City Council tabled a request to rezone 59 S. Main from multi-residential to village commercial.
Discussion at the March 9 meeting included downtown residential housing and zoning issues.
Mayor Joe Luiginski asked developer Larry Barnett from CBC about plans for the building.
‘If there is no prospective purchaser, why are you concerned about rezoning,? he asked.
Barnett said there are no present plans to change the building.
‘We don’t want to add or subtract or destroy the building,” he said. ‘We have preserved it through the years and consulted with the historic society.?
Cara Catallo, who spoke on behalf of the Clarkston Historic District Commission, questioned the rush to rezone and said it would ‘splinter? the downtown.
The best use for the building is residential, and the historic commission should be consulted in whatever happens with the building, said Catallo, whose brother Curt Catallo owns the Clarkston Union restaurant across the street.
Council member Sharron Catallo also said she would like further consideration on the issue.
City attorney Tom Ryan added the request should be referred back to the planning commission for conditional rezoning, because otherwise it could be used for numerous types of businesses.
City planner Dick Carlisle also recommended the conditional rezoning.
Mike Sabol, councilman and member of the Planning Commission, opposed conditional rezoning.
‘We held our public hearing and made our recommendation,” Sabol said. “We did not think there was a need for conditional rezoning.”
The issue was thoroughly discussed by the planning commission and the issue should be a done deal, he said.
Councilman Richard Bisio said the property owner proposes conditions for rezoning, and conditional would restrict use of the property to be used only for a restaurant, in this case.
Barnett said the only planned use would be a restaurant, and agreed conditional rezoning should be examined more. He admitted was not familiar with conditional rezoning laws.
Built in 1903, the Sutherland building at 59 S. Main, was previously zoned commercial and was a restaurant and bar before CBC purchased the building, restored it, and made it into five residential units.