Island Master Plan Work Slated To Begin June 29

Island Master Plan work is slated to begin Wednesday, June 29, with initial discussion to center around getting organized, setting priorities, and mapping out a strategy. The meeting was set during the Planning Commission’s monthly meeting Tuesday, June 14.

Leading the city through the Master Plan updating process will be Connie Dimond of JJR, an Ann Arbor consulting firm. The service will cost the city $50,000. State law requires municipalities to review and, if needed, revise the plan every five years.

Building Inspector Dennis Dombroski said the city is developing a Web site and a page would be dedicated to the master plan progress.

Committee members will be working to update the current Master Plan that was adopted August 4, 1999. The committee will include three members each from the planning commission, city council, and residential community, along with city staff.

Commissioners also discussed and sent to the Zoning Board of Appeals a request for a variance to change an existing storage building into a commercial rental storage building with an attached apartment. Richard Coates has asked for a variance to change a storage building previously used by Stonecliffe Mansion for hotel accessory storage to a commercial building that would be used as storage rental space.

Mr. Coates said the building would be subdivided into 10 or more 12-foot by 14-foot rental units that could be used for storage of items like snowmobiles. Part of the building also would be converted to an apartment.

“It sounds like a nice use of the building,” said Commissioner Mary Dufina, who added that she would like to see a site plan.

The Commission asked that the site plan include roads, parking, and a garbage storage, and asked for a modified floor plan showing the storage area partitions, a modified apartment floor plan, and a list of materials to be stored in the building.

The next Planning Commission meeting will be Tuesday, July 12, at 3 p.m. at City Hall.