Plymouth Township's Planning Commission meets tonight, Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m., with two items carrying real development implications: a recommendation on the Olivewood Estate conditional rezoning and a discussion of data center zoning under an active moratorium.

The meeting is the commission's first since it unanimously approved a sweeping update to the township's Master Plan for Land Use on July 15, replacing an 11-year-old blueprint for growth.

Wednesday's agenda: rezoning vote and data center talk

The commission will vote on whether to recommend rezoning a 4.25-acre vacant parcel at Ann Arbor Road and McClumpha Road from R-1-H to R-1 for 13 detached single-family homes (PC# 2576). At least 10 of the units would be single-story ranch homes designed for aging in place. The application, submitted by Uldis Vitins of Vitins Engineering, was first tabled in November 2025 and tabled again June 17 pending traffic feedback from MDOT and Wayne County. As we reported Aug. 18, the project returns tonight for a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

Commissioners will also discuss data center zoning under an 18-month moratorium the Board of Trustees approved 4-3 on Jan. 13. Township Planner Laura Mangan told the Board in January that data centers are a permitted use under the current zoning ordinance, "which was written over 20 years ago, when current types of data centers were not standard use." State Sen. Rosemary Bayer spoke to the Board on June 23 about the growing number of data center proposals statewide, encouraging proactive zoning review.

The meeting is at Township Municipal Offices, 9955 N. Haggerty Road, and can be viewed remotely on the township's livestream page. The next regular Planning Commission meeting after tonight is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m.

July 15: Master Plan overhaul

At its July 15 meeting, the commission voted 7-0 to approve a new Master Plan for Land Use, updating the Future Land Use map with designation changes along three road corridors. The most contested change shifts the former Sparrs Flowers and Greenhouse site at Joy Road and Lilley Road to Residential Medium Density; eleven residents spoke against that change at the public hearing, asking the commission to keep the Joy and Lilley corridor residential-only.

The plan still needs final approval from the Board of Trustees before it takes effect. No date for that vote has been announced.

The commission approved the plan with five revisions to the draft:

  • Northville Road south of M-14: Future Land Use map updated to reflect Residential Medium Density zoning
  • Lilley Road Traffic Study: edits to Page 98 of the plan document
  • Consent Judgment shadings added to the Future Land Use map
  • Tree Study/Canopy data incorporated into the Natural Resource Section and Action Plan
  • Lilley Road and Joy Road west corner (Sparrs site): changed to Residential Medium Density

The motion was moved by Commissioner Sandy Groth and supported by Vice-Chairperson Tim Boyd. Chairperson Dennis Cebulski, Secretary Stuart Popp, Dan Callahan, Bill Ickes and Ashley Krueger also voted yes, according to the Planning Commission meeting packet.

The previous master plan was approved by the Planning Commission in April 2015 and adopted by the Board of Trustees in May 2015.