A site plan for a new retail store was approved by the Mackinaw City Planning Commission Thursday, September 25. The store will fill the gap created at 301 East Central Avenue when a T-shirt store was destroyed by fire June 23. The shop is tentatively planned to sell women's apparel, but one of the owners, Nancy Porter, said that could change by the time the store opens next spring.

She and two sisters, Cheryl Jaquiss and Dawn Leher, will own the business. Their father, Frank Nephew, owns Joann's Fudge next door.

As part of an ongoing master plan revision, the commission reviewed and suggested changes to the future land use portion of the village master plan, a section described as the heart of the document owing to its potential to prompt zoning changes, explained Village Manager Jeff Lawson.

Mr. Lawson said current master plan revision meetings are designed to ensure that the commission, which includes several new members, fully understands the plan prior to a public hearing.

Mixed Commercial/Residential

The commission addressed the Mixed Commercial Residential area. This is the area around Lake Street and Third Street, an area of Mackinaw City that has not developed quickly into a busy commercial district, in part, because ferry boat parking areas have been stable for years, and residential homes remain there.

Mr. Lawson characterized it as "a district searching for its final identity."

The area is zoned for commercial use, and Mr. Lawson expects it to be suitable for small office space as it develops. It is not likely to be a viable retail area, unless a business were to locate there and create a setting that would draw more commercial traffic, he said.

A major point of interest in the area is Dry Dock Lake, owned by Arnold Transit Company. Although not village owned, it is an important part of the village drainage system for water from I- 75 and Nicolet Street.

The village hopes to purchase the lake and develop it as a public area, however, easements from several adjacent property owners will be needed, and environmental testing needs to be done on the lake.

Referencing other communities with similar projects, Commissioner Paul Allers suggested a boardwalk around Dry Dock Lake would be an attractive addition to the village.

This will be addressed under the village park plan, Mr. Lawson said.

Dick Moehl said public planning strategy sessions with former community development director Steve Schnell produced enthusiastic support for the development.

"It could be absolutely fantastic," he said. "There has been some thought process already done. You could turn [Dry Dock Lake] into an absolute silk purse."

Commissioner Nancy Dean questioned whether any new ferry operation in the mixed commercial/ residential area would require on-site parking.

"If somebody new came in and tried to develop a new dock, their parking would [have to be] on site [and its size] based on their vessels' capacity," Mr. Lawson said.

All current boat lines have onsite parking and secondary parking.

Owing to changes in regulations over time, the town's ferry lines may have more parking than the village requires. This could enable them to create more buildings on their properties, Mr. Lawson said.

General Commercial

Protecting Mackinaw City's views of the Straits of Mackinac, the Mackinac Bridge, and the downtown district was raised as the main point in the discussion of the general commercial district.

Commissioners expressed concern about maintaining views of the area from highways. Several noted that it is important for travelers to see that the downtown area is busy and vibrant.

After extensive discussion, commissioners asked Mr. Lawson to add language to the master plan emphasizing the need to protect views from the highway.

The General Commercial area is composed of several zones stretching east of the municipal marina, and south to areas near the southern portion of M-23 where it enters the village. Much of the district is valuable property, Mr. Lawson said. It contains a portion of Mackinaw Crossings, Mackinac Bay Trading Company, and property owned by Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry Company.

The southern portion of the area is in transition, said Mr. Lawson. It was once dominated by hotels, but many have closed. It is viable commercial property that is more of a service business district than a retail business district, he said.

Portions of the area have building restrictions to prevent creating a wall between I-75 and the view of the village, however, some areas allow buildings up to 45 feet high.

Resident Sandy Planisek said that, at one time, she studied the area and recommended requiring sloping elevations for buildings. This way, the view would remain open from the highways. There are locations that warrant protected corridors for the views, she said.

Engineers drawings are on file that show the view plane from the highway that commissioners seek to protect, Mr. Lawson said.

Established maps will define what areas need to be protected from view obstruction.

Commissioner Edward "Bo" Whipkey, an artist, encouraged the commission to take perspective into its deliberations. He said that placing signs near the highway can dwarf the more distant views that the commission would like travelers and visitors to focus on.

Mr. Lawson agreed that this would be something to assess.

Commercial-Tourism

Lodging

The most debated area in Mackinaw City, in terms of land use, surfaced in the commission's review of the Commercial- Tourism Lodging area, a large swath of lakefront properties along Huron Avenue, stretching north and south of the state dock. The master plan treats it as one homogenous section, despite two distinct zones that vary dramatically in uses allowed: the general business district (B2) and the marina commercial (MC) district.

Two strongly worded areas of the plan contradict each other, commissioners noted. One describes the need for hotels, which are allowed in B2. Another describes the need to protect the waterfront from development that could block the view of the water, which is part of the intent of the MC's restrictions.

Clarification is needed, they said, because this part of the master plan led to confusion during the recent debate over the zoning of Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry Company property.

Commissioners noted that inconsistencies in the master plan led lawyers to cite the plan in their push to place Shepler's property in the relatively unrestricted B2 district, rather than the marina commercial district, which is much more restricted.

To clarify the master plan, commissioners directed Mr. Lawson to write a paragraph in it describing restrictions in the marina commercial district, rather than treating the entire area as one homogenous zone.

The addition is needed so that the master plan is logical and consistent, Mr. Most said.