Sumpter Planners set public hearing on roller rink permit

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
The Sumpter Township Planning Commission has scheduled a 7:05 p.m., Feb. 12, public hearing after which it will decide whether to recommend revoking of the Special Exception Permit granted to the Sumpter Roller Rink.
The permit enables the rink, at 19750 Sumpter Road, to hold a variety of events besides skating.
At the commission’s regular meeting Jan. 8, township attorney Rob Young explained the situation and said the next step was to set the public hearing. Then, the planners would decide what they wanted to do and make a recommendation to the township board which would make the final decision.
Young said since the township granted the permit last spring a number of instances have occurred and the board thought it was appropriate to ask the planning commission to make a recommendation on whether the permit should be revoked.
Young said at the Feb. 12 meeting there would be a write up presented on activities at the rink and Bewey Horn would have every opportunity to present his side.
Young said before the Jan. 8 meeting, Horn told him there would not be any more parties such as those that caused problems in the past. Horn told him he wanted the planning commission to allow him to continue other events, including a food handout program that is being proposed.
“I’m going to take that as a good sign,” Young said, noting those comments indicate that Horn is taking steps that would not allow things to get out of control again.
Commission chairperson Jane Stalmack said she would like someone from the township’s police department present at the hearing and Young said Detective John Toth would be there.
Although the public hearing would be in February, members of the commission wanted to ask Horn and co-owner Kathleen Spires some questions and proceeded to do so.
Commissioner Sharon Claxton asked what were the parties that drew police to the rink and Horn said it was a college fraternity Halloween party.
Spires said those leasing the rink were from Eastern Michigan University and they had a contract saying they would have their own security and the firm was named on the contract.
“We leased to a bad customer and we handled it the best we could,” Spires said, adding, “Bewey called the police and a legal security company was on site when it occurred.”
Township Trustee Matthew Oddy, who sits on the commission as liaison to the board, said there were to be no exterior improvements, yet the rink has a new parking lot. He said there should have been a site plan.
Horn said he put stone on the grass behind the building and had no clue he couldn’t do that.
Oddy said the township ordinance department should make sure the ordinances are being followed. He said the township forced Keystone Academy to hard-surface their parking lot when they just wanted gravel.
“You’re saying that was part of the permit?” Spires asked in amazement.
“We never got any rules for it,” Horn said, noting they asked if there were any rules and were told it was just a Special Exception Permit.
“It was part of the planner’s review,” Oddy said.
The planner, Laura Kreps, was not present at that evening’s meeting.
“I’d like to see a copy of that,” Horn said, of the review.
Oddy said it was in the packet he received for that meeting. He referred to the Planning Commission meeting of May 8, 2014 when a public hearing was held and the commission voted to recommend approval to the board. At its May 13, 2014 meeting, the board of trustees approved a permit allowing rentals for parties at the rink.
Horn asked if the planner’s review was available to the public to see, since he said he never saw it.
“We came down and asked and they said we just had special use,” Horn repeated.
“Does it have to do with the special use permit?” Spires asked referring to the gravel on the grass.
Oddy said that was separate from the review of the special use, but he wanted it all to be done at the same time.
“They called and said they had some gravel,” he said not specifying who had called. “… Then I put it in on the grass so they wouldn’t be on the road,” Horn said, referring to a school group coming from Keystone. “I didn’t dig out the grass…”
Oddy asked attorney Young if Horn shouldn’t have come to the township for his parking lot expansion.
“You’re making up the rules now?” said an exasperated Horn.
“You guys were CC’d on it,” Oddy said.
“Revocation of the Special Exception Permit will come up in February and the police will say what happened,” Young said. “I’m confident something will be worked out.”
Commissioner Chris Walter-Hamm asked what event the rink had on New Year’s Day.
Spires said it was an all-night skate party for youngsters 12 to 15. She said it was a roller skating party held every year and they keep watch that older kids don’t come in or hang around outside.
Spires said a female police officer said the rink should put up “no loitering” signs and so they did on each corner.
After the commission set the date for the public hearing, Spires asked if she could speak during the Open Floor part of the meeting and commission chairwoman Stalmack gave her the floor.
Spires said it has been said that this was a financial situation. “No, it wasn’t,” she said, adding that they didn’t charge that much for use of the building. She passed out blue-covered packets of information to commission members. She said Det. Toth also has one of the folders.
“This is asking the planning commission to vote no to revoke,” Spires explained, detailing what they had put in the folder. “In the spring we applied and paid the fee to get permission to hold other than roller skating. We had the EMU frat house four to five times in the past without incident.”
She said on Aug. 19 they leased out the rink for an Oct. 30 party from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. to a fraternity group from EMU.
“We required them to sign a contract that said this is a non-smoking facility. No drugs or alcohol,” Spires said.
She said on Oct. 31 guests of the lease were in the parking lot at the gas station across the road and a fight erupted. Horn called the police.
She said Det. Toth has informed them just before this meeting that “cameras and footage” showed the fight happened in the rink’s parking lot. She said they didn’t know it was on their property until now.
“We did not want this for our community,” Spires said. “We decided to apologize to the police department and community.”
She said Horn went over to the police station and told them the rink would no longer rent to those types of organizations. She and Horn composed an apology letter that was printed in the Independent.
Spires said the detective made Horn feel like he did something wrong, like he was the perpetrator. Horn was asked why he didn’t report in his call to the police that there was a gun? Horn said he didn’t know there was a gun involved.
Spires said she and Horn opened the roller rink in 2010.
“We leased to the party in good faith … the incident, we thought, was not on our property,” she said. “Things happen everywhere… We cannot control that. We want to create a safe and fun place to be.”
She said that Deborah Baker of Growing Hope was with them that evening. She has proposed using the rink for marketing of locally grown food products.
Spires said they have had family parties and revivals and in October they established a teen dance club, once a month on a Friday.
Commissioner Joy Cichewicz asked how many big parties they have had, like the one on Halloween?
Spires said there have been seven parties of 200 or more people.
“It’s a terrible situation that happened,” Spires said of the violence.
The commissioners started referring to a list of calls where police had to go to the rink. Horn and Spires asked if they could see what they were looking at.
They were given a copy and, after looking over the list, Horn said there were just two calls listed for after-hours parties and the rest were for skating.
Horn said in September a girl called the police from outside the rink and nothing was found. She reported a man with a gun and Horn said he never saw a gun. Horn said the same girl reported an assault and there was no assault.
He said that girl was out there at three in the morning wearing a tether.
Spires said it was the police who told them they should get a Special Use permit, so they did.
“We don’t need the trouble,” Spires said, referring to not following the law.
Commissioner Cichewicz asked if it was possible to change the permit rather than revoke it and attorney Young said the commission could recommend that it be modified.
Chairperson Stalmack said the commission suggests to the township board. The neighbors will get letters for the public hearing, like they did for the May 8 public hearing.
Stalmack said she would like to hear more about the food project.
Baker said there is no request yet, but she would like the State to pay for a commercial kitchen for the rink.
“It’s just an idea,” Baker said.
Young said the planner could look at the project and make a recommendation.
Township Trustee Bill Hamm said from the audience that he was on the planning commission when the rink issue came before it. He recalls people would be allowed to bring in their own alcohol.
Spires said they did not apply for a liquor license.
Hamm said people could bring their own, he thought.
Young said it used to be that you would be able to bring alcohol if there was no cost to get in or it would be possible to get a one-day liquor license.
Hamm said the discussion that evening was almost like the public hearing that isn’t scheduled until Feb. 12. But this meeting is without the detective.
Horn said they are not allowed to bring alcohol.
“They got carried away, so we stopped it,” Horn said.
Spires said it is in the contract and they do NOT allow alcohol.
Kay Harris identified herself as a parent of one of the people that works at the Skate Park. She said the kind of people employed at the rink make a positive influence on their lives.
She said one child bullied another and the person went to the hospital. She said the kids went to court to testify, even though they see that bully at school.
“This one person caused all this and they never saw a gun,” Harris said of the Halloween incident. “I hate that one person brought this on.
“It made the college kids look bad and not all college kids are bad,” she said.
The Sumpter Roller Rink was built by John and Clara Januszyk in 1940 and has been in operation for 75 years.