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Record of Proceedings

Ferndale Planning Commission Meeting – January 21, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Wednesday, January 21, 2026
BodyFerndale, Michigan
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateWednesday, January 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 40:41

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0:33

So I don't have it in any other Excel format.

0:36

I just have it.

0:36

I have to export it from that.

0:38

So one, two, three, four, five.

0:46

Five squorum, yeah.

0:52

All right.

0:56

Are we all set?

1:13

All right, good evening.

1:14

Welcome to the City of Ferndale Planning Commission meeting of Wednesday, January 21st.

1:18

We will begin the meeting at 11:31.

1:23

We will start with a roll call.

1:27

Commissioner Michelle.

1:29

Commissioner Sherwalder.

1:30

Here.

1:31

Councilmember McCulski?

1:32

Here.

1:33

Commissioner Hall.

1:34

Commissioner Subakatani.

1:36

Commissioner Azar.

1:38

Here.

1:38

Commissioner Foster.

1:40

Here.

1:40

Commissioner Brazen.

1:41

Here.

1:42

And we just go for a Subacatani.

1:44

Oh, perfect.

1:47

Sorry, Rachel.

1:48

Oh good.

1:49

I had to put a new license plate in the app.

1:56

Commissioner Sabakatani is here.

1:58

And yes?

1:58

Through the chart.

1:59

You said uh it's 631.

2:01

It's 1131.

2:03

I said the opposite, you mean?

2:05

Yes.

2:05

Okay, apologies.

2:07

I have my school laptop again.

2:09

I will try not to do that again.

2:10

It was 631, not 1131.

2:14

Thank you.

2:15

All right.

2:16

So we have Commissioners Michelle and Newman.

2:22

Sorry, just show up.

2:25

Is Commissioner Newman on the board?

2:30

So he's no longer on the board.

2:31

Yes, he sent us his formal resignation via email.

2:34

Okay.

2:35

And so we have Commissioners O'Shelle and Hall are absent and they were excused.

2:45

They let us know that they could not make it this evening.

2:47

Motion to excuse.

2:48

Second.

2:49

As a motion by Brazil and second by Show Walter.

2:51

All those in favor?

2:54

All right.

2:55

Next we have approval of the agenda.

2:58

We just have one item this evening, a public hearing in the matter of 3178 Hilton Road.

3:13

Is there any edits to our agenda for this evening?

3:18

I move to adopt the agendas printed.

3:22

Second.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Building Code Enforcement█████████████████████████████29%
Procedural███████████████████████████27%
Zoning and Land Use██████████████████████22%
Public Engagement████████████12%
Personnel Matters█████5%
Youth Programs███3%
Public Works██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Ferndale Planning Commission Meeting – January 21, 2026

The Ferndale Planning Commission met on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 6:31 PM to 7:10 PM at City Hall. The primary focus was a public hearing and deliberation on a Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment and associated site plan for 3178 Hilton Road (Life Lab Kids). The commission recommended approval of the PUD amendment to the City Council and approved the site plan with conditions.

Consent Calendar

  • Roll Call: Seven members present (Commissioners Sherwalder, McCulski, Subakatani, Azar, Foster, Brazen, and Michelle). Commissioners O'Shelle and Hall were excused; Commissioner Newman resigned. Motions to excuse absent members and approve the agenda and minutes from December 17, 2025, passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Joshua Smithy, a neighbor, expressed concern about construction disruption based on previous experience: loss of garage access for three months and his driveway used for storage during earlier Life Lab construction. He requested that access be maintained and that his property not be used for storage.
  • Chris Michaels, another neighbor, echoed similar concerns about alley access, early-morning construction noise, and potential light spill from the proposed two-story building. He stated support for the project but asked for assurances on construction processes and nighttime lighting.

Discussion Items

  • Staff Presentation (Melissa, City Planner): The proposal converts an existing greenhouse on the east side of the property into a two-story classroom building within the same footprint. No setback changes were proposed. Staff noted that the PUD agreement originally included 25 parking spaces (one EV) and bicycle parking, but the drawing set omitted these; the applicant later confirmed they remain. Lighting must comply with zero-foot-candle ordinance at property lines. Staff indicated no major issues but requested clarification on parking and lighting.
  • Applicant Presentation (Steve Schimke, Schaefer Construction; Kate Peterson, Life Lab Kids): The project is funded by a grant to create dedicated space for teens and young adults, with no increase in student population or staff. The greenhouse is impractical and used as overflow. The new space will house independent living and pre-vocational training. Applicant confirmed all parking and bicycle amenities are unchanged; the omission from drawings was an oversight. They committed to working with the building department and communicating with neighbors to minimize disruption.
  • Commission Deliberation:
    • Exterior Materials: The commission noted that the proposed concrete masonry unit (CMU) facade is a deviation from the ordinance (which allows CMU only as secondary material). Since the PUD process permits deviations, this will be included in the PUD agreement.
    • Roof Material: The applicant clarified the roof will be asphalt shingles to match the existing building.
    • Fire Suppression: Concerns raised by the former fire marshal are being coordinated with the new fire marshal and will be addressed during building permit review.
    • Lighting and Construction: The commission emphasized that lighting plans must demonstrate no spillover onto residential properties. The applicant agreed to a communication plan with neighbors.

Key Outcomes

  • PUD Amendment (Recommended to City Council):
    • Motion by Commissioner Foster, seconded by Commissioner Subakatani.
    • Approved unanimously (7-0) with conditions:
      1. Satisfy all outstanding items from the January 12, 2026 staff report.
      2. Clarify that roofing material is asphalt.
      3. Confirm 25 parking spaces (including one EV spot) and bicycle parking remain as per previously approved plans.
      4. Add CMU as a primary facade material deviation to the PUD agreement.
  • Site Plan Approval:
    • Motion by Commissioner Azar, seconded by Commissioner Brazen.
    • Approved unanimously (7-0), contingent on addressing staff comments and consistent with the PUD motion conditions.
  • Administrative Items:
    • Training for commissioners scheduled for the February meeting.
    • Vacancies announced: Commissioner Newman resigned; Commissioner Subakatani will be leaving after April.
    • Councilmember McCulski welcomed as a new member.
    • Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and annual report to be presented at the next meeting.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 7:10 PM.

Meeting Transcript

So I don't have it in any other Excel format. I just have it. I have to export it from that. So one, two, three, four, five. Five squorum, yeah. All right. Are we all set? All right, good evening. Welcome to the City of Ferndale Planning Commission meeting of Wednesday, January 21st. We will begin the meeting at 11:31. We will start with a roll call. Commissioner Michelle. Commissioner Sherwalder. Here. Councilmember McCulski? Here. Commissioner Hall. Commissioner Subakatani. Commissioner Azar. Here. Commissioner Foster. Here. Commissioner Brazen. Here. And we just go for a Subacatani. Oh, perfect. Sorry, Rachel. Oh good. I had to put a new license plate in the app. Commissioner Sabakatani is here. And yes? Through the chart. You said uh it's 631. It's 1131. I said the opposite, you mean? Yes. Okay, apologies. I have my school laptop again. I will try not to do that again. It was 631, not 1131. Thank you. All right. So we have Commissioners Michelle and Newman. Sorry, just show up. Is Commissioner Newman on the board? So he's no longer on the board. Yes, he sent us his formal resignation via email. Okay. And so we have Commissioners O'Shelle and Hall are absent and they were excused. They let us know that they could not make it this evening.

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