By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


The Howell Township Planning Commission has approved a site plan that will convert a residential home into office space.

Planning Commissioners conducted a combined preliminary and final site plan review for Markham Oil Company and their property at 1450 North Burkhart Road. The request was to convert an existing home into four offices with 1,284 square feet of usable area, a lounge, and a kitchen. Office space is a permitted use under the current zoning. The garage would be converted into storage space and the driveway will be upgraded following a permit and approval from the Livingston County Road Commission. Howell Township Planning Consultant Paul Montagno said the parking setbacks and landscaping all meet requirements. The applicant will also be abandoning the well and septic field to connect to public water and sewer.

Mike Mitchell with Markham Enterprises had one request that he wasn’t set on making a deal-breaker out of. The township’s non-motorized pathway plan calls for a sidewalk on the site, but Mitchell, whose company also owns an adjacent parcel asked to hold off putting a sidewalk in until the fate of the other parcel is more determined.

Mitchell preferred to put the money in escrow but acquiesced to the Commission’s desire to put the sidewalk in now. He said, “if we have to do it, we’ll do it, and I understand the reasoning…”

The Planning Commission unanimously approved the site plan review.

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