In my opinion, it does not.
Under Section 78-311(c)(1)(a) of the City of Plymouth Zoning Ordinance, a Planned Unit Development (PUD) must result in a recognizable and material benefit to the community that would be unlikely to occur under standard zoning. The current proposal falls short of this requirement.
The development’s primary public offering appears to be a gravel walking path, along with two small seating areas and few new benches and light poles. However, much of this path and the seating areas lie within a FEMA-regulated floodway, as shown in the image below.
This raises both environmental and safety concerns:
- A gravel path in a floodway may be seasonally inaccessible and subject to erosion, rutting, or washout during high-velocity storm events.
- The proposed maintenance plan includes only seasonal cleanup, light grading, and 20-year replacement of lights. It does not account for flood damage, which is likely given the location.
- The trail appears to lack ADA accessibility and does not connect to a larger existing trail network.
- The scale and quality of the improvements are minimal compared to the significant zoning concessions being requested.
- Only a conceptual plan has been provided, and the proposal has not been reviewed by FEMA or EGLE to determine whether it complies with federal and state requirements for floodway development.
These amenities may offer limited aesthetic value, but they do not represent a substantial, lasting, or broadly accessible benefit to the public, especially when weighed against the impacts of increased density, traffic, and impact to the neighboring homes.
A true material benefit must be tangible, durable, and clearly serve the wider community. As proposed, the Champion PUD does not meet that standard and should not be approved.
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