The South Lyon, Mich., City Council has approved rezoning of a property at 500 Stryker to allow for the development of a self-storage facility. The site, adjacent to the South Lyon Cemetery, will house a seven-building storage facility comprising more than 74,000 square feet of space, according to the source.

The planning commission recommended self-storage for the conditional rezoning, prohibiting all other uses. Residential and other types of development would be challenging because one-third of the property is part of the Yerkes Drain, a stream that flows through the area.

"It's a long, narrow property behind manufacturer-housing property and a cemetery. The property owner [looked] at residential uses and all the other uses in the light-industrial district," said Carmine Avantini, a planning consultant to the city. "Most uses would need a second means of access. After looking at all the uses, this would have low impact on the cemetery and the manufactured-housing development.”

The project will be required to meet screening guidelines, particularly on the side that faces the cemetery, Avantini said. "This will go back to the planning commission for final site-plan review. They wanted to dig into the building materials and landscaping.”

Councilman Glenn Kivell questioned whether the property would need more than just the single fire hydrant shown on the plans.

"I have not seen the plan yet. It is a very challenging site. They would have needed another access if it was residential and forced suppression. They will probably need two or three hydrants," South Lyon Fire Chief Mike Kennedy said.

Councilwoman Margaret Kurtzweil noted South Lyon is going through a rebirth and hopes the development, which is near downtown, will include an attractive structure. "My motto is if it wouldn't fit in Birmingham or Bloomfield Hills, don't put it in my town," she said.

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