A local developer is hoping to capitalize off the new Polly Ann Trail bridge over M-24 by opening a small restaurant right by it.
‘I think it’s a lovely project,? said Oxford Village Planning Commissioner Sue Bossardet.
Last week, the village planning commission reviewed plans for a proposed restaurant at the northeast corner of Center and N. Washington St. (M-24) called the ‘Polly Ann Bistro.?
Dave Weckle, owner of the Oxford-based Valley Building and Repair Company, is proposing construction of a two-story building right next door to Oxford Orion Plumbing, Heating and Cooling.
To make way for the new development, two houses owned by Weckle, 68 N. Washington St. and 5 Center St., will be demolished.
The proposed building would consist of a 1,575-square-foot restaurant on the first floor with a 1,724-square-foot apartment upstairs.
Weckle told commissioners he would like to start the project this summer and have it done by Christmas.
With plans calling for ‘major landscape features? fronting M-24 along with three wrought iron benches and bike racks, Weckle is hoping to attract trail users.
‘I believe that the clientele is going to be people that use that Polly Ann Trail bridge,? he said.
It’s Weckle’s ‘intention? that the upstairs apartment, which would occupy the entire second floor, would be occupied by the owner/operator of the restaurant below.
He noted this is the ‘way people lived in? the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s ? with merchants living above stores. ‘This is how downtowns were created,? Weckle said.
Consisting of a master suite, second bedroom, two bathrooms, kitchen, nook, great room and laundry room, Weckle told commissioners the single apartment would be ‘as nice, if not nicer? than the spacious one Brett Knapp lives in above his restaurant, Red Knapp’s American Grill.
Bossardet, who also serves on the Downtown Development Authority board with Weckle, was very supportive of the idea of having residential above the restaurant.
She noted that preliminary findings of the DDA’s market study indicate a need for more residential uses downtown.
‘You need it to create the vitality downtown and the only way to do that sometimes is to have people that are wanting to live down there, that are going to walk around, eat in the restaurants, shop in the shops and come to functions in town,? she said.
As a developer Weckle said he’s been wanting to ‘make a statement? and this ‘very prominent location? is the place to do it.
Overall, reception of the plan was positive.
‘I think it’s a great building,? said Seth Shpargel, senior planner with the Novi-based McKenna Associates, the village’s planner. ‘I think it would be an asset to the community.?
Shpargel noted he believes the proposed building ‘meets the character? of what the village is trying to accomplish downtown.
Planning Commission Chair Tom Schultz called it a ‘pretty exciting idea.?
However, it was noted that ‘numerous variances? regarding issues such as parking and setbacks would be required to make it all happen.
Weckle would also need a ‘use variance? from the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) in order to build the apartment.
Residential uses are not permitted in the C-2 (commercial) zoning district, which is where the restaurant would be located.
Unfortunately, use variances are expressly not permitted under the village zoning ordinance.
In order to avoid having to apply for all these variances, Shpargel recommended Weckle develop the property as a Planned Unit Development (PUD), which offers a lot more flexibility and opportunities for the developer than the traditional site plan approval process.
A PUD could permit a commercial/residential mixed use at that location, according to Shpargel.
However, because the property does not meet the 3-acre minimum to exercise the PUD option, Weckle would have to apply for a variance from the ZBA to allow it for his site.