A Southfield-based developer is proposing 449 single family rental homes on a 224-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Geddes Road and Denton Road in Canton Township.
A preliminary plan for Creekview Landings includes 342 detached homes and 107 attached units. As the plan currently stands, renters could choose from two models for ranch style homes and two models for two-story homes, as well as the attached ranch-style models.
The plan includes a clubhouse, pool, dog park, splash pad, basketball court, playground and lots of open space.
Howard Fingeroot, president of Sunrise Land Group, said the demand for rentals has grown substantially since the recession in 2008.
“The younger folks… are deciding whether they really want to own a house or rent a house,” Fingeroot said. “They want the advantages of a house – they want the space, they want the yard – but they don’t necessarily want ownership. They may want to move around. They want the flexibility.”
Homes in the plan would range from 1,400-1,900 square feet and rent at about $1.70 per square foot, putting a 1,400 square-foot unit at $2,380 per month.
Property owned and managed by Sun Communities
Fingeroot told the Canton Township Planning Commission his company would develop the property, but that it would ultimately be owned and managed by the Michigan-based Sun Communities, Inc., a real estate investment trust that owns and operates manufactured home communities, RV resorts, marinas and, increasingly, single family for-rent properties around the U.S. and overseas.
“They are onsite, they make sure all real estate is kept up in best-of-class conditions,” he said. “They always reinvest in the properties they own. They own all the assets and plan to in perpetuity. Keeping things in the best shape is paramount to sun communities.”
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Construction would take place over three to four years, Fingeroot said, with approximately 100 homes completed each year. The plan maintains a large portion open space, with much of the property’s wooded and wetland areas left untouched.
The proposed plan, with with one entrance to the property located on Denton Road and two on Geddes, also included a traffic impact study. Required improvements would include, for example, the addition of both right and left turn lanes at entrances to the development.
Planning commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the preliminary development district plan, but several expressed concerns over the increased volume of traffic.
“It seems to be a great project,” said Commissioner Chandru Acharya. “I’m a little concerned about the traffic…we’ll have about 900 to 1,000 new folks living in the area, so that is going to l add significantly to traffic. It is an area of concern. If that is mitigated, I think it’s a good project.”
The developing plan will require several more reviews and approvals from both the planning commission and the Canton Township Board of Trustees before it is eligible for final approval.
Contact reporter Laura Colvin at lcolvin@hometownlife.com or 248-221-8143.
