The Dorr Township Planning Commission Tuesday night wasted little time in welcoming Tool-N-Die Inc. to the local industrial park.
The commission granted tentative approval to co-owners Dan Dutkiewicz and Dennis Myers for a 12,000-square-foot facility that will include sewer and water and expandability to the south.
The small industrial operation, which will start up with four or five employees, earlier this year sought to locate in the 600 block of North Main Street in Wayland. The Planning Commission recommended rezoning from business to light industrial to accommodate the business, but the City Council voted down the request 4-3.
So Myers decided to take his business to the Dorr Industrial Park, and though the township’s approval is tentative and conditional, dirt can move and startup can commence almost immediately.
Rob Berens, engineer from Excel Engineering, said the building’s height of 28 feet is within guidelines, all setback requirements have been met and there is parking for 25 spaces.
But Planning Commission Chairman Bob Wagner said, “I can’t tell where the landscaping is (in the drawings). I think everything looks good, but I don’t think we can approve this until you get the drawings to us.”
So Berens’ task now will be to come up with specific information and artists’ renderings of the lighting, signage and landscaping.
“We can give you tentative approval,” Wagner added, noting they could be presented at next months Planning Commission meeting. “Once we get the final drawings you can be good to go. We don’t want to hold you up any more than we have to.”
Planning Commission Vice Chairman Robert Traxler commented, “I think this is a really good fit for our industrial park.”
PHOTO: Co-owners Dan Dutkiewicz (left) and Dennis Myers show drawings of plans for their Tool-N-Die shop in Dorr Township.
Congratulations to these young men on their quest to establish their business. Wayland could have had this business, however, because of personal bias by some on the City Council, they were denied the change of zoning to allow their business to be allowed on that existing site. Kudos to Dorr for recognizing a good thing for the community, for these young men, and for the tax base and jobs it will bring to the area.
Wayland, wake up or you’ll miss out on other opportunities to encourage businesses to establish in the city.
I’m glad to see that they are complying with township rules. We live in a residential area and the township board allowed ProToDie LLC to operate their business at the end of the private drive that’s shared with 3 other families. They contributed nothing to paving this driveway even though they use it for their business & their employees. We live on 138th Street but ProToDie LLC has a 20th Street address.
Welcome to Dorr Township, lots of room left in the Industrial Park for others. Three new businesses in a short time have been added, over fifty jobs and thousands in tax revenue for the schools and the Township. Well done Dorr keep it up!