Scio Township Rezones Property for Fitness Facility – The Sun Times News

Scio Township approved the rezoning of a piece of land on West Liberty Road so it can potentially become home to a new private indoor recreation facility.

The township board looked at the proposal and request at its Dec. 17 meeting. The request was to rezone 2875 W. Liberty for a proposed project called Blue Lion Fitness.

In her report to the board, township planner Laura Kreps said of the proposal: “The applicant proposes to rezone an existing 4.5-acre parcel located at 2875 W. Liberty Road. The site is on the south side of W. Liberty maintaining an existing commercial building and associated site improvements with a single access to Liberty Road. The site is located between the Liberty Athletic Club (west) and the Summerfield Glen residential condominium development (east). The applicant is proposing to rezone the property from OS, Office Service to C-4, Composite Commercial to allow a private indoor recreation facility which is listed as a permitted use in the C-4 zoning district.”

Kreps said the “subject site and the properties to the west are classified as Office/Industrial on the future land use map. Property to the east is planned and developed for high density residential, and properties to the north are located within the City of Ann Arbor. The Master Plan is calling for a mixture of office, research and light industrial uses in this area.”

“Under the current OS zoning district designation, indoor/outdoor recreation uses are not allowed,” Kreps said in her report. “Based on the existing uses and zoning categories within the area, extension of the C-4, Composite Commercial designation from the west makes the most sense. Rezoning this property to I-1, Limited Industrial allowing for additional potential industrial uses in the vicinity of existing multiple-family residential developments is not compatible with the objectives of the Master Plan for this area.”

Currently there is a Blue Lion Fitness at 401 S. Maple Road in Ann Arbor. On its website, it describes itself in part as “a class-based training facility that offers one-hour, high intensity, full body workout classes.”

Photo: Map of the location. Courtesy of Scio Township