Northville City Council Tables Vote on Outdoor Seating at Next Chapter

The on Main Street in downtown Northville will have to hold its plans for outdoor seating a little longer.

About 20 people were in the audience of Monday night’s City Council meeting, with some there to voice support for approving the store’s annual permit for outdoor seating. But ultimately the council decided to send the plans for a fenced-off area back to the owner for revision.

“Administration heard many concerns expressed regarding the obtrusiveness of the fence, and the feeling that pedestrian flow was being unduly constricted by the fenced area,” according to a report presented by City Manager Patrick Sullivan, who opposed the plan.

At issue is the amount of space taken up by the tables and chairs under the proposed agreement. Because two of the city’s planters—large circular, cement structures that hold trees and greenery—are placed on each side of the store, there is limited room for Next Chapter to work with lengthwise along the storefront. City Council members also said it causes a bottleneck when people walk between the fenced-off area and the planters.

However, Next Chapter is one of the few stores on Main Street which has no parking outside its doors. Thus it has a wider sidewalk because parking spaces cut into the sidewalk area in front of most shops.

Making revisions

Owner Dan Comaianni told the council that he is willing to work with city staff to find a more favorable alternative to his outdoor seating.

City Council members continually said that they wanted to and planned to support a revised proposal.

“We need seating on the streets. It does add to the downtown,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Allen said. He went on, though, to criticize the current plan by saying that its effects would be felt beyond just Next Chapter. He said that he received about 20 complaints because people stopped walking down the north side of Main Street when they looked down and saw a fenced-off area so far into the sidewalk. He said that decreases foot traffic and potential customers from patronizing the area.

“I don’t want to impact your business, but it is a larger issue,” Allen said.

Comaianni said that his plan is compliant with the code and, according to his appeal letter to the City Council, “Outdoor seating is important to the financial success of our fledgling business. Not only do our customers enjoy it, we feel it adds to the ambience of downtown Northville and directly responds to the recommendation of Northville's Strategic Plan.”

He also raised the issue that several other businesses were likely not compliant with the city ordinance.

The city ordinance, section 74-174, reads:

(a) There shall be a minimum of 42 inches, exclusive of the area occupied by the sidewalk cafe or outdoor seating, designed to allow adequate pedestrian movement. Cafes or outdoor seating shall only be permitted where it is determined that the use will not create a hazard, a sight distance obstruction for motor vehicle operators, nor unduly impede pedestrian traffic. The city manager or designee shall determine when a hazardous condition exists in the public right-of-way.

Seeking a liquor license

Some council members asked why the fenced-in area wasn’t segmented, away from the building, pushing up to the curb since there is no parking in front of the store. That, some argued, would give the appearance of an open walking area through the north side of Man Street.

Comaianni said that Next Chapter would be seeking a liquor license soon and that to be compliant with liquor regulations, the area must have an enclosing barrier. Allen said that a segmented area along the curb could still be enclosed, but Comaianni said he wanted to control traffic in the seating area by keeping it connected to the store.

Mayor Chris Johnson reminded Comaianni that he probably would not get a liquor license this year anyway because it is such a lengthy process.

Comaianni will now have an opportunity to work with city officials to come up with a new plan for outdoor seating before returning to the City Council.