Page 44 - Northville Township

SUBURBAN COMMERCIAL

This designation involves commercial developments, whether at a neighborhood-focused or larger scale, that stand apart
from most auto-oriented contemporary development. The Suburban character is achieved through lesser coverage of
the site with buildings and especially paved areas. Preservation of trees or other natural features, along with generous
landscaping, can also move a site into the Suburban range of the character spectrum relative to sites where “gray” paved
surfaces predominate over “green” open spaces.

Primary Land Use Types
– Commercial retail and service uses, at varying scales and development intensities depending on the site.
– Office use, involving large and/or multi-story buildings or small-scale offices depending on the site, which may
involve a medical or technology/research focus.

– Planned development to accommodate custom site designs and/or mixing of uses in a Suburban character setting.

Suburban Commercial development on the eastern edge of Northville Township, on the southwest corner of Seven Mile Road and Haggerty Road.

Characteristics

– Suburban character primarily from reduced site coverage relative to most auto-oriented commercial development.
May exclude some auto-oriented uses that cannot achieve a Suburban character (e.g., car washes).
– Especially at key community entries and along high-profile roadway corridors, may also involve other criteria to yield
less intensive and more attractive development outcomes relative to auto-oriented areas, including higher standards
for landscaping (along street frontages and within parking areas), signs and building design.
– Near residential properties and areas, the permitted scale and intensity of non-residential uses may be limited to
ensure compatibility (including adequate buffering/screening, criteria for placement and orientation of buildings and
parking areas, height limits and residential-in-appearance architectural standards).

40 NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP Master Plan