The County Press

Lapeer officials to act on motion to lift restaurant drive-thru restriction




LAPEER — Monday evening, the Lapeer City Commission will act on a motion recently made by Commissioner Eric Cattane to make a text amendment to the City’s zoning ordinance that would lift a restaurant drive-thru prohibition between Tower Drive and Turrill Road with frontage on M-24.

The proposed text amendment is up for adoption Monday when the Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. in the second-hall chambers at City Hall.

At a November meeting of the Lapeer Planning Commission, the proposed text amendment was discussed. The Planning Commission approved a motion to recommend denial of the proposed text amendment because it didn’t meet any approval standards. The City Commission during a July meeting initiated a text amendment to remove the drive-thru restaurant restriction along M-24. In September, the Planning Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed text amendment. A vote resulting in a successful motion was not able to be reached at the September meeting, therefore it was postponed until the November Planning Commission meeting.

In other business:

• The Commission will discuss a new contract between the Lapeer Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and its executive director, Jim Alt, effective Dec. 1, 2022. The DDA on Nov. 23 approved a 3% annual salary increase and an increase to the monthly contribution amount for Alt’s insurance plan premium and the expiration to be amended to June 30, 2023 to coincide with the DDA’s fiscal year budget.

DDA bylaws require the Lapeer City Commission approve contracts with the DDA director.

• A representative from Saginaw-based Rehman Robson LLC will present an audit report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022.

• The Commission will consider a resolution for application for grants administered by the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources for Linear Park Pathway rehab projects through Rowden, Rotary and Annrook parks. Per grant specifications, the proposed rehab projects will be submitted as three individual applications.

Total project cost is $1,037,116. The City of Lapeer would be responsible for approximately $37,000 if all the applications are approved.

• The Commission will consider a request from the DDA for the City of Lapeer to forgive a downtown lighting improvement loan in the amount of $14,411.71.