UPDATE: Royal Oak Parking Lot Becomes 'Battleground Issue' for Neighboring Businesses

UPDATE: The Zoning Board of Appeals waived eight of the 88 required off-street parking spaces for the development at the former Harper Furniture site at its Thursday meeting. The vote was 4-3. This follows the Royal Oak Planning Commission's approval Tuesday to convert the former furniture store into ground-level offices and 12 upper-level multiple-family dwelling units.

Monday: The Royal Oak City Commission voted Monday night to approve the $60,000 sale of the parking lot east of the former Harper Furniture building at 916 N. Main St. to Robert Goodman, of Goodman Property, LLC.

Goodman Property, LLC wants to convert the former furniture store, which has been vacant since 2005, into ground-level business, administrative, or professional offices, medical offices and 12 upper-level multiple-family dwelling units.

Goodman and his architect for the project, Royal Oak-based HF Architecture, go before the Planning Commission tonight for a special land use and site plan public hearing for the 916 N. Main property. A big issue for the development has been a lack of parking.

Goodman asked the sale of the lot be added to the agenda.

'Battleground'

Commissioners said they were put in a tough situation, with members of the Frentz family, who own Frentz & Sons Hardware at 1010 N Main St., debating Goodman and his attorney during the public comment portion of the city commission meeting for nearly 45 minutes.

Scott Frentz told commissioners his family has been doing business and paying taxes in Royal Oak for 80 years and that the parking lot is vital to the hardware store's success as well as Nth Degree Fitness, which hosts 44 fitness classes per week, has 11 employees and is still growing.

The sale of the lot would hurt the hardware store and would cause Nth Degree Fitness to move, according to John Frentz. The sale of the parking lot could also be detrimental to any future development plans the Frentz family might have.

"I'd ask who you want to support," John Frentz said.

"I just want to make sure that I understand the issue of the parking lot has become a battleground issue because the developer needs these additional spots to move forward with what he's proposing," said Commissioner Carlo Ginotti.

Tim Thwing, director of planning, said Goodman needs the city parking lot to address egress windows on the east side of the building for the proposed residential units.

"He needs at least a portion of the city's property to put those openings in order to comply with the building code," Thwing said.

The second issue is that the development is short on parking. The development needs 88 parking spaces, according to Thwing, but can only provide 47 spaces.

"If they purchase the city lot, the number would escalate up to the neighborhood of 76 or 77 (spaces), so they would be getting closer to providing what's required."

Ginotti then asked if there was a Plan B that could split the lot to make the Frentz family happy.

"We have been trying to do that for the past month and we seem to be at an impasse," Thwing said.

'Potential' vs. 'On-the-Table'

The difference for many commissioners was the potential for a Frentz development versus a project that is on-the-table and ready to go to the Planning Commission.

"If I am going to go with what is in the public's interest, I have to go with the project that is on-the-table," said Commissioner Kyle DuBuc.

Mayor Jim Ellison suggested Nth Degree Fitenss clients park at the under-used lot near the northwest corner of Main Street and Catalpa Drive.

"It's within walking distance of all of these businesses," Ellison said, adding, "If you are going to a gym, walking is not going to hurt you."

Commissioners approved the sale of the parking lot by a 5-2 vote. The purchase agreement will have a contingency stating if the project does not go through the parking lot reverts to city ownership.

Mayor Pro-Tem David Poulton and Commissioner Peggy Goodwin both voted no, saying they wanted to give both parties more time to come together in agreement.