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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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AGE
5
February 20, 2014
C
ANTON
- P
LYMOUTH
- N
ORTHVILLE
Plymouth trustees OK new senior living complex
Northville district names new interim assistant superintendent
Members of the Plymouth
Township Board of Trustees have
given preliminary approval to a
planned adult nursing and senior
living center off AnnArborRoad.
Stefan Stration, president of
Pomeroy Living, addressed board
members' questions during the reg-
ular board meeting two weeks ago.
Stration and his partner, Keith J.
Pomeroy, a Birmingham attorney,
plan to construct a 7,000 square foot
commercial building on Ann Arbor
Road with 253 dwelling units. Of
those, 150 would be dedicated to
adult assisted living, 63 to assisted-
memory care and 40 would be des-
ignated as villas for senior living.
The project would be constructed
on a 33-acre parcel located north of
Ann Arbor Road, east of the CSX
Railroad. The Plymouth Elks Club
currently occupies the southern
portion of the site.
Last January, the township plan-
ning department recommended
approval of the project subject to
certain terms and conditions.
According to trustees, the town-
ship attorney has reviewed envi-
ronmental restrictions on the
planned site and has concluded
they would not restrict building
construction nor parking lots with-
in the restricted area along thewest
side of the property. That area was
formerly occupied by Wycoff Steel
andwas at one time reportedly con-
taminated.
Pomeroy had previously
requested a Planned Unit
Development at the same location,
but using 27 acres of the land. At
the time, plans submitted to the
township alleged that only 17 acres
of the site was buildable as the
other 10 were contaminated. That
PUD was also approved by the
townshipplanning commission.
Board members did not address
a Jan. 7, letter from the CSX
Railroad realty division,
CSX Real Property. The letter,
addressed to the township planning
commission, expressed concern
about the construction of a senior
living facility adjacent to the rail-
road right of way, saying safety is
their number one concern.
“It has been CSX's experience
that residents living near active
railroad tracks are often unhappy
with the associated noise of rail
operations. Trains may use the
tracks 24 hours a day, and the num-
ber and schedule of trains can
change at any time…,” the letter
stated.
In the letter, CSX cited federal
law which requires trains to sound
horns at all highway crossings and
gave other factors including vibra-
tions, noise, passing trains to illus-
trate their concern.
“Should
the
Planning
Commission of Plymouth Charter
Township elect to approve the
request for the (PUD) at this loca-
tion despite our concerns, we ask
that you consider a 50-foot buffer
between any residential develop-
ment and rail right of way in addi-
tion to fencing…” the letter stated.
In a later phone interview,
Stration said the approval was only
for a Planned Unit Development
option and that the plans were not
final. “We need to sit down with the
township and go through some
more detail,” he said.
Pomeroy and Stration have
worked together since 1994 when
they formed Pomeroy Health, a net-
work of care communities and
skilled nursing facilities in
Michigan, according to a release
fromtheir office.
According to court documents,
Stration and Pomeroy were named
as defendants in a lawsuit against
another company in which they
were principals claiming breach of
the terms of a therapy services con-
tract and alleging damages in
excess of $2 million in 2007.
Pomeroy was also named as the
defendant in a lawsuit filed by
Bank of America in 2011 alleging
default on a loan guaranty of about
$3million.
Among the communities in the
Pomeroy Health portfolio are
Boulevard Health Center and
Bradford Medical Resort in
Rochester Hills and the Grand
Traverse Medical Hotel and
Cherrywood Nursing and Living
Center in Sterling Heights, accord-
ing to the prepared release from
PomeroyLiving.
Barbara R. Lott, an educator
and schooladministrator withmore
than 20 years of experience, will
join Northville Public Schools as
Interim Assistant Superintendent
for Instructional Services. The
open position is the result of cur-
rent Assistant Superintendent for
Instructional Services Robert
Behnke being named superinten-
dent for Adrian Public Schools and
leaving the district effective Feb.
21.
Superintendent of Schools Mary
Kay Gallagher said in a prepared
statement that Lott will be a famil-
iar face around the around the dis-
trict, as she facilitated workshops
on data driven dialog with the
Administrative Council comprised
of school principals and program
directors last year.
“Barb also brings a wealth of
knowledge and experience as a
school district administrator, hav-
ing served as Superintendent,
Assistant Superintendent for
Curriculum and Personnel, and
Director of Special Education and
Special District. We are fortunate
to have someone of Barb's caliber
and expertise to continue to move
our educational programs forward
during this interim period,”
Gallagher said.
Pajama-rama
South Canton Scholars Charter Academy students
changed their usual school attire to enjoy spirit week
recently. Last Wednesday, students were encouraged
to skip a step in the morning and wear their pajamas
to school. Kenna Trost and Garrett Bousley Crane, far
left, enjoyed classes in their pjs while Jackson Stone,
Jeremiah Lane and Arya Kalakuntla stayed comfy, left.
At right, Trost smiles with classmate Ava Haddad.