Mackinaw City Eyes Island Sign Ordinance as Example

Overnight parking, commercial building appearance, and window displays were discussed by the Mackinaw City Ordinance Committee at a meeting Wednesday, June 24.

An amendment to overnight parking in the Village of Mackinaw City will make overnight parking in front of businesses illegal all year, if it is approved by the village council.

The original ordinance forbids overnight parking only during the winter, Village Manager Jeffery Lawson said. The amendment will clarify that overnight parking is illegal throughout the year.

"Common sense" would be applied when the amendment would take effect, he added. Leaving a car overnight at a bar instead of driving home drunk would not result in a fine, for example.

In some cases, apartment tenants are unable to find parking near their complexes, Mr. Lawson said. Some tenants have resorted to parking on commercial property as a result. The ordinance board reviews ordinances regularly, he said, but residents parking on commercial property also prompted the parking review.

The original parking limit in front of businesses is three hours. Parking longer than that could hurt potential business, he said.

No date has been set to present the proposal to the village council.

In other discussion, the committee considered creating an appearance standard for commercial property. Discussion was prompted by some business owners using brightly colored paint on their buildings. The committee is interested in preserving the image of Mackinaw City.

Mr. Lawson said the committee could approach the issue in two ways: Educate commercial property owners about aesthetic appeal or create an ordinance and enforce it.

Either way, pre-approved materials and a color palette could be used. Owners would refer to a list of materials and colors when starting a new business or making changes to an existing one.

An ordinance would add the power of enforcement.

The board decided to seek legal counsel before discussing the matter further. An ordinance would have to be tailored so that only commercial properties are affected, Mr. Lawson said, and it would need to be presented to the village council for approval.

The committee would like to put measures in place to make sure store windows are not cluttered with signs.

A sign ordinance was mulled over by the board, as well. Signs must be placed an inch from the inside of a businesses' window, Mr. Lawson said, rather than attached directly to the window glass. Owners are obeying this rule, however some have been filling windows up to the point where people cannot see through them. An ordinance to prevent excessive window clutter would also make commercial property appearances more uniform. With the same goal, the board is reviewing a Mackinac Island sign ordinance that regulates signage near entrances and prevents owners from cluttering up windows, Mr. Lawson said. No action was taken during the meeting.