through PC-26-09) required per Ordinance 154 for Space Stone, Inc., regarding an Adult Grower Facility at 187 Premier Dr., confirming location requirements related to zoning and road servicing were met. A parking space waiver was confirmed at 3,327 spaces for the GM project, with no additional waiver deemed necessary as the revised plan exceeded the minimum requirement.

The Zoning Board of Appeals discussed the agenda and proceeded with ZBA Business item AB-2025-37, concerning Bazo Construction for CITGO located at 4520 Joslyn Rd. The request involved five variances from Sign Ordinance #153 for ground and wall signs, particularly relating to the number and size of signs on the fuel canopy. Discussions centered on sign illumination, visibility, and the necessity of the variances due to the property's unique characteristics, such as its location relative to a hill and railroad tracks. The petitioner agreed to omit one sign from the west-facing canopy side and to address a potentially problematic floodlight that impedes drivers. The Board ultimately granted the five requested variances with conditions, noting that the update brings the existing canopy signage toward current lighting standards. Other discussions included a memo regarding recent text amendments and member comments on the Lake Orion Light Parade.

The Planning Commission meeting involved several key actions. In New Business, the commission considered PC-2021-38 (Canterbury Village modification) and decided on a denial contingent upon variance approval, and conditionally approved PC-2021-40 (API Consulting Office Addition Site Plan), granting several waivers related to parking, landscaping, and trash areas. Under Unfinished Business concerning PC-2018-49 (Hills of Woodbridge PUD Final Plan), the commission approved the wetland permit but recommended denial of the PUD final plan to the Township Board. Future public hearings were scheduled for April 21, 2021, including a rezone request (PC-2021-39) for Lake Orion Community Schools and a Special Land Use Request (PC-2021-37) for Meijer ORI.