Ira Green's proposed new bicycle rental shop on Main Street is being reviewed by the city architect. (Plan by Barry J. Polzin Architects) Owner Ira Green is asking to turn McNally Cottage bed and breakfast into a three-apartment home for seasonal employees on Mackinac Island, and the Planning Commission, meeting Tuesday, February 10, set a hearing for for 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, for public discussion of the change of use for the commercially zoned property.

Mr. Green and a small group of partners purchased the cottage December 4. The deal also included two undeveloped waterfront lots across the street from the cottage on Main Street, where Mr. Green operates a bicycle rental business, Island Bike Rental.

Mr. Green's plans are to convert the house into three apartments, allowing one family or up to five non-related occupants per apartment.

There are 11 bedrooms in the cottage, and Mr. Green wants to redesign the interior for a 1,327- square-foot, four-bedroom apartment, a 962-square-foot, fourbedroom apartment, and a 1,115- square-foot, three-bedroom apartment.

Alterations to McNally Cottage will be reviewed by the city owing to the structure's contribution to Mackinac Island's National Historic Landmark status. Making interior changes to a nationally or state-recognized historic structure does not affect its historic status, according to the State Historic Preservation Office.

Plans submitted by Mr. Green do not suggest any exterior changes to the home.

At the same meeting, Mr. Green proposed a new layout for his bicycle rental business across the street, and this plan was tabled for a review by the city architect, Rick Neumann of Petoskey.

The plans include the addition of six covered bicycle storage bays on the mostly-vacant lakefront lot, and several modifications to the building there. Fences along the sidewalk will control bicycle traffic to the street and there will be a pedestrian walkway to the beach. An alternative plan will include a boardwalk along the beach.

A site plan to develop the 46- acre Hedgecliff estate into 61 single family lots was submitted by Elliot Cohen, and the Planning Commission tabled it for more information.

The layout is identical to the plan the Cohens submitted to the Master Plan Committee in September 2005, except for the addition of road names. (The plan can be seen on the Mackinac Island Town Crier Web site, www.MackinacIslandTownCrier.c om, 2005 archives.)

The property is zoned Cottage District and Residential Shoreline, as sections of it are along M- 185. A cottage on the property is included with Lot 1.

The Cohen parcel has been a topic of discussion at Master Plan Committee meetings, where members have said they would like to see the existing open space preserved or maintained at least as low density residential use.

Mr. Cohen was not present at the planning commission meeting.

Tim and Sherry Plutchak's request to add a deck on the third floor to their new home at Forest Bluff was approved. The deck was in their original plans but later removed. The Plutchaks have now decided to add it to the home.

Roger and Linda Billhardt asked that the Commission table their request for zoning approval of their new single family home in Stonecliffe Manor IV, as plans were not ready for review at the time of the meeting. Plans will be presented to Commission in March.