The expansion also would make the fraternity handicap accessible.

The proposed expansion has run into conflict with zoning laws that were put in place for the East Village development project, a long-term vision to boost retail and economics in an area at the east end of MSU’s campus. The project has been stalled since the fall of 2009 because of economic struggles.

Current zoning regulations are hindering the fraternity’s application for the expansion.

The regulations, among other things, require 50 percent retail space on the first floor of buildings, one benchmark among several that the fraternity cannot meet, said Isaac Sheppard, chairman of the fraternity’s building association.

“We basically can’t meet any of the East Village zoning requirements,” he said, adding that the retail space requirement is not feasible given the nature of the fraternity.

The application sets aside 25 percent retail space, which would be used to sell fraternity-related memorabilia during home football weekends and other campus events, according to a letter submitted to city council by Sheppard.

As it stands now, the fraternity’s application does not meet East Village zoning requirements, Planning and Zoning Administrator Darcy Schmitt said.

“There wasn’t enough modification that would allow them to go through,” Schmitt said.

The East Lansing Planning Commission previously recommended that council members deny the application on the basis of zoning issues, and council members voted Jan. 17 to defer consideration of the application until a later time.

In the letter Sheppard wrote to the city council, he said the expansion would make the fraternity more financially viable and would drive competition with the university’s residence halls.

The council is scheduled to consider an ordinance that would change some East Village zoning requirements, including reducing minimum building heights — but the ordinance would not significantly impact FarmHouse’s application.

The council could entertain an amendment to the ordinance that would change zoning requirements related to occupancy enough to allow for the application’s approval.

If that amendment is added to the ordinance, action on the site plan might be deferred until May 15, according to council documents.

Councilmember Don Power said it is difficult to forecast how the council might deliberate on the application, but said he recognizes the fraternity’s current situation.

“That’ll have to play out tomorrow night,” he said. “I think what we’re going to look at is what the (city planning) staff actually brings forward.”

Fraternity president and agribusiness management and accounting senior A.J. Hart said he’s unsure what the fraternity’s next step would be if council denies its expansion request.

“The zoning requirements seems to be our biggest obstacle,” he said. “It’s hard to say what they’ll do.”

The meeting is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road. Public comment will occur before the council’s consideration of the issue.