Two businesses are seeking Novi planning approval Wednesday night, one with staff backing and one without, and residents can weigh in at public hearings before the commission votes.
The Novi Planning Commission will hold hearings on July 22, at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Novi Civic Center, 45175 Ten Mile Road, on special land use applications for an Orangetheory Fitness studio and a restaurant and food store called Malli's Kitchen.
Orangetheory at Novi 10 Plaza
Franchisee Chad Layton, operating as CHL Fitness Novi LLC, is seeking approval to open a roughly 4,800-square-foot Orangetheory studio at 41630 Ten Mile Road in the Busch's Fresh Food Market-anchored Novi 10 Plaza. The space is the former Hattie's Hallmark Shop.
Novi planning staff recommended approval on June 25, noting the fitness center would occupy an existing retail building with sufficient parking and no anticipated impacts to utilities or natural features. Under city zoning, indoor recreational facilities larger than 2,000 square feet require special land use approval in the B-3 General Business District.
Layton told What Now Detroit he is targeting a November or December opening. He told the outlet the South Lyon location was the first Orangetheory he brought to Michigan. The nearest existing studios are in Northville and Commerce Township.
Layton's application requested a waiver of the city's noise impact statement requirement, citing rubber sport flooring, inward-facing speakers, and insulated demising walls separating the studio from adjacent tenants, including EMBR Wellness Space next door.
Malli's Kitchen faces tougher path
Karmen Santourian, through KAS Design LLC, wants to open Malli's Kitchen, a restaurant and food store, in about 1,200 square feet at 24059 Meadowbrook Road inside Peach Tree Plaza.
This one has a complication. In a June 2 staff report, Novi planning staff did not recommend approval because the plaza may already be at its cap for restaurant space. City ordinance limits restaurant use to 20% of a planned commercial center's gross floor area. For the roughly 25,000-square-foot Peach Tree Plaza, that cap is about 4,990 square feet. Two existing tenants, Anu Sushi and Markhor Tea, already occupy a combined 4,889 square feet of restaurant space, leaving little room for Malli's Kitchen's proposed 1,200 square feet.
The commission's options include approval, denial, or postponement pending additional information from the applicant.
Santourian's proposal calls for hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with no outdoor food preparation. The nearest residential property line is about 220 feet away.
Neighbors have weighed in on both sides. Praveena and Ashok Kumar Katikineni of Hadlock Drive wrote in a July 11 letter to the commission that Santourian is "a dedicated, first-time minority entrepreneur who lives right here in our community with her family." Andrew Lebedev of Tamara Street objected in a July 8 filing, writing that a restaurant "will bring significant traffic and additional business activity that will negatively impact our nice and quiet living environment."
How to participate
Residents who cannot attend the Wednesday, July 22, hearing may submit signed written comments by 4 p.m. that day to [email protected] or by fax at 248-735-5633. Full plan sets for both applications are available at the Community Development Department, 45175 Ten Mile Road, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
