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.

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.

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.

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.

http://www.mt-pleasant.org/Commissions/pln/plancomm.htm

An attorney has recommended that the Planning Commission “back off” and not comment, planning director Tony Kulick told the commission meeting Thursday Feb. 7^th.

“He thought it was inappropriate to comment on this issue now,” Kulick said.

Kulick said the majority of this year has been spent “getting sucked into the black hole of the Broomfield and Crawford issue” and what to do with the property.

For now the commission has decided to let the issue lie, but chairman Pete Orlik said it will be a future goal to keep in mind because the commission cannot control it right now.

The decision on what to do with the land between Broomfield Street and Crawford Road has been an ongoing issue for twenty years, said Orlik.

In other business, a two-story addition for new classrooms will be added to Sacred Heart Academy, at 200 S. Franklin St.

Site plans for the project in the C-2 district were approved unanimously.

The commission also unanimously approved installation of a 12-foot by 48-foot V-shaped billboard from Billboards by Johnson at 1993 Gover Parkway.

Orlik was re-elected chairman and Tim Wolff was elected vice chairman for 2008.

“We are aware it’s showing its age,” Planning Director Tony Kulick told the Planning Commission on Feb. 7.

Kulick gave the update after commissioner Eric Johnson complained that Mission Street is becoming less physically attractive because of empty buildings, including where the Sweet Onion and the Embers used to operate.

“The former Wal-Mart building is now a skeleton,” Johnson said.

Empty buildings will damage the downtown area and the university campus, he said.

Johnson urged putting in new businesses, residential housing or shrubs and flowers.

“Right now I wish we had a better Mission,” he said. “It embarrasses me.”

Chairman Peter Orlik said the Mission Street redevelopment is an important issue and will stay on the agenda as a future goal.

Kulick said he will have the design results for Mission Street and Pickard Street by June or July.

The Mt. Pleasant City Commission has postponed indefinitely any decision on allowing tattoo parlors in downtown Mt. Pleasant.

Adding such establishments to the lost of permitted issues would disrupt the downtown area, Community Development Director Tony Kulick said at a Jan. 3 commission meeting.

The commission voted no unanimously on the decision to allow tattoo parlors in the C-2 district.

In other action, the commission voted to allow merchandise displays and food sales on the sidewalks downtown was passed unanimously.

Kuilick said that if places of business have been having sales on the sidewalk, they have been doing it illegally and will need to purchase a license and meet safety standards to be legal.

Commissioners also unanimously voted against changing the 100-foot rule limit between bar and tavern establishments.

Kuilick said the city gets a lot of nuisance complaints about places serving

alcohol, but there have been no requests to establish another bar or restaurant downtown.