<b>Bait and Switch</b>
The Old Town Board of Architectural Review was stronglly criticized Saturday, when one of its recent decisions was overturned amid allegations that the institution has become undemocratic, insular and unfair. At issue was a new development on the triangular property at the corner of North Washington Street and Montgomery Street. According to an appeal filed by Michigan Court resident <b>Poul Hertel</b> and 27 others who signed the appeal, the board engaged in a "outlaw behavior" — vetting one color scheme drawing with neighbors during a December public hearing, then voting on a set of secret drawings after the hearing had closed.
"The public was not permitted either to view the drawings or to comment on them," said <b>Michael Hobbs</b>, representing the Federation of Civic Associations. "With several members often talking at once, not all of them on microphone, much of their discussion was inaudible or unintelligible to the public."
The residents who filed the appeal suspected that the board members planned an elaborate bait-and-switch operation, keeping the second set of drawings under wraps until the public hearing was closed. When board member <b>Lori Quill </b>suggested that board members had never seen the drawings until they voted on them, peals of derisive laughter exploded from the back of the chamber before City Council members voted unanimously to restore the color scheme illustrated on the public version of the plans.
"Every time the BAR makes a poor decision that’s appealed, the onus is on your backs to rectify the situation," Old Town Civil Association<b> Townsend Van Fleet</b> told City Council members Saturday. "This should tell you that it’s time for a change, and in June you’ll have the opportunity to appoint or reappoint three members of that seven-member body."
<hr>
<b>Luxuriating King Street</b>
Will valet parking on King Street cause a traffic nightmare for motorists and parking headaches for residents? These were some of the concerns expressed at a Saturday public hearing when several speakers were critical of Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group’s plan to close three parking spaces at 1600 King St. for a valet zone in Upper King Street. Councilman <b>Ludwig Gaines </b>pointed out that a previous valet-parking experiment had failed, and he wanted to know how Kimpton could succeed when a similar effort on Lower King Street could not.
"I think they were trying to save money," responded <b>Rich Josephson</b>, acting director of the Planning Department. "So instead of shuttling vehicles t the garage, their drivers used available parking spaces on the street."
Josephson said that the city government had a staff person follow valet drivers for several days to document their operation, then city officials moved in to shut down the operation for not following the rules. Kimpton attorney <b>M. Catharine Puskar </b>assured City Council members that the luxury hotel’s 24-hour valet-parking operation would use a 75-space underground garage accessed from Dechantel Street, adding that the goal of adding valet parking was an explicit goal of the King Street Retail Strategy.
"We will park all of our restaurant patrons and our day-spa patrons," said Puskar. "So although we are reducing a few on-street spaces, the community benefit is a reduction in parking demand on the street."
<hr>
<b>A $385,000 Pocket Park</b>
The City Council authorized the purchase of 48 South Early Street last week, shelling out $385,000 for the 17,000 square-foot property. Deputy City Manager <b>Mark Jinks</b> noted that the purchase was part of an ongoing effort to create more pocket parks in the city.
"There’s a resource protection zone that runs right through the property," said Jinks. "And the neighborhood has been very supportive of the city purchasing the property to create a new pocket park."
Jinks added that the city government would be using the latest in "green" building technology by deconstructing the house instead of demolishing it. He said that parts of the house could be donated to Habitat for Humanity and other organizations in need of building materials.
"This is a first for us," he said. "The city has never deconstructed a building before."