Belleville planners approve site plan for Johnny’s rebuilding

The Belleville Planning Commission, at its regular meeting Feb. 12, approved the site plan for the rebuilding of Johnny’s on the Lake restaurant at 146 High St.
Interim city manager Steve Jones told the planners that after they approve the conceptual version of the project the plans go to the building department which deals with the details of the work.
Steve Dumont, owner of Designstruct of Hazel Park, presented the plans to the commission. His company is a design/build general contractor that has been in business for 39 years. He said Johnny’s owner, David Nuculaj, hired him to take a look at the building.
He said the restaurant is not taking advantage of its position on the lake which is “a terrible waste.”
He showed drawings of the proposed three-tier dining areas facing the lake and said an elevator will be installed for handicap use. The stairs will stay in place.
They will be adding 36 tables to the restaurant.
The three stories, which feature outside dining with a balcony on top, will create a bigger presence on the lake, he said.
Dumont said they will get rid of the two large ramps now in place.
He said accordion windows on the first two levels will allow those dining areas to be opened completely to the outside breezes.
The restaurant will have two menus, Nuculaj said, noting a limited menu will be for the outside dining. He said they will be able to use the downstairs kitchen, which is hardly used now, and his outdoor smokers.
Commissioner John Juriga said his wife had glimpsed the plans over his shoulder while he was preparing for the meeting and commented, “This will be a destination.” The other commissioners agreed.
“And rooftops,” Juriga continued. “Everybody loves rooftops.”
Dumont said the top tier will be on the roof of a one-story building, since the bottom area is below grade. He said there will be 42” high open railings.
Juriga made the motion to approve the site plan, seconded by commissioner Raytheon Martin, and the vote was unanimous.
Absent from the meeting were chairman Jim Courage and commissioner Tara Edwards. Vice-chairperson Julie Kissel presided. She also is a city councilperson. Gerald Keeder III attended his first meeting after being sworn in as a commissioner.
In other business in the almost one-hour meeting, the commission:
• Heard Juriga give a brief summary of his concerns for the erosion of the banks along Belleville Lake, collapsed trees in the water, and buildings along the shoreline that need to be removed. He said he voiced these concerns at the recent tri-community planning commission session. Kissel said she had talked with Van Buren Township supervisor Kevin McNamara earlier and he had told her how the township has hired a firm to work on options;
• Heard Kissel announce a meeting of the tri-community planning commission’s subcommittee will be on March 19 and people are welcome to attend. If anyone wants to attend, she said to just give her a call. She said they will be talking about issues that affect the three communities of Belleville, Van Buren, and Sumpter;
• Heard interim city manager Jones give a summary of all the projects under way in the city. He said Johnny’s will be a nice addition to the lakeside and there will be a nice bridge, when it is done. He said the Liberty Street water main work is under way and there was a slow down, but 800-1,000 feet of pipe is underground so far and it should be done in a couple more months. Once all the pipe is in the ground, services will be added and then the street will be milled and paved. He said they are close to moving into a new city hall and the next meeting of the commission is expected to be in the new building;
• Heard Juriga ask what are the plans for the present city hall and mayor Ken Voigt called out from the audience, “Demolition.” Jones added that once it is emptied out it will be put up for sale. It may be demolished, he said;
• In response to Juriga’s question about whether there will be a boat race this year, heard Jones reply that there will be no race this summer because of work on the bridge. The racers who were here before are interested in coming back, he said, so that could be the following summer, he said;
• Heard commissioner Martin ask about incentives to attract new businesses. He said the city has a vacant hardware store and vacant drug store on Main Street and the barber he uses doesn’t use his front door on Main and everything is from the back door. Kissel said the Feb. 17 city council meeting has tax incentives on the agenda. Jones added that he has suggested the planning commission review the sign ordinance which hasn’t been looked at in a number of years to make it business friendly, and as current and fresh as possible;
• Heard Martin praise the city manager for following through immediately on his call for help by sending out the DPW to clear snow off a sidewalk in Victoria Commons for students trying to get to school while slipping and sliding all over the place;
• Heard commissioner Alvis Brigis say he thinks the commission should look at AI explicitly and encourage those businesses to fill the city vacancies. He said the Van Buren Township data center is starting to concern him. He asked what would happen if it all goes south and Van Buren is left with the liability. Brigis also said with all the data centers proposed for this area, the communication at Willow Run and Wayne County airports could be damaged;
• Heard Juriga ask if there is an ordinance officer now to replace the police officer who served in that role before he left. Kissel said there isn’t but every one is pitching in and citations are being written;
• Heard commissioner Keeder introduce himself since this is his first meeting since appointment. He said he is a civil engineer. He agreed with others saying the businesses in town should be promoted so those outside the community know what’s here. He said he lived on Ford Lake for six years and didn’t know Belleville was here. “Then I needed Secretary of State and here you are!” and
• Heard Kissel say the commission is now fully staffed. She said it’s nice to see work on Hayward’s moving along. Also, they are getting ready to move city hall and anyone who wants to help can let her know. She said the next meeting will have a public hearing on the new Master Plan.