Jul. 27—ELK RAPIDS — Hotels in the downtown business district will need to provide private parking for overnight guests, at least one parking space per room, officials said, following a spirited public discussion about amending the zoning ordinance.
The Village’s zoning ordinance regulating hotels, motels and inns currently states overnight lodging in the commercial district near US-31 requires private on-site parking of at least one space per room, while inn-type lodging in the downtown business district has no parking requirement at all.
A majority of planning commissioners last month said they favored a half parking space per room requirement for downtown lodging establishments, although several residents who spoke during a packed meeting Tuesday said that didn’t make sense.
“I’m just trying to understand this point-five parking situation,” said Ellen Vasquez, who identified herself as a longtime village resident. Regardless of where it is, I don’t know anybody that drives half a car.
Vasquez and others expressed concerns that overnight lodgers, if not provided on-site parking, would park on residential streets, on homeowners’ lawns and occupy public parking that local businesses needed for their customers.
“Taxpayers should not be compelled to bail out a business,” said Diane Richter, a frequent attendee and commenter at village municipal meetings. This is not government‘s job.
Richter was referencing what she said were ongoing issues with The Dexter Hotel, which opened in May after being approved for a special-use permit as the first, and so far, only large inn to build downtown.
Planning Commission Chair Matt Conrad interrupted Richter — prior to public comment, he told the crowd of attendees they could speak about potential changes to the zoning ordinance, but that he didn’t want to get “bogged down” in a discussion about The Dexter Hotel.
Richter said her comments were relevant to the ordinance, Conrad ultimately invited her to continue, there was light applause when she finished by asking planning commissioners to “please enforce our well-thought-out ordinance.”
Other commenters, too, said they believed comments related to the Dexter should be aired.
“Who arrives in half a car?” asked Christie Lozen-Looney, a retired teacher and president of Elk River Cove Condo Association, located near The Dexter Hotel. “Our condo association has already seen an increase in more people trying to park in our parking lot.”
The Dexter’s original application called for 40 rooms; that was later reduced to 20 rooms, though a number of attendees said privately and publicly they believed the developer sought to add another five rooms after being denied a liquor license at their on-site bar.
Michigan statute requires a minimum of 25 rooms for a hotel liquor license, records show.
A spokesperson for C4C Companies, developer of The Dexter Hotel, said Thursday the company had not requested adding five rooms. The facility’s on-site bar, The Noble Club, has a tavern license allowing for the sale of beer, wine and seltzer, records show.
Several commenters asked for clarity on whether their comments would be taken into consideration when planning commissioners made decisions and why there appeared to be a sense of urgency to revise the hotel-related zoning ordinance when it hadn’t been formally requested.
Village Trustee Barb Mullaly, who is a representative on the planning commission, reminded attendees in B2 — the Village’s downtown business district, there was currently no parking requirement for any business located there.
“There is no parking requirement if you build in B2, which is our downtown,” Mullaly said. “That’s what our ordinance currently says. Our well-written ordinance currently says” — an apparent reference to Richter’s public comment.
Planning commissioners, at the end of the 2-hour and 40-minute meeting, thanked attendees for their comments and suggestions — some raised the idea of a parking shuttle — before agreeing to change the zero-parking-spot requirement for lodging to a one spot per room.
No vote was taken; that was expected to be held after a public hearing on the issue, which has yet to be scheduled.
Planning commissioners said they would also combine the “hotel, motel, inn” wording into a single catch-all: Hotel. Though businesses would be free to use the other monikers in their business names.
The next regular planning commission meeting is scheduled for Aug. 27.
