WHITEHALL — The Whitehall Township planning commission tabled the decision of whether to approve the Hickory Knoll Estates planned urban development (PUD) following a public hearing Wednesday evening and will revisit the issue at its next scheduled meeting Feb. 5.
David Schultz, who spoke as a representative of developer Prime Ventures LLC, was present at the hearing to answer more questions and get more ideas from community and planning commission members. The housing project plan, if approved, will unfold in five phases and it is still in the planning phase, with no estimated start or finish date at the moment. The complex, set to be on Durham Road, will consist of 72 units, some with detached garages, attached garages and basements. There are 22 possible plans currently in the process of being designed. With there being so many proposed units, it is unknown how long the project will take to build and complete.
The main concerns presented by other residents of Durham Road were how the construction will affect their daily lives, how traffic will be affected and how the township and development will handle water for surrounding residents. A few years ago, residents were required to switch to the City of Whitehall’s sewer, which “blindsided” many of those who were affected. The township anticipates Hickory Knoll tapping into the city’s water, and residents are now wondering how the township will handle water for others living on the same road. The township officials and attorney will be in contact with city officials to get more details, along with the Michigan Department of Health. They hope to report back with more information at the Feb. 5 meeting.
Going forward, the developer and township plan to get in contact with the Muskegon County Road Commission and Michigan Department of Transportation to do a traffic study on Durham Road. With the planned complex having a large amount of units, the number of cars regularly on that road is expected to at least double. Residents and township officials hope to see how an increase in traffic will affect the speed limit, traffic flow and more.
Schultz said the project aims to address the lack of housing within the White Lake community and to add to the quality of life in Whitehall Township, while disrupting the surrounding land as little as possible. One of the many examples used to illustrate that goal was a discussion about paving a sidewalk along Durham Road outside of the complex without clearing any legacy trees that might be in the way. The representative also reminded commission members and attendees that the township has the power to set permissible construction hours when the time comes, to control noise for surrounding residents who may be affected.
The Hickory Knoll proposal is just one recent example of an attempt to add housing units to the White Lake community. The Harwood Flats building in Whitehall, set to open in January, and the proposal of a large residential unit near downtown Montague are others. With the recent announcement of a Howmet plant expansion that the company said will create 300 new jobs, a rise in demand for housing is expected to come with it.
Schultz said the group plans to start a virtual map and blueprints of the project that will be updated regularly for the public to access.
