A once-popular country club and golf course is one step closer to being a multi-use residential, commercial and recreational development.
St. Joseph Township residents filled the township hall Tuesday to participate in a public hearing about the proposed development of the former Berrien Hills Golf Club property along the St. Joseph River. Following the hearing, the St. Joseph Township Planning Commission approved a plan presented by Southwest Michigan Coastal Ventures to transform the property into a Planned Unit Development featuring a variety of private residences, as well as public nature areas and commercial businesses.
The proposed development.
“This property has been a vital and integral part of St. Joseph Township since 1923 when Berrien Hills Golf Club Opened,” said Mark Miller, attorney for Southwest Michigan Coastal Ventures. “It’s been closed now for about three years, so it’s kind of like a hundred-acre hole in the community.”
Since the closure of Berrien Hills Golf Club, the property has become something of a nature preserve. There is a bald eagle’s nest on the property, and the former cart paths are a popular place for some in the community to go for a walk and enjoy the riverside. Coastal Ventures Development Director Michael Wood said the developers plan to honor the natural beauty of the property by including a lake, rain gardens and leaving about 50 percent of the land as open space.
“This development is essentially nature-based,” Wood said. “We’ve done everything we can to honor the site. It’s obviously a wet site, so we have 60 acres of flood plain we have to fill. But, we’ve created this lake … we’ve taken the wetlands that were there and we’ve used the drain site and we’re connecting them to the rain gardens.”
Wood said they intend to plant extensively with native species to attract wildlife, adding they have the eagle’s nest clearly marked on all drawings.
“We intend on following all recommendations and regulations regarding eagles and migratory birds,” Wood said. “Any endangered species at all, whether it’s plant, or animal.”
Abonmarche Senior Landscape Architect Kathy Burczak said she was “honored and proud” to be a part of the development.
“Oftentimes, developers want to cover every square inch and aren’t concerned about the natural environment,” Burczak said. “We’re trying to enhance all the natural beauty, we’re trying to preserve as many trees as we can.”
The proposed development includes 22 single-family estate lots, 127 townhouse units, 40 row houses, 90 apartments, 20 senior cottage units and a 40-unit extended stay hotel. In a commercial area along Napier Avenue, there are plans for a brewpub and an event center. Additional proposed features on the 100-acre property include a brewpub, restaurant, event venue, fitness center, rain gardens, outdoor recreation areas, trails and a lake. Developers said during the hearing that many amenities, including businesses, the lake and trails, would be open for public use.
One feature, which drew the ire of many members of the public, is a proposed roundabout at Miami Road and Napier that would need approval by the Berrien County Road Department. Other residents expressed concerns with the proposed development ranging from safety concerns to construction noise and wildlife habitat protection for a bald eagle’s nest. While there were many concerns raised, several residents also spoke in favor of the developers’ ideas to preserve much of the wetlands, as well as the additional housing and tax dollars the project will bring to the township.
Significant interaction between members of the public and the developers took place during the hearing, with Miller, Wood and Burczak each directly responding to concerns presented by the public. After public comments were closed, board members took their turn asking questions of the developers and commenting on the proposal.
Developers listen as members of the public share concerns on the proposed Berrien Hills development.
“I’d like to commend the developer on what I think is an environmentally sensitive design,” said commissioner Jim Hahn. “I think your willingness to engage with the citizens is commendable as well. I think when we get out of this process, these concerns are going to be met.”
With the planning commission’s approval, the project will now be sent to the Township Board of Trustees for final approval. The next regular meeting of the board is Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.
To see the full development proposal, visit the St. Joseph Township website.
