The existing building — a vacant doctor’s office — looks more like a house. It would be torn down to make way for a new development, if rezoning is approved.
By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published November 11, 2025
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Grosse Pointe Woods officials have gotten a revised redevelopment proposal for a vacant medical office at 20160 Mack Ave., but opposition from neighbors to rezoning it remains as strong as ever.
The Woods Planning Commission held a public hearing for conditional rezoning of the parcel from restricted office, or RO-1, to commercial, or C, Oct. 28.
A revised design has given the new building a more traditional, colonial look with brick and columns, in keeping with the surrounding community, but residents remain concerned that the proposal still calls for a quick service restaurant as one of up to four business tenants. A second floor with seven apartments has been added to the building in this iteration.
Mike Blanek, a principal with the architectural firm of Stucky Vitale, said Justin Buccellato, of Buccellato Development, was unable to attend the meeting because of a scheduling conflict. He said the new proposal was reduced from 11,000 square feet to 8,800 square feet, and the apartments on the second story — which would be 800 to 1,400 square feet — would be “high-end residential.”
Woods officials said additional housing and a greater mix of housing is in keeping with the master plan, which was updated and adopted last year.
Potential hours were listed as being limited to 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and while city officials said this range would likely be reduced once a restaurant tenant was selected, that was of little comfort to nearby neighbors.
“The hours of operation are absurd,” said Jon Dougherty, who lives in the 1000 block of South Renaud Road. “Every waking moment of my day is subject to possible nuisances of this proposed development.”
He also was alarmed about the environmental impact of the project due to the removal of 25 trees, the loss of green space and no plans for stormwater retention or catch basins in parking lot drawings.
Like Jon Dougherty, Gary Felts, a resident of the 1000 block of Oxford Road, was unhappy about the loss of green space and hours of operation, which are listed as being no longer than 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“If that’s limited, what are you comparing it to — 7-Eleven or Meijer?” Felts said.
Residents have consistently said safety, noise, pollution and increased traffic are among their concerns with the development.
“Very little has changed in the developer’s rezoning request as it pertains to the peace, health and safety of our neighborhood,” said Patricia Dougherty, a resident of the 1000 block of South Renaud Road. “And absolutely nothing has changed in our opposition to the rezoning of 20160 Mack Ave. We do applaud the positive step forward in the application process, as this time the required documentation was submitted as instructions stipulate. Also, we see a building more in line with the character of our city and surrounding residential neighborhood. But what we did not see is a proposal that would allow us to co-exist with this commercial use and maintain our sense of peace, health and safety for our families and our properties.”
Ellen Creager, a resident of the 1000 block of North Oxford Road, said the traffic study cited is invalid because it used the wrong square footage for the existing neurology clinic, which was actually only 5,913 square feet. She also said the study doesn’t include traffic information for Oxford and Renaud roads.
Joyce Janowski, a resident of the 1000 block of North Oxford Road, said students from nearby Grosse Pointe North High School would be placing orders with the restaurant and “racing to pick it up” during their lunch break, creating congestion and safety problems.
Because the wording on the developer’s proposal was confusing and could be interpreted to mean that only a single quick service restaurant was going to be in the building — instead of it indicating that only one restaurant could be a tenant, with up to three additional business tenants — the Planning Commission unanimously voted to table the proposal until it could be written more clearly. While an agenda wasn’t available at press time, the next Planning Commission meeting was slated to take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 18. For an agenda or more information, visit gpwmi.us/meetings.