Belleville Planning Commission works on new Master Plan

For more than an hour and a half on Dec. 12, the Belleville Planning Commission took part in a workshop led by Andy Aamodt of Giffels Webster planning consultants that is a step in the overall rewriting of the city’s Master Plan.
Aamodt reported on results of the first public survey, which covered the workforce in the local economy. Thirty-nine people from the city of Belleville responded, along with 75 from Van Buren Township and 15 from Sumpter Township. People who work in the city, own a business in the city, or regularly visit the city were invited to participate in the online survey.
At the Dec. 12 meeting, Aamodt directed commissioners to get out their cell phones and click on a Q code to answer additional questions on the economy and related issues. The results then appeared on the screen on the wall.
The objectives from the 2006 Master Plan were discussed with some being deemed ongoing and left in. An objective to “Develop the old world tradition of the city,” would be removed in the new Master Plan since commissioners agreed they didn’t know what that meant.
A long discussion was held on Van Buren Township’s Sumpter Road Corridor overlay district for areas which adjoin city parcels. The objective to coordinate with Van Buren Township on a joint overlay district to unite the district was supported.
Commissioners said the Sumpter Road Corridor could be discussed at the Jan. 29 joint meeting of the Belleville, Van Buren, and Sumpter planning commissions.
City Manager Jason Smith said the Sumpter Road Corridor is a gateway to the city and commission chairman Michael Hawkins said it is important to have coordination with Van Buren Township.
When discussing parking considerations, city manager Smith said the city really doesn’t need a parking structure now, but footings have been put in place in the new parking area behind the former hardware store so a second story of parking could be put up there, if needed.
When discussing the need for the commission to be flexible, Smith said a flow chart is needed for developers, who don’t have the time to sift through the zoning ordinance to find how to move forward in a project.
Smith said when he was Downtown Development Director at a different municipality, he put together such a flow chart and he showed the commission. A developer can click on the site of the proposed project and the program will give a list of what needs to be done to move forward for that zoning.
Aamodt said a new survey for public input on housing will be posted Dec. 13 or Dec. 16 as part of the step-by-step Master Plan information gathering.
In other business at the one-hour-and-52-minute meeting, the commission:
• Unanimously approved the new commission bylaws, updated by councilwoman/commissioner Julie Kissel. The bylaws will be reviewed each January to keep them up to date. Smith said the bylaws will be posted on the Boards and Commissions page online;
• Learned the city council will consider moving its meeting time to 6:30 p.m. instead of the present 7:30 p.m. Commissioners agreed 6:30 p.m. would be a good time for them to meet, as well. City manager Jason Smith said he will have a list of the meetings for 2025 at the January meeting and that meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. The commission agreed the second Thursday of each month is a good time to meet; and
• Heard commissioner Jim Courage say he would like to see a better, updated zoning map of the city.
Absent from the Dec. 12 meeting were Becky Hasen, John Juriga, and Mark Kowalski.