9/20/14 - A simple pizza sign has morphed into a rather complex conversation for the Howell City Planning Commission. After being told to move a handmade temporary sign placed near Grand River, John Kinnunen who operates Dukeâs Pizza decided to strap it on top of his personal vehicle thatâs used for deliveries. That ultimately prompted more communication from the city. Itâs a competitive business and signage doesnât come cheap so Kinnunen approached the Howell City Council on the matter. The request to utilize portable signs along Grand River was referred to the planning commission, which in August indicated it was not willing to amend the current ordinance but encouraged the owners to apply for a Special Land Use Permit. That was discussed during a meeting last week but the matter ended up being postponed to the October 6th meeting, with commissioners saying there was no guarantee of anything but it would give staff time to try and find a solution. Howell City Manager Shea Charles stated that they went down the special land use route because it was the only avenue for any kind of appeal, since the commission did not want to amend ordinance. The conversation shifted a bit duirng the last meeting so staff will be working over the next three weeks to try and come up with options. Commissioners all expressed a desire to help support small businesses but felt granting the request would lead to unintended consequences, be precedent setting and lead to increased requests from other businesses desiring the same exceptions. (JM)
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