In the competition to attract tourist dollars, the Mackinaw City Planning Commission Thursday, October 23, briefly discussed the allure of sidewalk cafes as part of a continuing examination of the village's master plan for land use.

Sidewalk cafes were suggested by consultant Dan Burden in his September Walkable Communities study as an example of an enhanced facility for pedestrians and cyclists to inject vigor into downtown areas.

Village Manager Jeff Lawson said the community allows outdoor cafes on private property, but not on public property. Scalawags on East Central, for example, has outdoor dining space on its own property.

Commissioner Jeff Hingston said: "I'm not opposed to it. The concern is congestion. Now, I can only develop 80% of the footprint of my building. Now, if we're going to allow the outdoor cafe, how does that fit into that formula? Maybe the whole thing will have to be rewritten. If it's okay for a restaurant to do an outdoor cafe, why shouldn't I, as a retailer, be allowed to use all my square footage?"

No action was taken on the sidewalk cafe discussion.

In other matters, the commission recommended that language be strengthened in the master plan to protect the water "viewshed" of Mackinac Island and Lake Huron. Commissioner Nancy Dean objected to the word "glimpses," for example, as being not strong enough, and recommended "views of Lake Huron along the corridor."