Since a fire destroyed the old building on March 4, 2004, the new Sagebrush Cantina has had several tentative grand opening dates, going back to the beginning of this summer.
Owner Dia Zaraga had hoped to open his restaurant, located at the same Broadway Street address as the old Sagebrush, in late September, but told the Lake Orion Village Council on Sept. 11 that the grand opening will now more likely be sometime in mid-October.
Zaraga was before the council looking for approval to place a permanent Dumpster in an enclosure on village property at the intersection of Front and Lapeer Streets.
The council voted to allow Zaraga to post $500 in an escrow account to allow the village attorney to begin working on a license agreement to use the property, while the council waited to hear back from Zaraga regarding dimensions for the project.
Zaraga said in the past a Dumpster used by the Wagon Wheel restaurant was placed at that location by a disposal company. The company moved the Dumpster once it was pointed out that it was on village property.
Brad Klein of Steven Auger and Associates told the council it would be a double Dumpster with a trash enclosure, providing a consolidated trash area for several businesses.
Zaraga indicated that CJ’s Village Cafe owner Carl Slomczenski had given verbal approval to the idea.
‘Verbally, Carl told me he’s all for it. It would clear up the eyesores and take care of the (garbage) truck problems,? Zaraga said. ‘This would allow an additional parking space in the back lot.?
He said it would also allow better maneuverability for garbage trucks, and keep them from stopping in the village streets.
‘The biggest reason (for this) is the transformer went behind the building where the old Dumpster used to be,? said Zaraga, adding that all the wires were put underground, but that a lot of space was still lost behind the building.
He added that an enclosed Dumpster would be a lot more attractive for the surrounding businesses.
‘It will also get the cans out of the alleyway by CJ’s,? Zaraga said.
President Pro-Tem Ken Van Portfliet said he was for a ‘community solution? to the trash problem, but he said he was concerned that Zaraga had not presented the council with any dimensions for the enclosure.
Klein said the Dumpster would be about 24 feet clear and wide. Van Portfliet noted that there’s 19 feet between the transformer and fire hydrant.
‘I’m not sure this will fit,? he said, adding that he also wanted to know if there were any setbacks required for the hydrant and transformer.
‘We would like to get conceptual approval so we can go on to the next step,? Klein said. ‘We’re pretty confident it will work.?
President Bill Siver thought it sounded like a ‘win-win situation,? and council member Michael Toth said even with two Dumpsters, there might have to be daily trash pick-up.
‘Definitely,? agreed Zaraga, adding that at the old Sagebrush, trash was picked up after business hours.
Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel said residents at the Verwood, located just down Broadway from Sagebrush, had complained in the past about trash being picked up at the restaurant at night.
‘It was all kinds of loud noise,? she said. ‘I would be opposed to anything between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.?
Toth asked who would be responsible for cleaning the trash enclosure, and Zaraga said he believed the Sagebrush would take turns with the other businesses.
‘I think it’s a fantastic idea,? Toth said. ‘But I want to make sure those variances are looked at very closely for the fire hydrant.?
Van Portfliet said those were all issues that could be addressed in the license agreement. Village attorney Gary Dovre said he would caution the village about entering into an agreement for a ‘permanent? Dumpster.
‘A license agreement is not permanent, and usually is revokable,? he said. ? You would be advocating public property for private use…it’s referred to as a ‘community? Dumpster, but it sounds like it would be limited.?
Dovre added that he thought the arrangement could be legally accomplished, but he would not recommend making it permanent.
‘If we can provide a service for this small community of buildings and centralize where they pick up garbage, it’s right for us to do that,? Siver said.
Van Tassel added that she would like to see any business having access to the Dumpster be included in the license agreement.
Steven Auger and Associates is to do a survey to determine the dimensions for the Dumpster and enclosure, and forward those plans to the village so that they can be sent to the fire chief and Detroit Edison for comment.
The council agreed that if those reports came back that the dimensions were satisfactory, the attorney would provide a license agreement.
To speed up the process, they gave Zaraga the option of putting money in escrow now so an agreement could be drafted at the same time the dimensions were being considered.
‘You don’t have to do that, but you can if you want to,? Toth told Zaraga.
‘I can’t open up without that,? Zaraga said of the Dumpster. ‘But I would like to wait and see if it will fit.?