Fenton Township Voted 4-2 to Lift a Farm-Only Rule Near US-23. Miller Industries Plans a 302,720-Square-Foot Building There.

By Carrie Thompson, Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent, eXp Realty, Grand Blanc, MI

The Fenton Township Board voted 4-2 on July 21, 2026 to adopt Ordinance No. 869, which removes a condition that had limited a 19.33-acre parcel at 3231 Ray Road, along the east side of US-23, to agricultural uses (Fenton Township Board minutes, July 21, 2026). Miller Industries has preliminary site plan approval from the township Planning Commission for a 302,720-square-foot industrial building on that parcel (Fenton Township Planning Commission minutes, May 28, 2026).

The ordinance changes conditions, not zoning

The ordinance amends Ordinance No. 860, the planned unit development, or PUD, known as the Miller Industries Planned Unit Development (Fenton Township Ordinance No. 869). It covers five parcels: 3231 Ray Road at 19.33 gross acres, 11250 North Park Avenue at 5.09 acres, 11200 North Park Avenue at 6.82 acres, 11225 North Park Avenue at 23.87 acres and 11158 Torrey Road at 5.50 acres (Fenton Township Ordinance No. 869).

Zoning Administrator Mike Deem told the board that "the proposed amendment does not rezone any property," because all of the parcels were already zoned PUD (Fenton Township Board minutes, July 21, 2026). The minutes say the original PUD ordinance restricted the Ray Road parcel to agricultural uses, and that the restriction was no longer applicable after the township adopted its US-23 Subarea Plan and North Park Avenue was built (Fenton Township Board minutes, July 21, 2026). The minutes also note the property has been designated industrial or commercial in the township Master Plan since 1989 (Fenton Township Board minutes, July 21, 2026).

The new ordinance limits uses on the five parcels to those allowed in the township's C-3, OS and M-1 districts, requires a connection to municipal water, puts the cost of sanitary sewer upgrades on the developer, and requires Planning Commission approval of a landscape plan (Fenton Township Ordinance No. 869). It also states that "the Planning Commission & Township Board will evaluate this request in 5 years" and could consider rezoning if progress is not adequate (Fenton Township Ordinance No. 869). The ordinance took effect August 2, 2026 (Fenton Township Ordinance No. 869).

The board split 4-2

Treasurer Tucker moved to adopt the ordinance and Trustee Clark seconded. Supervisor Vince Lorraine, Tucker, Clark and Trustee Kesler voted yes. Clerk Robert Krug and Trustee Goupil voted no. Trustee Reid was absent (Fenton Township Board minutes, July 21, 2026).

The minutes record that Krug said he was unaware a hotel was being planned for the property, and that Goupil said the decision should be based on what is in the best interests of the township and its residents (Fenton Township Board minutes, July 21, 2026). Tucker, who voted yes, was critical of work already done on the site. The minutes summarize his comment this way: "Everything done on the property thus far is perfectly legal, but it is disrespectful to the approval process" (Fenton Township Board minutes, July 21, 2026).

The building would be reached from North Park Avenue only

On May 28, 2026, the Planning Commission voted 7-0 to give preliminary site plan approval for the new industrial building at 3231 Ray Road (Fenton Township Planning Commission minutes, May 28, 2026). Kevin Johnson, presenting the site plan for Miller Industries, described the roughly 300,000-square-foot building as a sister facility to the existing second building, focused on steel material handling and indoor loading and unloading, and the minutes list a building height of 40 feet, the maximum permitted (Fenton Township Planning Commission minutes, May 28, 2026). Access would be "via North Park Avenue only, no access emergency or otherwise to Ray Road" (Fenton Township Planning Commission minutes, May 28, 2026).

At the same meeting the commission voted 6-1 to recommend the PUD amendment, conditioned on the Township Board adopting the US-23 Subarea Plan, with Commissioner Forsberg voting no (Fenton Township Planning Commission minutes, May 28, 2026). During the public hearing, a Ray Road resident said the new building's corner would be approximately 260 feet from his back door (Fenton Township Planning Commission minutes, May 28, 2026).

The US-23 Subarea Plan came first

The township board adopted the US-23 Subarea Plan on June 2, 2026, also on a 4-2 vote. Krug made the motion and Goupil seconded, but both voted no. Lorraine, Clark, Kesler and Reid voted yes, and Tucker was absent (Fenton Township Board minutes, June 2, 2026).

The plan covers the land between US-23 and Torrey Road from Thompson Road to Ray Road, plus the North Road interchange with US-23 (Fenton Township, Master Plan and Subarea Plans). The Planning Commission minutes record Deem saying that after public opposition at earlier meetings, the scope was cut back so that only the parcel directly fronting US-23, with water, sewer and a private road connecting to two county primary roads, would be designated Highway Service (Fenton Township Planning Commission minutes, May 28, 2026).

Road limits were part of the planning. A March 13, 2026 memo from Deem on the subarea plan lists no non-residential traffic on Ray Road until it is paved, no truck traffic on Torrey Road until it becomes a Class "A" road with a center turn lane, and a requirement that non-residential development connect to municipal water and sewer (Fenton Township US-23 Subarea Plan memo, March 13, 2026).

Miller Industries has been growing on the corridor

In November 2025, ABC12 reported the company announced a $43 million expansion with a 270,000-square-foot building and 167 jobs (ABC12, Nov. 5, 2025). At the time, Lorraine said the expansion would strengthen "economic activity and development along the Thompson Road corridor" (ABC12, Nov. 5, 2025). The township records describe the Ray Road building as 302,720 square feet, and they do not tie it to the ABC12 figure.

What this means if you are buying or selling near US-23 in Fenton Township

If you are buying near Ray Road, Torrey Road or North Park Avenue, read the US-23 Subarea Plan and Ordinance No. 869 on the township website before you make an offer, so you know which parcels can hold commercial or industrial uses and what road limits apply. If you are selling in that area, have those documents ready. Buyers will want to know where the building sits and how its traffic is routed.

Every listing I take gets professional photos and video, room sizes, targeted digital ads, and targeted buyer avatars. Call or text Carrie Thompson at (810) 893-3269.

About Carrie Thompson

Carrie Thompson, "Your Favorite Property Girl," is a Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent (REALTOR®) with eXp Realty serving Grand Blanc, Genesee County and nearby Michigan communities, including Fenton Township, Fenton, Lake Fenton, Linden, and Tyrone Township. Michigan license 6501338662. Call or text (810) 893-3269.