Consultants to Make Design Recommendations for Mission Street

An independent planning contractor is making recommendations for design guidelines to approve the appearance of Mission Street.

Consultant Zach Michels has been hired by the Mount Pleasant Planning Commission to study the layout of Mission Street. Michels will present findings at the April commission meeting, City Planner Tony Kulik said.

Kulik also told the Planning Commission in March that the future land use for the southwest corner of Broomfield and Crawford roads remains on hold because the commission is being sued by the developers.

Also, Kulik said, a first draft of design guidelines for historic districts will be ready for Planning Commission review in April.

The guidelines will be the basis for certificates of appropriateness for properties located in the historic district that need special use permits, Kulik said.

The permits will address only the physical, outside appearance of residences, he said.

The guidelines are set to begin with South Main Street residents being subject to a special use permit.

Creation of the district will wait until the design guidelines are approved by the commission, Kulik said.

Extra Parking Spaces Could Be Used For New Establishments

Excess parking at businesses could be used for future construction of new establishments, according to two consultants hired by the Mount Pleasant Planning Commission.

One of the independent planning contractors, Rich Morrison, told the commission Thursday that there is a lot of parking space not being used at local establishments.

“There are incredible amounts of land on Mission that are being unutilized,” he said.

The other consultant, Zach Michels, said Mount Pleasant requires one parking space for every 140 square feet of a business.

He said the Kmart and JCPenny mall has 1,594 spaces, of which at most 227 spaces were occupied at any time in March.

“I ask people when it’s the busiest time of the year,” Michels said. “You try to get them at the busiest time to make it (parking numbers) as accurate as possible.”

Michels suggested creating walkways at some establishments to make it easier and more appealing for people to walk from one place to another, especially in the winter.

“I see people with bikes and walking their dogs all the time in the cold,” he said. “It’s not very pleasant to walk between dumpsters.”

Commissioner Eric Johnson suggested integrating stores into the campus and benches in the summertime where pedestrians could stop and rest.

“I give lectures sometimes in the IET building and I have to walk all the way to the bakery for coffee,” he said.

Michels said that raises the question of pedestrian traffic, and the consultants are trying to get someone interested in developing establishments.

“We can have the best plans in the world, but they’re no good if nobody wants to build them,” he said.

Main Street Overlay District May Cause Stricter Housing Regulations

The Main Street overlay district may become a historic district, forcing residents to adhere to stricter regulations about the outside appearance of homes.

While City Planner Tony Kulick said regulating homes will improve property value, commissioner Michelle Lazarov said it’s a bad idea.

“If someone tells me what color my door has to be, that’s not cool,” Lazarov said at the Mount Pleasant Planning Commission meeting Thursday. “I don’t think it’s acceptable. I’m the one paying my taxes and bills.”

Chairman Peter Orlik said that because historic district guidelines are detailed, a meeting should be set up with the historic district commission to discuss key ideas set by the planning commission.

Orlik said he would like to call attention to what it is meant by the historic district commission being able to make “changes to a property of historical significance.”

“The phrase of ‘historical significance’ could become a problem in beginning stages,” he said.

Lazarov said she would like to discuss the length of time to approve a building project.

“Sixty days is too long to approve a project,” she said. “I think that should be broken down.”

Kulick suggested that the commission have a meeting with the historic district commission to discuss the overlay district details.

“This feels scary for Mount Pleasant and we should talk about it,” he said.

Planning Comission 2008 Goals

The Mount Pleasant Planning Commission has set goals for 2008.

What to do about the future land use of the southwest corner of Broomfield and Crawford roads is at the top of the commission’s list of goals for this year.

“This one we need to keep in mind as we are not able to control it right now,” Chairman Pete Orlik said at the commission meeting Thursday.

Staff has recommended postponing the issue until a lawsuit between developers and the city reaches a point where discussion can take place.

Redevelopment strategies and concepts for Mission Street are another concern for 2008.

“The Mission Street redevelopment is an important issue for the future,” Orlik said.

Also, West Broadway Street land uses will be monitored and reviewed in the context of recent planned development activity.

The commission unanimously approved site plans for a-24 condominium unit at 320 W. Broadway St.

City Planner Tony Kulick said that although the building still needs some tweaks, such as making sure enough parking is provided, the plan still meets all the requirements.

Commissioner Eric Johnson said he thinks the building is attractive and will help the city.

“I think this is going to help give a boost for downtown,” he said.

Kulick said construction on the condominium won’t start until March, April or May.