Procrastination is what members of the Mackinac Island Planning Commission and its city attorney say has stalled the city's master plan update. The discussion was sparked by the ongoing question of allowing artificial wood on buildings that contribute to the Island's National Historic Landmark status.

A request to allow the artificial wood, called Azek, to be used on window trim on May's Candy building on Main Street was tabled after commissioners, at a regular meeting Tuesday, December 9, voted 4-3 to allow the trim to be used.

Commissioners Michael Straus, Jim Bazinaw, and Trish Martin voted against allowing May's Candy Shop to use artificial wood to repair its window trim. Commissioners Lee Finkel, Jim Pettit, Mary Dufina, and Chairman Bob Brown voted to allow it.

The issue isn't addressed in the city's master plan, adopted in 1999, and the nine-member master plan committee appointed to update the document has not met since last spring.

Fake wood trim, however, likely will be discussed by a newly formed Historical Preservation Committee appointed by Mayor Margaret Doud two months ago, chaired by Councilman Michael Hart. The committee has yet to meet.

As for the stalled progress of the master plan review, Mr. Evashevski takes most of the blame.

"We are depending on staff that can do only so much," he told the planning commissioners. "Over the years, we got only some work done, but then the annual bike and business licenses come up, and the next thing you know, the master plan is put on the shelf again. I am part of the blame, as well. I hope we can eventually get it done."

The May's Candy window trim replacement project was put on hold by Building Inspector Dennis Dombroski after discovering artificial wood was being used to replace rotted wood around the building's windows.

"That's been the discussion all summer, [whether] to allow just wood products or artificial or plastic products, too," said Mr. Dombroski, who added that the city does not require any applications or permits to replace trim. "I stopped work at the store because I thought, with the Island being concerned with losing its National Historical Landmark status to modern development, that it needs to be discussed if we are going to allow plastic to replace what has traditionally been wood siding and trim on the building."

The issue will ultimately be decided by the City Council or the Historic Preservation Committee, said Mrs. Dufina.

"That artificial matter may last longer, but it may affect our National Historic Landmark status," said Mr. Straus. "We need to pursue this through an ordinance so we don't have to keep bringing this up."

The Planning Commission has been trying to figure out whether artificial wood products, which last longer and require little maintenance, help or hinder the national standards for historic preservation.

"We need to express to City Council the need for a change," said Mrs. Dufina, speaking of the lack of guidance in the matter, "but it's up to us to spend a little time to come up with a solution."

In 2005, the city hired the services of Connie Dimond of JJ&R in Ann Arbor to help steer the city through the master plan update, for $50,000, providing a master plan committee with a work list of information needed, with the biggest needs being maximum build-out figures in three key areas of the Island - downtown, Mission Point Resort area, and Stonecliffe area - that have space to develop, and a future land use map.

Because the committee has stalled on the work and more and more requests for use of artificial wood is coming to the Planning Commission's table, commissioners discussed possibly hiring a consultant to go through Ms. Dimond's work list step by step, though the Commission agreed it should find a more affordable consultant, if that is the route they choose to take.

"I'm not sure where the historical committee is, but we need professional help to do this, just like we did last time," said Mrs. Dufina.

Mr. Straus agreed.

"We need a plan that has a significant impact and, also, a long-range plan is needed," he said. "We need to find the best compromise with these materials. The issue is the whole big picture, not just May's windows. It may be just four windows here, but look at the big picture, like what happens if all our windows go through the same thing."