By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


A new multi-family residential development has been approved in Hartland Township.

The JP Luxury Apartment development will be built on Arena Drive, just south of the Hartland Sports Arena. It will consist of 5 detached residential duplex buildings, each with 2 apartment units, totaling 10.

One of the architects for the project, Lamberto Smigliani, said the idea was to create something unique in the market. He said there is a lot of demand for housing in the Hartland area, and they are excited to help further that along. Smigliani said that a lot of neighborhood communities are developing duplexes, and this seemed like a good use for the area.

The site plan review process with the Hartland Planning Commission went smoothly, with very few questions or objections to the plan. This was perhaps aided on the applicant’s end by having Smigliani, who coincidentally is the Chairman of the Green Oak Township Planning Commission on the team with his expertise on the process.

The duplexes will be roughly 1,300-square feet each with 2 bedrooms and each having a 2-car garage, to make it feel more like a “home.” One area the applicant and the planning commission both expressed interest in improving was the sidewalk going through the development. It currently stops at the property line, about 10 feet from the ingress to the neighboring parcel. Both sides thought it would be a good idea to discuss extending the pathway with that owner, as no one liked the idea of a “sidewalk to nowhere.”

The site plan was approved 5-1.