During an 18-minute meeting on June 13, the Belleville Planning Commission held a public hearing at which no one spoke and then sent a zoning ordinance amendment to the city council recommending approval.
City Manager Jason Smith told the commission that the ordinance amendment has been put on the council’s June 17 meeting agenda for its first reading, with its second reading scheduled July 1 if the council approves the change.
The ordinance adds the permitted use of banquet hall spaces under 2,500 square feet to the ten other uses listed for B-1 – Local Business District.
This came at the request of Jessica Koweck of Van Buren Township, who owns and operates Mae Ann Photography at 204 E. Columbia Ave. in the Davenport Plaza that also holds the Secretary of State. She told the commission at its May 9 meeting that she wished to hold small gatherings at her photography studio.
She said she wanted to allow groups of under 50 people to hold baby showers, wedding showers, birthday parties, and other events where people would bring in their own food.
That was denied because banquet halls are not listed in the B-1 zoning. The commission decided to add the use to the zoning and began the process for the change.
At the May 9 meeting Koweck said she is now PTO president at Savage Elementary School and they are getting their 501c3 nonprofit designation for fund raising. She said she can’t brings kids to the other restaurants in town because of the liquor served there.
In other business at the June 12 meeting, the commission:
• Voted unanimously to put out a call for bids for completely rewriting the 2006 master plan because of the current document’s age. At its May meeting, the commission seemed to favor just updating the document, but at the June meeting city manager Smith said after review he recommends rewriting. Julie Kissel, city council liaison to the commission and commission vice-chairperson, suggested commissioners send any changes they see necessary to her and she will assemble them and pass them on to the city manager. When commissioners asked how long it would take before it’s done, Smith said up to six months at a cost of from $10,000 to $20,000;
• Heard commissioner Mike Renaud ask about progress on Davenport Brothers’ construction of apartments on Sumpter Road. He said according to his records they got approval 18 months ago. “We were jumping through hoops for two months to get it rezoned for them and now it’s a depository for equipment,” he said. Building official Rick Rutherford said Davenport hasn’t issued any building drawings, but they have cut the grass and the weeds on that site. He said Davenport said that equipment is for the construction planned. Renaud said it is no longer an industrial site and equipment shouldn’t be stored there. Rutherford said work must begin within two years of site plan approval and he will check on the exact time limit. Commission chairman Michael Hawkins asked Rutherford to verify the time. “If they’re not proceeding, they should move the equipment,” Renaud said; and
• Heard commissioner John Juriga say he has been on the planning commission for 26 years and this is the shortest meeting he’s been to. The meeting started at 7:01 p.m. and adjourned at 7:19 p.m.
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