Plans for a new restaurant at 59 S. Main Street will move forward without the recommendation of the Clarkston Planning Commission.
Planners voted 4-1 against the conditional rezoning request at its Aug. 3 meeting.
Commission members said they want to preserve a “buffer” between downtown Main Street businesses and residences to the south. The 59 S. Main property, the Sutherland Building, is currently zoned Village Multiple and used for apartments.
Robert Bondy voted in favor of conditional rezoning to Village Commercial.
“Do we want government to legislate where and how people make money ? I do not believe that is the case,” Bondy said. “Government stops people from making money in a lot of ways ? minimizing that is a good thing.”
Builder Jeff Harrell, representing the owners, said they will present the plan to Clarkston City Council, which has the final vote on it.
“I wish the vote would have gone differently, but it didn’t,” Harrell said after the meeting. “We think it would fit in nicely with the rest of the community.”
On March 2, the planning commission voted unanimously to recommend rezoning from Multi-family Residential to Village Commercial.
City Council tabled the request on March 9. The council referred the issue back to the Planning Commission for conditional rezoning, to limit property development to restaurant use.
Commission member Mike Sabol said he changed his vote on the issue after he learned residences south of 59 S. Main Street were once used for businesses.
“If there’s not a buffer, we could see rezoning requests coming from them ? dominos could start falling,” he said after the meeting.
Developer Larry Barnett said he didn’t think they were treated fairly, especially with two restaurant plans moving forward at Union Joint properties across the street.
“We filed before both of those,” Barnett said at the meeting. “We followed the requests of the city planner as per contract zoning ? we think it’s appropriate for rezoning.”
Sharron Catallo, city council member and mother of Union Joints owner Curt Catallo, said the Sutherland building should remain residential.
“At this moment, it’s back where it should have been,” Catallo said, speaking as a member of the audience.
Another restaurant has been proposed for the former Clarkston State Bank property at 51 S. Main Street.
Commissioners and residents in attendance also discussed downtown parking ? the 59 S. Main Street plan includes 31 parking spaces.
“I recommend we hold off on any rezoning until we can get clearcut enforcement of parking ? some type of fee to businesses, a trolley or something to get people in and out of here,” said Commissioner Frank Schoebel.
Bondy said parking was not relevant to the rezoning request.
“Parking would be in the site plan portion, not the rezoning portion,” he said.