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City commission members voted unanimously Monday night to approve Dr. Kevin Robertson's request to rezone his 7.13 acres at 1048 S. Lapeer Road (M-24) from R-5 one family residential to PUD, but he still has a long way to go before completing what he's calling Lapeer Commons.

One neighbor on Baldwin Road, Lucas Welch, told city commissioners he was worried about a proposed retention pond on he site. "My main concern is, can my four-year-old make a beeline to the water?" he said.

City Commissioner Dan Farrington said he was concerned about the landscaping around the pond. "The detention ponds I've seen," he offered, "aren't attractive."

Robertson assured city commissioners the hourglass-shaped ponds would be landscaped similarly to a project he completed in Washington Township. That project included a man-made waterfall designed by the same firm that did the landscaping at The Palace and Pine Knob.

Linda Jackman, the city's planning director, told Welch that adequate fencing around the pond would be part of the site plan approval process.

Depending on how many phases Robertson decides to complete the project in, he could find himself making as many as four more trips to the planning commission. Jackman said the city's PUD ordinance requires site plan approval for each phase of a project.

Robertson's plans for the site currently call for a two-story 40,000-square-foot assisted living facility; two medical arts buildings, one a two-story 30,000 square foot building and the otherÊ a single story 3,800-square-foot building; and a 4,000-square-foot restaurant.

At one point Robertson told planning commission members that Culvers had expressed interest in the site. However, Monday he told City Manager Dale Kerbyson that while the restaurant chain appears to have changed its mind, he's still in talks with several other chains.

Jackman told city commissioners that beyond footprint, total square footage and location on the site, most of the detail on Lapeer Commons won't come until each phase comes up for site plan approval.

She noted that since PUD rezoning is a two-step process, Robertson will be back before the planning commission when it meets Jan. 20.

Phil Foley may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8148 or pfoley@lapeergroup.com