Belleville planners reject Kassab’s request for large sign at Lake Plaza

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
The only item on the May 8 agenda of the Belleville Planning Commission was a sign review for Lake Plaza, Sam Kassab’s upgrade for a mostly vacant building and parking lot at the city’s entryway, 510-524 Main Street.
After about an hour of discussion, the commission advised Kassab to work with his architect and the city’s planning consultant to come up with a sign that follows the local ordinance.
His proposed sign was more than twice as large as allowed.
Planning consultant Jill Bahm of Clearzoning, Inc. recommended against sign permit approval since the sign presented is 15’ high from the ground to the top of the sign. The base is 5’ high and the sign area is 10’ high by 8’ wide for a total area of 80 square feet.
Kassab said the sign he wanted was from Bloomfield Hills.
Kassab’s parcel is zoned B-2 and signs in B-2 are required to have a maximum height of 7’ and area of 30 square feet for each side.
Consultant Bahm, who did not attend the planning commission meeting, wrote in her review of the application, “The proposed sign exceeds the permitted height by 8’ and area by 50’ square feet per side.”
Also, Kassab’s ground sign permit application did not name the sign installer, marking in “To Be Determined.” Sign installers must be named and registered with the city.
In another written review, this time of Kassab’s site plan, Bahm noted that Kassab has not complied with the conditions set forth by the planning commission at its March 13 meeting. The commission had approved his site plan, but required specifics of his landscaping and his proposed parking layout and entryway before he can proceed.
The March 13 site plan was Kassab’s fourth site plan.
“It’s been four times and I’m really exhausted,” Kassab told the commission when he was advised his plans are still lacking and can’t be approved.
“I would like to sit down with Jill (Bahm) and go right through [everything],” Kassab said. “We need the parking. I’m paying taxes on the parking lot and everybody is parking there.”
“As far as I know our planner has been working with you,” said Commission Chairman Steve Jones.
“She said I have to bring $150,” Kassab said. “My architect has been extremely sick.”
Architect David Jajjoka accompanied Kassab to his first presentation to the commission in December, but has not been to a meeting since then and has not met with the planning consultant.
It was explained that Kassab has been taking up so much of the consultant’s time that she requires a fee to talk to him further. Commission members urged Kassab to spend the money to get his plans in order so his project can proceed.
Commission Vice Chairman Michael Hawkins asked Kassab if his architect told him he didn’t have to follow the ordinance and Kassab said he thought he could get a variance.
Jones said the city has specific limitations, so it doesn’t have sign clutter.
Commissioner Mike Renaud said with a sign 8’ wide and 15’ tall, “You wouldn’t be able to see The Lunch Box.” He referred to the restaurant at the other side of Kassab’s parking lot.
Kassab said he will have eight to ten tenants and he wants them to be listed on the sign. With the smaller sign they would get hardly anything, he said.
“Tonight we cannot give conditional approval to the sign. You have to redesign it,” Jones stated.
“I’m really exhausted with this situation,” Kassab repeated.
“You’ve been bringing it on yourself,” Commissioner Renaud said. “You don’t have what we said to bring and you didn’t follow the ordinance on the sign. I don’t know if it’s because your architect has been so sick …”
Commissioner Becky Hasen suggested if his architect is so sick, he might need to get another architect.
“The driveway is still an issue,” said City Manager Diana Kollmeyer. “You were supposed to work it out with Jill.”
“My architect said the driveway and landscaping are corrected,” Kassab said.
“But not fixed,” said Chairman Jones. “It’s an issue with ingress and egress.”
“You have site plan approval. The landscaping and driveway is supposed to be worked out with Jill,” Kollmeyer said. “The only thing left is the sign.”
“And, the sign has to be redesigned,” Jones said.
“Your architect has to get creative,” said Renaud. “That’s what you’re paying him for.”
Kassab complained that his sign will be behind the streetscape wall which is 4’ tall and people will only see 2’ of his sign.
“Time is money,” Commissioner Matthew Wagner said. “It’s been four months. We skipped last month’s meeting. Nothing is going forward. We have to adhere to the law.”
“I call it ‘The Heart of Belleville,’” Kassab said of his site. “You can’t see a lake like that anywhere else but in Belleville.”
In other business at the May 8 meeting, the commission:
• Heard Kollmeyer say a joint meeting is being set up for 6 p.m. June 16 for the city council, Downtown Development Authority, and the planning commission to review the new sign ordinance. She said she is looking for a place large enough to hold the meeting;
• Heard Wagner express hope that Kassab’s project will proceed;
• Heard Commissioner John Juriga said that he had been quiet during this meeting. He said he had been a school teacher for many years with middle school students, “but tonight tried my patience … very painful”;
• Heard Jones announce there are still two vacancies on the nine-member planning commission. Renaud suggested they might want to reduce the size to the seven they have, but Kollmeyer said that took several steps to change the size; and
• Heard Kollmeyer said it is going to cost Kassab an additional fee to talk to Bahm. “She’s worn out,” Kollmeyer said of Bahm’s work on the Kassab project.