The Mackinaw City Village Planning Commission approved a site plan and special use permit to Citizens National Bank to convert half of its building on Nicolet Street into a medical clinic. The commission approved plans for the clinic, to be operated by Mackinac Straits Health System of St. Ignace, at a special meeting Thursday, July 9. The clinic awaits final approval from the Village Council.

Work on the clinic is expected to be completed in the fall, with patients receiving care soon after. The 1,582-square-foot space will include a reception and lobby area, offices, and three examination rooms.

Tamie Hartwig, chief planning officer for the St. Ignace-based hospital, said the hospital is interviewing people to staff the facility, which will include one nursing receptionist and either a physician's assistant or a nurse practitioner.

"We would require, if it's a nurse-practitioner or physician's assistant, that they would have a minimum of three years of family practice experience so that we would be comfortable with them working on their own," she said. "We are also looking at a physician at this time, too. We're keeping our options open. We know we have one shot to bring in someone that does an excellent job, so we're being very particular."

Mackinaw City Village Manager Jeff Lawson said the site plan was, more or less, a formality because no changes are to be made to the exterior of the building.

"It simply is a record for the review itself. There are no additions or changes to the site," he said. "The only provision we looked at here was to make sure the parking was adequate, which it is."

The site requires a minimum of 28 parking spaces and two handicap spaces; it has 42 spaces and three handicap spaces.

Mrs. Hartwig said her office is looking into the possibility of providing a pharmacy or pharmacy services to the public, including possibly having prescriptions filled at nearby pharmacies delivered by courier to the clinic.

"The hospital is looking for a way to be able to deliver prescriptions in a convenient way," she said. "We're looking into the possibility to get prescriptions filled for the community."

As it is now, Mr. Lawson said, the clinic would be able to provide prescriptions to patients, but a fullscale pharmacy would be considered a retail space and require special use permits.

The commission was enthusiastic to approve the plans for the clinic; all present voted yes to approve the permits and plans. Commissioner John Riemer was absent.

Commission Chair Rob Most expressed his jubilation over the potential clinic, saying, "It's a wonderful idea. Many people have been looking forward to it. We're very pleased."

Commissioner Paul Allers said he was also pleased by plans for the Village's first medical clinic since the 1980s.

Rosada Mann, Edward Whipkey, Mary Clark, Florence Tracy, and Nancy Dean also sit on the village Planning Commission.

Signs approved at Mackinaw Crossings

The commission also approved dual four-square-foot signs for the Petoskey Stone Creamery in the Mackinaw Crossings mall to display ice cream and fudge flavors. The signs will be displayed on either side of the shop's exterior ordering window, located at the north end of the mall's Huron Avenue entrance.

Crossings Assistant Manager Sarah Grant said two larger signs were temporarily put in place, in violation of the village sign ordinance, before the Fourth of July holiday weekend to help generate business for the store. The sign ordinance allows business centers, like the mall, one sign per shop, or two signs if the business has two doors, Mr. Lawson said.

Mrs. Grant explained the shop has lower foot-traffic than the rest of the mall owing to its location outside of the mall's core business area. Her original application requested the use of two 16-square-foot signs, however, the commission felt that was too large. A compromise was agreed upon with the two-by-twofoot signs.

"I support that because of the uniqueness of the property and because of the way the window is situated. The two signs will actually enhance the symmetry of the whole thing," said Commissioner Clark.