Spelman Heads City Planners

John G. Spelman Jr., 1913 Weldon, was elected chairman of the City Planning Commission last night succeeding Robert V. Galbreath who resigned Sept. 1. An engineer at Parke, Davis & Co., Spelman has been a member of the commission since July, 1963, and is serving the final year of his three-year appointment. Spelman has been acting chairman since Galbreath resigned when he moved to Jackson. Richard W. Lavely, 1108 Mixtwood, was elected vice chairman last night, while Keith F. Weiland, 2475 Devonshire, was elected as secretary. In other business, the commission approved for annexation to the city a 1.68-acre parcel on Broadway owned by Dr. Arnold I. Kambly. The annexation had become controversial because the 1.68 acres were not the entire holdings of Kambly in that area. The city has a policy of not annexing a person's land unless he brings in his entire holdings. However, Kambly transferred his remaining eight acres to a private corporation he formed and thus did not have title to that land. In October the commission had deferred action on Kambly's annexation petition and was advised at that time that a Corporation may be formed to avoid the city policy. Annexation for the acres was sought because of a drainage problem at a children's hospital located on the site. The commission approved the annexation but stated it did not believe it was setting a precedent for future transactions which would be similar in nature. In other business last night, the commission approved the annexation petition of the Old Ladies Home Association involving 2.6 acres of land on Liberty at Virginia and recommended R4B multiple-family, R2A two-l family, and R1C single-family zones for the property. Approval was also given for the Raymond Chase property, 1.47 acres on Devonshire Rd., to be annexed to the city with an R1A single-family zoning fix. The commission also approved several plans last night, including one for a 46,000 square foot building addition to the Bendix Corp. on Plymouth Rd. The site plan also included a 100-space parking lot for the firm. Other site plans approved included a 30 - unit apartment building on Fuller between State and Glenn, a 39-lot single family development at the northwest corner of Green Rd and Glacier Way, and a 48 - unit building east of the Huron Parkway and north of Washtenaw Ave. An area plan for a cluster two-family development on 14.89 acres east of Nixon between Traver and Dhu Varren Rds. was also approved. The commission noted that the development, first of its type here would use only about 50 per cent of the permitted density and complimented the developer and architect for presenting a plan with "aesthetic qualities." At its next regular meeting; Nov. 23, the commission spend most of its time discussing the proposed sign ordinance that has been prepared for them by landscape architects Johnson &-Roy.