Keeping business outdoors until Oct. 31
Board discusses potential yearround opportunities
Macomb Township businesses continuing to struggle through COVID-19 restrictions recently received a time extension of opportunities for outdoor activities, just in time for spring.
On March 24, the Macomb Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend the temporary outdoor business application until Oct. 31, 2021, or until COVID-19 restrictions are totally removed and permit 100 percent in-person activities. The motion was made by Treasurer Leon Drolet and seconded by Trustee Peter Lucido III during an electronic remote access meeting. It will continue to allow internal reviews and approval of items to expedite processes that will assist local businesses during the pandemic.
“We are looking to extend the outdoor, temporary outdoor business process,” Macomb Township Planning Director Josh Bocks said. “By June of 2020 the township board approved a process to allow these outdoor seating for dining purposes as a result of the financial hardships that the businesses were experiencing due to the COVID restrictions.”
Bocks said that the process was
set to expire Nov. 1, 2020, but in October 2020 the board approved a modification to allow other types of businesses, not just dining, to use outdoor space if possible at their locations.
“The deadline was also extended through March 31 of 2021. As we are nearing that date we are seeking to once again extend the deadline for this process,” Bocks said. “Though restrictions are starting to loosen a little we are still not back to normal, and to help our local businesses stay open we are asking to extend the process until October 31 or until all restrictions preventing businesses from having 100 percent capacity are lifted, whichever comes first.”
Drolet asked if there had been any negative consequences from outdoor business operations. Supervisor Frank Viviano said he had worked with a handful of local businesses on these matters, and did not see negatives.
“By in large, in comparison to other communities we don’t have that many that are taking, have taken advantage of this, there was only a handful. They continue to struggle throughout, especially in the winter, they had issues with the health department,” Viviano said. “I think most of them that were trying to do this did. We tried to be as flexible and creative as possible so that our businesses could stay afloat throughout the hardships. I can’t think of any real negative experiences with any of them. Some of them we talked to multiple times and we were able to work out any issues that we may have had with, you know, health and safety issues or the building department. They were all just trying to keep their heads above water.”
Drolet said he was asking as he was considering if there would be a potential benefit, moving forward, to more permanently loosening restrictions on outdoor business activities. Viviano said that this has been under discussion internally, and that Bocks and his staff have been working on ordinance changes to allow businesses more flexibility.
“We are in the process of developing a temporary or seasonal outdoor business operation application that would allow, similar to what we are allowing right now for the COVID process, but for businesses to apply on an annual basis for the summer months,” Bocks said. “I think right now we are looking at probably May 1 through October 31 for businesses to apply and do something similar and this would be, you know, fulltime moving forward.”
Drolet asked if the township had explored yearround ways that it could loosen restrictions, allowing businesses to find other safe outdoor opportunities.
Bocks said that in the winter months, there have been things such as igloos and tents that were successful.
“I do think that is something we can explore, you know, having maybe a summer season type of application and then a separate one for the winter months. I think one of the concerns we would have though is that if we allowed it essentially year-round, that would essentially expand the capacities of these facilities and they may not have enough parking or utilities to handle expanded, their sites were designed and planned and built for a set business,” Bocks said. “And by expanding full-time, you know, it is not something that, that I would say is not doable, but it is definitely something we would have to take a look at to make sure that, that businesses weren’t essentially doubling their size but not adding any new parking or restroom facilities or things like that.”
Drolet said that he imagined if there was enough parking in the summer there would be the same amount in the winter for outdoor activities.
“So it is maybe something that we could look at to see if we could give that additional flexibility to businesses and to residents to, you know, enjoy those activities,” Drolet said.
Viviano said as the township moves ahead with ideas, Drolet could be included in discussions to help come to a solution.
Also on March 24, the board approved two related rezoning requests. Both parcels requested, and were granted, rezoning from agricultural to one family urban. One parcel was located on the southwest corner of 23 Mile Road and Heydenreich Road, and the other on the southeast corner of 23 Mile Road and Heydenreich Road. Bocks said that the parcels were both part of a family farm.
“The properties are currently surrounded by R-1 zoning on all sides south of 23 Mile. The property is planned in the master plan for residential development at three units per acre which matches the R-1 zoning that they are requesting. Both pieces were reviewed by township staff and all were in favor of the rezoning, and at the March 16 planning commission meeting they were both recommended for rezoning by unanimous vote,” Bocks said.