On Tuesday, June 17, the Chelsea Planning Commission will hold a public hearing for a special land use request from Joe Ziolkowski, who plans to build 2 second-floor apartments in the old police station building at 104 East Middle St.
Ziolkowski’s planning a mixed use building with two apartments on the top floor, and businesses on the first and second floors according to the special use permit application.
“The exterior and interior of the building will be cleaned up and restored to resemble its original architecture and character,”according to the application. “The improvements to 104 East Middle St., will transform the building into a positive business and aesthetic contributor to the downtown Chelsea area.”
Following the public hearing, the planners are then expected to vote on the request following the public hearing.
Living spaces above downtown businesses are “supported by the City Comprehensive Plan,” Christine Linfield, city planning, engineering, zoning and community development director, said in a memo to the Planning Commission.
In addition, Tim Merkel, who owns downtown Chelsea property, and is a Downtown Development Authority board member, sent a letter of support for the project saying in part, “I believe that residential use above the main floor in (a) downtown building helps keep our downtown vibrant and successful by keeping people near downtown and providing support for real estate values in our downtown area.”
Also on the agenda under unfinished business is Magellan Properties’ rezoning request from Industrial to Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning for the former Federal Screw property at 500 S. Main St and 425 Congdon St.
Because the PUD rezoning request does not include a residential component, it’s considered a special zoning district and “the Planning Commission has recommended that the Comprehensive Plan be amended to remove the residential component,” according to information in the meeting’s packet.
The city is required to get comments from neighboring municipalities and the county before it can amend the city’s comprehensive plan and there is a 95-day waiting period for comments.
This waiting period ends July 12, and it’s expected that planners will schedule a public hearing on the amended comprehensive plan to accommodate this zoning change request on July 15.
