Northfield Township Planner's Report: Just Say No to Biltmore

Northfield Township's third planner in less than a year has confirmed what the two previous planners reported. 

In a report signed by McKenna Associates President Phil McKenna and Senior Vice President of Planning Sally Hodges, our Township Planners recommend denying Biltmore's request that the Northfield Township Master Plan be amended so that Biltmore may plant a huge residential development on some of the few remaining large agricultural parcels.

My favorite quote:

10: The requested amendment would be a betrayal of the Plan’s major goals and objectives, which were developed based on extensive and substantial public input, based on our review of the planning process.

McKenna also factored in the high cost to taxpayers:

8: Our road analysis has shown that the impacts of the Master Plan amendment would require major changes to the infrastructure, and there is no plan in place to support those changes.

 

Page 14: "Should Review Area MDR development build-out at its maximum (a 75% increase in Township population), a case could be made for added public safety facilities and service west of US-23."

We already knew the Public Safety Building was too large and too expensive.  It concentrated the public safety system resources and debt in one place.    Now we're told that we must build another one, (75% as large?).
 
The original PSB plans were for a one story building, similar to those used by many of the Townships around us.  Those PSB plans, which cost taxpayers over $288,000, were thrown away by the 2001-2004 McFarland administration and a new architect hired.  His plans resulted in the building and debt we have now.  By the time it was over, the architectural fees paid by taxpayers totalled $718,931.95. 
 
When the Public Safety Building was finally completed in 2003, the Supervisor and Building Committee's mismanagement led to $3,878,774.26 in cost overruns not covered by the voter approved $3.8M Northfield Township bond. The cost overruns were paid for out of the General Fund.  To avoid bankruptcy, Northfield Township was forced to borrow $500,000.00 just to pay its routine operating expenses.  That borrowing was not paid off until 2014.   We are still paying for the building.

 

On June 3, 2016, TetraTech, Northfield Township's sewer system Consulting Engineers, also issued a report saying what they've already told Northfield Township many times.  The existing sewer system cannot handle the Biltmore project's demands.

The Reports:

Northfield Township Planner (McKenna Associates) formal review of the Biltmore LLC Request for a Northfield Township Master Plan Amendment, dated June 3, 2016

TetraTech's report on the capacity of the Northfield Township sewer system to handle the requirements of the Biltmore's plans for development of southwest Northfield Township, dated June 3, 2016

History:

Biltmore Development LLC's 5-14-2014 request for a Northfield Township Master Plan Amendment

This is the letter referenced by Township Manager Fink on March 4, 2015, when he told Planning Commissioner Sam Iaquinto that the Biltmore Project entailed the possible building of 1500 homes.  At the December 8, 2015 Board meeting, Fink denied having said this.  Here's Fink on video, saying it to Iaquinto.

 

 

 

 

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