The East Lansing City Council deferred consideration of a fraternity’s application for housing expansion, prolonging a debate about the future of a development project close to campus.
The FarmHouse Fraternity, 151 Bogue St., submitted a request last summer to expand the first floor of its house, an addition that conflicted with zoning requirements for the East Village development project in the area.
The East Village project — which has been stalled by its developers since fall 2009 because of economic woes — requires any building additions to set aside 50 percent retail space on the first floor. The fraternity’s application set aside 25 percent.
The difference between the requirements and the application led the East Lansing Planning Commission to recommend the council deny the application, but council’s decision yesterday gives both the city and the fraternity between 60 and 90 days to reconsider the proposal.
Had the council approved the application for the expansion, the entire Bogue Street area might have been subject to rezoning to meet different requirements for businesses and houses.
Isaac Sheppard, chairman of the fraternity’s building association, said in a previous interview with The State News the 50 percent retail space requirement was not feasible given their standing as a housing establishment, not a business.
“We cannot meet all the requirements of the East Village district, period,” Sheppard told the council.
Planning-Zoning Administrator Darcy Schmitt said the city explained to fraternity members at the time that their application did not meet zoning requirements, but said planning officials agreed to re-examine zoning laws and offer different recommendations regarding their application.
The planning commission has since appointed a subcommittee to draft an ordinance that would change zoning laws for the entire area, but Schmitt said the ordinance will not be ready until later this year.
Barnes & Noble
Council members also heard from Tim Dempsey, East Lansing’s planning and community development director, who offered insight into the economic challenges surrounding the closure of the downtown branch of Barnes & Noble, formerly located at 333 E. Grand River Ave., this past year.
The store closed Dec. 31, 2011, after the company allowed its lease on the property to expire.
Dempsey said the store and the city discussed other options to keep the store afloat, including examining the possibility of allowing Barnes & Noble to sell student textbooks, but that idea was later dismissed after officials decided it might put textbook stores out of business.
Dempsey said the city is continuing to expand its efforts to bring in larger retailers to fill the space.
“(East Lansing) will survive the closure of Barnes & Noble,” Dempsey told council members.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
