BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
Plans are on hold for 42 W. Washington Street, after City Council tabled a rezoning request.
Mayor Steven Percival, who made the motion to table, thought the issue was being rushed.
“My concern is we’re pushing this to a motion before the council has any time to review the documents and the planning commission’s official minutes,” Percival said. “We just have the draft minutes – without the proper documentation we need for us to make proper call on these things.”
The council voted 4-3 to table. Percival, and council members Rick Detkowski, Eric Haven, and Sue Wylie voted “yes.” Council members Sharron Catallo, Jason Kneisc, and David Marsh voted “no.”
“This is first time I’m seeing this proposal,” Detkowski said.
Frank Schoebel, planning commission member, said draft minutes from their April 17 meeting were available on April 18, and the commission will approve final minutes at its May meeting.
The planners recommended against approving the rezoning at its April 17 meeting.
Property owners with Lehman Investment Co. want to rezone the property from residential to commercial, for use as a wedding and meeting place.
Representing the owners, Jim Eppink said the property should be rezoned because it has been part of the larger commercial Clarkston Mills property since its days as a Ford manufacturing plant in the 1930s.
The site is unique, so it wouldn’t create a “slippery slope” towards commercialization, Eppink said.
Planning Commission member Frank Schoebel said the commission recommended against rezoning because the request did not meet zoning ordinance criteria, the city Master Plan seeks to prevent infringement of commercial into residential, and the adverse effect it would have on Washington Street.
Ed Adler, one of the owners of the property, said the city is treating development requests differently depending on who makes them.
“There’s been selective enforcement,” Adler said.