City Council drew the line at new restaurants in downtown, voting against conditional rezoning of 59 S. Main Street, the Sutherland Building.
Councilman Mike Sabol voted against rezoning the apartment building into a restaurant to maintain a “buffer” between businesses and residences at the southwest end of downtown.
“The Plum House and other properties south of there also at one time were commercial properties,” Sabol said at the Aug. 10 meeting. “My concern is if you knock one domino down, the rest of them could start falling.”
Clarkston resident Don Carmody was confused about the rejection.
“There is no buffering at the other borders of the historic district,” Carmody said at the meeting. “You’re not the Supreme Court. You’re not setting precedent ? you should evaluate what he presented and make your decision based on that.”
The building owners filed for rezoning from multiple residential to commercial last February. It was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission in March, but City Council sent it back for conditional rezoning, to ensure it could only be used as a restaurant. An amended plan was submitted in June. The Clarkston Planning Commission recommended against the plan at its Aug. 3 meeting.
“We feel conditional zoning should be approved,” said developer Larry Barnett.
Sabol, who serves on the planning commission as council liaison, and Council members Al Avery, Eric Haven, Thomas Hunter, Sharron Catallo, and Mayor Joe Luginsky voted at the Aug. 10 meeting to uphold the Planning Commission’s recommendation against rezoning.
Councilman David Marsh voted against the motion.
“There is information I would like to think over, to mull over,” Marsh said. “I don’t want to go either way, to be honest with you.”
During discussion at the meeting, Barnett pointed out the former Baptist Church at 54 S. Main Street, built around 1847, is now a restaurant ? the Clarkston Union, owned by Curt Catallo, Sharron’s son.
“The parsonage (Union General) is now a fudge shop,” Barnett said. “I’m not here to throw stones at Mr. Catallo, but there’s a double standard here. I think it should be the same for everybody.”
City resident Lorry Mahler said Church Street residents should receive the same buffer considerations.
“I don’t remember anything about thinking about people living in residential zones (during Union Joints restaurant discussions),” Mahler said at the meeting. “As long as everybody judged same standards, it’s good.”
Union Joints is moving forward with plans to redevelop 28 S. Main Street, currently Morgan’s autobody shop, and the city DPW garage at 3. E. Church Street into two restaurants.
Comparing the Union Joints restaurant plans with the Sutherland Building proposal is “apples to oranges,” said Cara Catallo, chair of the Clarkston Historic District Commission and Curt Catallo’s sister.
“This is a unique zoning ? the zoning exists to protect the neighborhood,” Cara said. “It’s not to make the most money for the people who own the property.”
Sharron Catallo said she and Haven were on the council in 1986 when Sutherland Building owners requested a zoning change from commercial to multiple residential.
“To some of us, it didn’t seem like the best idea at that time,” Sharron said. “The reason we decided it could possibly be a great move, is we realized homes to the south would be protected, and the Sutherland house would be protected.”
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Renewed membership in the Traffic Improvement Association of Michigan could provide answers to downtown parking, said City Council member Sharron Catallo at the Aug. 10 meeting.
“A parking study through them, once we join, would be free,” Catallo said. “When we used to be a member, they always did a great job.”
The association, a non-profit agency of governments and businesses, charges about $300 to join, she said.
Mayor Joe Luginsky said city planner Dick Carlisle will also provide a quote on what Carlisle/Wortman Associates would charge for a study. The council will consider the issue at its next meeting, Aug. 24, Luginski said.
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Clarkston City Council is looking for residents interested in serving on a new Communications Committee.
Councilman Al Avery will serve as chair.
“I’ve had a numberof discussions with folks about it,” said Mayor Joe Luginski. “A couple years ago, the city website was outdated and had no links. You couldn’t do anything with it. Since then, the website has come a long way, but we still need improvement.”
For information, call the city at 248-625-1559.