Belleville planners set public hearing on boat parking changes

After a Nov. 9 discussion on the subject of boat parking in driveways, an issue for more than a dozen years, the Belleville Planning Commission agreed to set a public hearing on a proposed ordinance amendment to allow it during the summer months.
The public hearing was proposed to be at the commission’s next meeting, at 7 p.m, Thursday, Dec. 14.
At a recent city council meeting, Adam Beyer, president of the Victoria Commons Homeowners Association, explained his situation. He has a boat he uses in the summer and he keeps it in his driveway in between launches into the lake.
He said he can’t keep it in his rear yard because his back yard is fenced in. He said he launches at Sandy’s Marina and it costs $400 a year to park the trailer at the marina for the season, so he brings it home.
Belleville’s new city manager Jason Smith said he had talked with members of the community and has come up with a plan.
“Being a lakefront community, it makes sense to allow for some specific allowance of boat parking,” he wrote in a memo to the commission. “It is recommended that it be seasonal in nature, and very specific to who can park what type of boat and where. Rather than forcing residents to tear up their lawn or place their boat in the garage or a storage unit, this gives them flexibility without undermining the spirit of the ordinance.”
City Manager Smith said he did research by calling other lake communities, including Gibraltar and Tawas City.
“Belleville is notorious for not enforcing those rules,” commissioner John Juriga said, referring to boat parking.
“I got many tickets,” Beyer replied.
Commissioner Julie Kessler asked if the amendment would conflict with the Victoria Commons HOA rules.
Beyer said he is president of the HOA and it is prepared to change the HOA bylaws to allow the parking.
Beyer said many people in Victoria Commons have received tickets for parking their boats in their driveways and he has been ticketed the worst.
Commissioner Kissler suggested changing the wording in the proposed amendment to “personal watercraft” instead of “boat” and Smith said that could be done.
“I think it’s good we’re looking at things as they occur,” said commissioner Randy Priest.
“We advertise that we’re a City on the Lake and we should act like that,” said commission chairman Mike Hawkins.
Assistant city manager Steve Jones said after the public comments on Dec. 14, the commission can recommend the amendment to the city council, which will hold its own public hearing and take a vote.
Commissioners Priest and Kissel were elected to the city council on Nov. 7, so they have to resign from the planning commission before they are sworn into council office on Dec. 4.
In other business at the 52-minute meeting, the commission:
• Approved the proposed sign for Health Markets at 186 Main St. as requested by Mike Gatteri, who was present via cell phone being held by his associate in the audience. Building Official Rick Rutherford said the sign meets the regulations. Commissioner Juriga said he liked the tree that had been on the property and, “It was too bad you had to cut that tree down. It was a beautiful tree.” Commissioner Priest agreed, adding, “I miss the tree, too. A lovely tree, but it was your tree”;
• Heard Priest ask questions about items that were in the March minutes, the last meeting the commission had held. He asked about the proposed loop road for 515 Sumpter Rd. and the lack of handicapped parking at the new shopping center by the bridge. “They were in a big hurry to get this done nine months ago and now it’s just setting,” said commissioner Juriga; and
• Heard commissioners Priest and Juriga talk about the plans for an outdoor development that were presented for the Main/Liberty Street shopping center that fell through the cracks. Juriga said carpeting from a high school was laid down there. Rutherford said what was presented to the commission was used as space for additional parking “I’ll make myself a note and put a check on the status of that.” Rutherford said there are three handicap parking spots on all three corners of the development. “It’s not in our scope to follow it in the detail you want,” chairman Hawkins said to Juriga and Priest.