Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

More development is coming to Hartland Township. The Planning Commission on Thursday approved a preliminary site plan for a new residential neighborhood called Sawyer Ridge at the southwest corner of M-59 and Pleasant Valley Road.

"It is a single-family residential subdivision, 172 units or single-family homes. It has essentially a road pattern with a connecting road from M-59 that would extends south all the way down to a cul-de-sac and some internal roads," said Planning Director Troy Langer.

"It connects to a subdivision that is to the west, that has been approved, but hasn't started construction."

At least one nearby resident voiced concerns over increased traffic.

"Pleasant Valley Road has to get paved. There has to be something done with the intersection. There's too much traffic right now. With this plan, people cutting out headed south to I-96, and then trying to cross playing leap-frog going north on Fenton Road is going to be a major problem."

A traffic study was submitted as part of the proposal attached below.

Others pointed out there is already a working farm and gravel company just south on Pleasant Valley Road.

Developer David Straub of M/I Homes, said anyone moving into Sawyer Ridge will be informed of the businesses before any paperwork is signed.

"There is a trucking operation that works from 7 am until 6 pm, and a farming operation that works 24/7," Straub told the commission. "The importance of M/I Homes as a representative of the community and conduit to folks that are going to be living here in the future, is to ensure we are fully open and transparent, and disclose any of these operations that happening in our vicinity."

"Four months out of the year, when the Geigler farm is heating that grain and those heaters are working 24 hours a day. Or it's 7 am, when trucks start to line up to pull into Pleasant Valley. It's going to be important for us to work with prospective purchases, work with homeowners, to ensure they understand these are our neighbors, they were here before us. Let's all get along."

The preliminary site plan for Sawyer Ridge now goes to the full Hartland Township Board for approval.

Video of the Planning Commission's meeting is linked below.