Lathrup Village residents host meeting to address fate of Annie Lathrup school building

LATHRUP VILLAGE — The old Annie Lathrup school building, located at 27700 Southfield Road, which is owned by the Surnow Company, has become the talk of the town.

At a resident-held meeting  Jan. 22, a group of Lathrup Village residents rallied together to discuss proposed developments in Lathrup Village and how they impact green spaces and historical landmarks, specifically the Annie Lathrup school building, which was built in 1926.

The redevelopment of the school was dubbed as “the largest development proposal in Lathrup in the foreseeable future.”

Despite single-digit temperatures, residents filled the rented community room at City Hall, which the organizers rented for $725 in cash, with a $75 AV fee and $175 set-up cost also included.

While the group doesn’t have an official name, they call themselves a “group of concerned Lathrup residents.”

The presenters at the resident-led meeting consisted of Autumn Sousanis, editor of the Lathrup Village Voice Newsletter, a Facebook page that shares commentary on city happenings and local politics that it is independently run and not affiliated with the city of Lathrup Village,  Bruce Copus, a former city councilman for Lathrup Village, and Karen Miller, a former  councilwoman for the city. Sousanis’s husband, John Sousanis, moderated the presentation.

At the meeting, residents voiced concerns about transparency between the city and its residents, an increase in traffic, overdevelopment, disregard for historic preservation and the proposed development’s lack of cohesiveness with other architecture in Lathrup Village, the strain on city infrastructure and services, and prospective tenants that could move in.

Sousanis expressed that she and the other residents involved felt it was time to take matters into their own hands and hold a meeting after the Historic District Commission vetoed Surnow’s site plan proposal at a Dec. 12 meeting,  which was the first meeting that the HDC had since 2022.

At a Dec. 17 Planning Commission meeting,  Giffels Webster, the city’s planning company, proposed a zoning amendment that would allow for first-floor residency for multifamily units in the Village Center District, where the Annie Lathrup School is located.

The public hearing for the zoning amendment proposal was held on Jan. 21, where the vote to amend the ordinance was tabled for a future meeting.

During her presentation at the resident-led meeting, Miller questioned a decision to not post an advertisement about the public hearing in the Southfield Sun.

“Why couldn’t we have enough time to put it in the Southfield Sun so that people could come and give their input? There are major discussions being had, somewhere besides in public, Miller said.  “These major discussions exclude residents.  We don’t pretend to know what Lathrup Village residents want, but we think residents should be invited to the table.”

The rejection letter from the HDC regarding their decision read, “In summary, the majority of the HDC members found that the plan submitted adversely affected certain criteria contained in the City’s Historical Preservation Ordinance … mainly related to the size, scale, and location of the proposed new construction.”

On Dec. 19, Surnow appealed the HDC’s decision for its proposed plan, which included 24 one-bedroom units and 104 two-bedroom units spread across four floors if the ordinance is amended, with 1.5 parking spaces per unit, amounting to 193 spaces on site.

If the ordinance is not amended for the first-floor residency, then the units will total around 80 or 90, according to the city.

The site plan also called for a first-floor common area within the existing building, with a shared work space, coffee bar, cafe seating, community learning center and pickleball court in the former basketball court.

According to Sousanis,  residents inquired to  Mike Greene, the city administrator for Lathrup Village, if a town hall meeting would be held, and he told them that one was not scheduled.

“We wanted to make sure residents were aware of what was being proposed. We knew residents weren’t provided information about what was being discussed about our most significant historic building in the center of town on our main thoroughfare and we wanted to invite anyone and everyone, wanting to make sure that the residents understood the scope of the project before City Council voted on it.”

Greene shared some thoughts on the matter.

“My biggest follow-up to the residents would be, ‘Why does this development project deserve different treatment than anything else?’ So, for us, this is (following) the exact same process that’s laid out in our ordinances. It’s (following) zoning laws, Open Meeting Act laws, and realistically, this project is under more scrutiny than every other project, because it has to go through our Historic District Commission. No other project has to. Since they’re requesting a zoning ordinance change, it also has to go through the scrutiny of the City Council.”

Greene addressed some of the concerns raised by residents. He explained that at this time, there is no reason to believe that city services would be strained with more residents moving in. According to him, more residents could mean more street funds allocated to the city.

He added that based on previous investments in infrastructure and upcoming construction projects, the city’s engineering department does not foresee negative impacts on the city’s utilities – water, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer – from this development.

In regard to property values, Greene said, “Just based on my experience, when you redevelop an abandoned building, the neighboring property values go up.”

He mentioned that if Surnow is contemplating state funding through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, data from a study indicates that should they receive funding and the project moves forward, property values within 2,000 feet of the development would likely increase.

Greene also addressed residents’ concerns regarding a PILOT program, which stands for “Payment in Lieu of Taxes.”

The program is an investment incentive that would be negotiated between the city of Lathrup Village and a developer of multiunit affordable rental housing.

The PILOT would replace a traditional property tax assessment with a limited or deferred payment, in place of the summer and winter property taxes that most property owners in Michigan pay.

He emphasized that, at this time, no PILOT ordinance has been approved and no negotiations have taken place with any developer.

He clarified that any future PILOT ordinance would be subject to multiple public meetings, and any agreement would need to be voted on at a City Council meeting.

Greene shared that currently, the city receives $22,000 each year in property taxes from the vacant school building. He explained that additional direct municipal revenues from any site development would include building permits, utilities, rental licensing and inspection fees.

As part of the proposed plans, the city would also receive a refurbished dog park and resurfaced walking path on the west side of Annie Lathrup Park.

On Jan. 27, Surnow withdrew its appeal.

Jordan Sherman, vice president of Surnow, stated, “We’re excited about the potential of this transformational project and its positive impact on Lathrup Village. We’re actively working with the city and its commissions through each stage of the development process and remain committed to keeping the community informed as we move forward.”

Greene shared more details addressing residents’ concerns in Lathrup Village’s newsletter, which can be viewed by visiting https://conta.cc/4hiZGrw.

Lathrup Village residents can also access City Council meetings, agendas and minutes at www.lathrupvillage.org/o/clv/page/city-council.

To learn more about the Lathrup Village Voice, visit www.facebook.com/p/The-Lathrup-Village-Voice-Newsletter.