The Bridgman City Planning Commission has voted unanimously to proceed with a recommendation to the full City Commission for a zoning ordinance amendment tonight which would pave the way for creation of an Interstate Gateway District covering some 29 parcels of land encompassing Red Arrow Highway at I-94 in the community.
The intent of the district as stated, is “To provide commercial uses to serve the larger community and the traveling public in the vicinity of I-94, and to promote the economic development of the city, while establishing standards for curb cut locations, parking, loading & unloading areas, landscaping and building material, to enhance the connectivity, safety and appearance of the city’s primary southern entrance.” It would change the designation from a Commercial Corridor District to an Interstate Gateway District in order to support new development.
The planners conducted a virtual Zoom meeting tonight on the measure and heard only one objection from a Kalamazoo Attorney, Michael Bingen, who represents property owner Gurwinder Gill and his BP Gas station at that interchange. Gill through his attorney earlier this week and again tonight argue that the zoning amendment “will turn Red Arrow Highway into a commercial wasteland of unregulated fast food restaurants, automobile dealerships, service stations, and asphalt.”
They contend that while the city’s stated intent for the Interstate Gateway District is to promote economic development by establishing standards for parking, landscaping, and building material, reality is that “this ‘District’ will eliminate the provisions in the current zoning ordnance which regulate these industries by requiring special use permits.”
Bingen argued tonight that the district “violates the intent and spirit of the City of Bridgman Master Plan that was just adopted in 2019, which envisions a high quality and attractive commercial strip for Red Arrow Highway.”
He then pointed out that one of the city’s Master Plan goals (Goal 10) states:
The preservation and enhancement of natural features of the community will be a central consideration in all civic decisions in Bridgman. Buildings and infrastructure will be planned, constructed, and maintained to protect and improve the quality of the natural environment while serving the needs of the population and giving residents and visitors appropriate access to enjoy natural features.
Instead, the service station owner and his attorney contend that, “The Planning Commission wants to reduce thoughtful regulation so that an automobile dealership and a Casey’s General Store can locate on Red Arrow Highway without complying with the requirements of special land use permits and the current Zoning Ordinance.” Bingen told the Planning Commission that they should not be allowed to abandon the intent of the Master Plan just to satisfy businesses that do not want to enhance Red Arrow Highway and the community.
Weko Dunes resident Peter Loveland was unable to participate in the meeting, however he dispatched a letter to City Manager Juan Ganum saying, “I attended one of these meetings and expressed the need to make major improvements on our Red Arrow gateway entrance to Bridgman. Red Arrow sees far more traffic than Lake Street does. With the exception of the Monogram Building renovation and the new McDonald’s, little or nothing has been done to improve our major thoroughfare, Red Arrow Highway, in the past 15 years.” He went on to write, “I can understand Mr. Gill’s desire to maintain a monopoly with the only gas station at Exit 16. If I owned it, I’d fight to keep the same monopoly. However, by growing our visitor base through new business investment, everyone has an opportunity to reap the rewards. Fighting over the same limited business volume (small pie) we have today is not a winner. The addition of a modern, attractive auto dealership, a hotel and a family friendly Casey’s General Store would definitely ‘make the pie bigger’ in terms of market size. And yes, the old timers like Mr. Gill and Lou Dominion may have to re-invest in their businesses in order to compete. Competition makes the game keener. We need to find new ways to attract visitors to Bridgman; to shop, to dine and to stay in the area to enjoy our great community.”
Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber President & CEO Arthur Havlicek also voice strong support for the proposed changes. Havlicek argued, “The fact that Bridgman has potential investors looking to locate along this corridor – in this economy – is a testament to the City’s innovative approach to economic development and its commitment to removing unnecessary and outdated barriers to investment.” He applauded the approach of the plan saying, “You’ve struck the important balance of maintaining the natural beauty of the gateway district while removing these barriers, and your actions are wholly consistent with the City’s 2019 master plan that envisioned a ‘high quality and attractive commercial strip for Red Arrow Highway.'”
Havlicek, whose team serves as the Chamber for the Bridgman community, is excited by the prospect of the Interstate Gateway District, suggesting, “Once development begins along Exit 16, the City of Bridgman will see incredible growth. Due to Bridgman’s strategic location within Berrien County, our County will see growth as well. On behalf of the Chamber, I could not more emphatically support the City’s thoughtful approach to this zoning issue and I strongly encourage a yes vote to adopt the amendment.”
Adjacent land owner George Lepeniotis, a 30-year resident of Bridgman, echoed Havlicek’s support applauding the “very thoughtful approach” that the planning commission has taken on the matter. He called Gill and his attorney “insincere” and contends that they are “only furthering their own interests,” and pointed out that the BP Station is not even directly involved in the zoning, inasmuch as it sits on property in neighboring Lake Township and is governed by less stringent zoning rules from that community.
A Bridgman couple who reside on Lake Street also expressed support in a letter sent to the commission, applauding changes in accessory structure setback rules which would allow them to put a new shed in their yard in a reasonable manner.
The planning commission closed out the public hearing and proceeded to vote unanimously in support of the planned amendments to the zoning ordinance as requested by the city itself, with the recommendation to the city commission that they proceed with the plan at their next meeting.
