The St. Joseph Township Planning Commission has signed off on the latest proposal for the development of the former Niles Apple Barn site at 3151 Niles Road.

Property owner John Nye has submitted a new mixed use development plan to the township, seeking the rezoning of the site and the approval of a Planned Unit Development designation after his last proposal was rejected in November.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Nye told township planners this new proposal has one fast food establishment — a possible Culver’s — two three-story apartment buildings with a total of 48 units, a gas station, and a commercial welcome center. New to the plan is the preservation of the old Nye’s Apple Barn structure, which Nye’s niece, Lori Nye, will operate.

“My passion will be my guide as I redesign the farm market at Nye’s Apple Barn,” Lori Nye told planners. “My vision for Nye’s Apple Barn is to sell top quality, local-grown fruits and vegetables, along with farm-raised meats, cheeses, local baked goods, organic options, and a possible coffee shop.”

Lori Nye is the owner of Artemis Design, and her parents ran the apple barn in the 70s.

Following the Planning Commission’s four-to-two votes to approve the rezoning and PUD request, planner Jim Hahn told us updates like the newly-reborn apple barn make the project all the more appealing.

“There’s going to be one less restaurant, one less apartment building, and I think the inclusion of Nye’s Apple Barn at one end of the development and the Michigan Tourist Center at the other end, I think is a good way to welcome people into what is the gateway to St. Joe Township,” Hahn said.

Planning Commission chair Ben Baker voted against the PUD. He told us Nye’s proposal still needed some work.

“There’s a little issue with some of the congruence of all of the items working together in kind of a harmonious way,” Baker said. “I didn’t feel like it quite fit the idea there. I’m not against some of the uses there, but just the way that it’s been arranged, I’ve had an issue with.”

As with past meetings on proposals from Nye, there was a large and unified turnout from residents of the adjacent Highwood Estates neighborhood in opposition to the development. They cited a variety of concerns, like traffic, a loss of privacy, and safety. They also questioned whether Nye’s proposal would be in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. A majority of the Planning Commission felt it would, and voted accordingly.

John Nye told us he’s grateful.

“We’ve been working at this to try to find the right mix of businesses and things that could go on the Nye’s Apple Barn property, and I think this is the best that I’ve been able to present before,” Nye said. “So I’m grateful that it passed tonight and we can move forward to see what the Board of Trustees say about it.”

Nye said Tuesday that calls from nearby residents to turn the site into single-family housing simply wouldn’t be economically viable due to the proximity of I-94 and the lot sizes.

Nye’s last proposal, in November, was also approved by the township Planning Commission, but the full township board later rejected it. Now, the full township board will again have to consider Nye’s plan, possibly next month.

Photo: John Nye addresses the St. Joseph Township Planning Commission.