Requests approved for new retail space

ST. CLAIR SHORES — At its meeting on Jan. 6, the St. Clair Shores City Council approved a series of motions for a new retail space by 6-1 votes.

Councilwoman Candice Rusie cast the opposing vote in all three requests submitted by St. Clair Retail Management LLC.

The requests included rezoning two parcels of land from multiple family low rise to a general business district. The parcels are on Nine Mile Road east of Greater Mack where St. Mary’s nursing home used to be, and a separate parcel that was owned by the city. The second request was for a special land use for a drive-thru restaurant. Another request was for site plan approval for a retail center that includes a drive-thru restaurant and tenant spaces.

A Panera Bread location with adjacent retail spaces is reportedly planned for the development.

Attorney Bob Kirk of Kirk, Huth, Lange & Badalamenti PLC, presented the item on behalf of the petitioner, along with St. Clair Shores City Planner Liz Koto. He said the building has been closed over five years.

“The uses under the zoning are not conducive and couldn’t be really used for residential because of the configuration of the property and the Nine Mile frontage,” Kirk said during the first item in the planning case.

He also said they believe their plans are “consistent” with the downtown area and surrounding properties.

“It will not affect the traffic,” Kirk said. “We understand there is residential abutting (it) but in older cities like this, even newer cities, there was never any plans made for buffer zones, so we have a lot of commercial abutting retail — commercial uses, but your zoning ordinance addresses it.”

Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Dave Rubello said changes like this have to be made to continue building excitement in the downtown. He also mentioned around five letters attached to their documents from residents who reportedly border the property’s wall.

“These types of decisions (happen) when you rezone and you try to create things and we all get up and want to see the city move forward,” Rubello said during the first item in the planning case. “I’m all in favor of this whole project and we just have to really make sure that we do, we try to keep the residents behind there happy also, because everyone’s living together back there, right?”

Rubello also mentioned the property as it stands is a mess.

Rusie said she thinks the current zoning is appropriate as a buffer transition zone. She also mentioned a previous case involving a different drive-thru restaurant that the City Council turned down.

“And this actually would, I think, impact more residents, and just the shape of, the irregular shape of the parcel,” Rusie said.

Rusie also asked if there were any blight cases open against the property. Koto replied that there were cases open against it at the time of the meeting.

“We do have open code enforcement violations on the property right now, but we don’t have it as a blight case at circuit court,” Koto said.

During the site plan approval, concerns about ingress and egress and sound came up. Kirk explained that the petitioners are willing to add a second access point and remove the currently planned access on Glen Court.

Councilman John Caron brought up the concerns about sound and Alejandro Fernandez of Stonefield Engineering and Design, said they have newer technology that allows them to control the volume called automatic volume control.

“It’s a feature that’s going to ensure that at no point the noise coming out of the menu board is 15 decibels above noise level,” Fernandez said. “That’s the sound of leaves rustling, like autumn leaves, and it will never be above 60 decibels at any point, and that’s like a normal conversation between two people.”