A traffic study conducted in the area of Tavern at Tina’s has found the need for a bypass lane to be constructed opposite the Tavern’s entrance on North Avenue.

Court-ordered as part of the Tavern at Tina's/Tina's Country House consent judgment with Macomb Township, the study noted the danger of traffic backing up into the North Avenue-23 Mile Road intersection as a result of vehicles waiting on southbound North Avenue to turn left into the Tina properties.

The township board voted Wednesday night to have the Macomb County Circuit Court set a June 1 deadline for the bypass lane to be built on the west side of North Avenue.

Building the lane and completing the parking lot improvements approved earlier by the township Planning Commission are the last items required under the consent judgment filed Jan. 26, 2011.

This consent judgment came after three years of legal disputes between the Tina’s owners (TTCH Development) and the township.

According to the consent judgment, TTCH had until April 2011 to do the following:

• Construct and install a septic system for the entire property per county requirements
• Complete a traffic study
• Submit to the township a site plan for parking lot improvements

When TTCH had not completed these items by the fall of 2011, the township authorized a motion to hold TTCH in contempt and the Macomb County Health Department filed a complaint regarding the septic system, which had not been upgraded.

The court then ordered TTCH to complete the items within 60 days from Oct. 17, 2011.

As of Jan. 3, 2012, the septic system had been upgraded to the satisfaction of the health department, and TTCH had submitted a draft of the traffic study and site plan for parking lot improvements to the township.

Should TTCH build the bypass lane and finish the parking lot improvements by the township's June 1 deadline, all requirements of the consent judgment will have been fulfilled and the legal issues between TTCH and the township fully resolved.