Nicholas Christi, owner of Christi’s Bar & Grill on Clarkston Road, just off of M-24, will have to pay for his newly- added outdoor patio.
Christi came to the July 31 Orion Township Board meeting, requesting a waiver of fees, telling the board that the fees for a permit were exorbitant and too much for his business to handle.
The board sympathized with his position, but ultimately did not want to set a precedent that they were uneasy with.
‘We have very good consultants, but we also have very expensive consultants,? said trustee Matt Gibb.
Christi hoped the board would take into consideration his compliance with other township ordinances, such as the new sign ordinance, which he abided by, even though his old sign was ‘grandfathered in.?
‘I understand your position,? Christi said, as the board’s decision became apparent. ‘I understand you don’t want to open a Pandora’s Box.?
He asked them to consider his case and thanked the board for their time.
The board voted 5-1 to deny the waiver request, with Gibb as the lone dissenter.
‘We have an ordinance in place, and Mr. Christi knew about it,? said Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk.
Dywasuk added that the patio was a modification to the existing site plan.
‘Whenever you update a plan, you have to go through a process,? he said, noting that the patio involves a special land use permit.
Dywasuk said he was glad to see Christi follow the township’s new sign ordinance, but added that the board must comply to every ordinance and could not grant a waiver in this case.
He said Oscar’s, a new restaurant coming to Baldwin Road, will have similar patio options and the board did not want to set a precedent with the situation at Christi’s.
Dywasuk said Christi has already been cited for the patio and will continue to be cited until he follows the correct permit procedure.