BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
City Council voted 5-2, Nov. 12, to approve a site plan for a 1,432-square-foot second floor addition for 55 S. Main Street, Clarkston Family Dental.
Council members Al Avery and David Marsh voted against the plan, saying it does not provide parking as required by city ordinance. According to Section 20-04 Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements, dental clinic/office requires seven spaces per 1,000 square feet gross floor area.
Marsh said the ordinance should have been addressed by the Planning Commission along with the architect.
“You should have had this information months ago,” Marsh said to the builders. “It’s sad, no one talked to you about the ordinances – this is against the ordinances.”
The plan, presented by Robert Cliff of MGA Architectural Designs, adds to the existing 647 square feet and includes a 200-square-foot second floor deck.
Council member Rick Detkowski made a motion to approve the site plan with conditions – it must be used as a dental office and lab only, with any other use directed back to the Planning Commission, and with assurances by the Planning Commission the plan is net neutral for parking.
Detkowski, Mayor Eric Haven, and council members Jason Kneisc,Scott Reynolds, and Sue Wylie voted “yes.”
Wylie said the city did not enforce the parking ordinance in 2015 when City Council approved a 1,500-square-foot addition to 55 S. Main Street, as well as the new Honcho and Fed restaurants, and shouldn’t start now.
Detkowski agreed, saying enforcement of the ordinance in this case would be arbitrary.
“We don’t have anything to base it on at this point,” he said. “We need a baseline to make it fair for everyone – it can’t start here. If this were a restaurant going in, no way.”
Site plan approval was recommended by the Planning Commission on Nov. 5 and the Historic District Commission gave its OK on Oct. 29. The addition will not to expand the practice, which is being rebuilt after it was severely damaged this past April when a double tandem gravel hauler truck smashed into it, said Rich Little, Planning Commission chair.
Staff has been reduced, and the new upstairs office would be used to make crowns and dentures, along with other in-house processing needs, Little said.
A parking study recently completed by Carlisle Wortman Associates provides data and recommendations for future parking decisions. The Planning Commission is forming a Parking Advisory Committee of at least one resident, downtown merchant, Planning Commission member, and City Council member, and will create an action plan to be submitted to City Council for approval.
“We instructed the Planning Commission to establish a parking advisory commission to look at what we want the solution to be,” said City Manager Jonathon Smith. “The ball in their hands – it sounds like the council wants to take the ball back.”
Anyone interested in participating in the commity can contact Smith at 248-625-1559 or smithj@villageofclarkston.org, or Wylie at wylies@villageofclarkston.org.