BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Neighbors of a proposed $17 million venue called Bloomfield Hollow are pushing back against the project, raising concerns about noise, traffic, property values — and the integrity of data presented to support it.
The 300,000-square-foot space is planned along Franklin Road near Square Lake Road in Bloomfield Township. The venue would accommodate up to 600 people and include a banquet space for special events and culinary training, according to developer Chef Zack Sklar.
Residents question the data
At a tense meeting, Brett Northcutt, a neighboring resident, said a property analysis submitted by Peas and Carrots Hospitality Group through real estate firm Signature Associates was fabricated.
“The report from Signature and Associates, that was supposed to be a property analysis, was completely made up,” Northcutt said. “Every single address was fake, the street names were made up, and they were relying on that to address our concerns about property value.”
Signature Associates had presented data showing the five closest homes to each comparable venue appreciated an average of 52% over the past 10 years. Attempts to reach Mark Woods of Signature Associates were unsuccessful.
Sklar disputed the fraud allegation, telling this reporter the inconsistencies in the data presented to residents and the Bloomfield Township Planning Commission were not fraud, but rather a fat-fingered compilation of data.
Concerns mount
Property values are not the only issue. Residents hired an independent acoustics expert, who determined the sound from the venue would be four times louder than what was presented to the commission.
One commissioner voiced concern about the level of community opposition.
“When you have so much opposition to a project, you are going against an entire population in that area — that’s a problem for me,” the commissioner said at the meeting.
Commission delays vote
The Bloomfield Township Planning Commission voted to allow a banquet space in the zoning area but stopped short of voting for or against Bloomfield Hollow itself.
Township officials said the commission is taking additional time to review the information presented. A date for a new vote on Bloomfield Hollow has not been set.
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