Politics & Government

O'Toole's Request for Rooftop Deck Denied

Royal Oak Planning Commission worries about adding to police challenges in busy Fifth Street bars area.

On the same day the on Main Street, the Royal Oak Planning Commission voted to deny a rooftop deck for on Fifth Street.

O’Toole’s went before planning commissioners hoping to enclose its current outdoor patio and add a 2,800-square-foot rooftop deck above it that would seat 146 patrons. The deck would include a covered area and a bar.

“We just want to keep up with the competition,” said Keith Wadle, O’Toole’s owner.

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Wadle said the proposed addition would be exciting for O’Toole’s, which has been in business for 10 years. 

Members of the planning commission said they were worried that adding more seats on busy Fifth Street – an area that is home to several bars and where residents complain about noise – would be a strain on police.

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“This is a hot spot and I cannot in my mind justify putting in another 146 seats — particularly in an outdoor situation,” said Mayor Jim Ellison, who is a member of the planning commission.

The mayor said Fifth Street is “the core of where our problems are right now.”

A motion to allow the special land use was denied 5-3.


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