just past where the vestibule is. The parking lane will be located closer to the building |
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traveling from the south to north of the vestibule. The jog will be extended farther |
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north in order to provide the five feet of room for the proposed vestibule. It may be |
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appropriate to move the existing stop sign from the south side of the existing vestibule |
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to the north side of the proposed vestibule. Mr. Brunner did not believe drivers would |
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experience much of a jog from the north because the vestibule will be extended only |
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three feet farther than it is now, and they are widening the lane by the width of a whole |
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handicap parking space -- about 10 feet. Coming from the south drivers will have |
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pretty much the same experience as now where it is wider and then it narrows down |
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as you get north of the vestibule. Mr. Rizzardi suggested painting a white stripe along |
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the western edge of the drive in front of the existing hardware store as well as Store |
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Nos. 3176, 3170 and 3160, continuing the white stripe south to the jog, and painting |
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the curb yellow where the jog occurs and across the front of L&L. The colors will |
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need to be approved by the Traffic Engineer and the Fire Department. There is a fire |
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lane in front of the building, and there is extra aisle width. The requirement is 22 feet; |
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30 feet are proposed. A sign might be required on the building to indicate no parking |
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where the curb is yellow. |
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Member Nowicki was also concerned about the storage of carts. The existing |
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vestibule was intended for the storage of carts to keep them out of the weather. The |
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carts are now always stored outdoors under the roof or in the pathway up to ACO |
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hardware. Mr. Brunner explained that the existing vestibule will contain only the |
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service counter and ATM station. The extra space on each end of the proposed |
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vestibule is intended for cart storage. There will be no cart storage on the outside of |
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the building, or on the outside of the building between the vestibule entrance and the |
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hardware store. The Chair suggested signage indicating no carts are to be stored on |
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the sidewalk. Mr. Rizzardi stated that signage may not be the best way to accomplish |
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that as it may discourage shoppers from returning their carts and they might just leave |
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them at the sidewalk. He suggested making that a condition of approval, or including |
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a note on the site plan and then it would be a matter for code enforcement. Mr. |
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Brunner offered to provide a diagram showing the proposed cart storage. |
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Member Nowicki suggested that handicap parking be located on the north end of the |
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L&L store as well as on the south end. Some handicap spaces are located in areas of |
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the mall that have little handicap traffic, rendering the spaces useless. Mr. Brunner |
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saw no reason why they could not be redistributed. He knew that the mall owner is |
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planning a major refinishing and restriping of the parking area in the near future. Mr. |
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Rizzardi added that staff has asked the applicant to specifically address this issue. |
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Whenever revised site plans are submitted that increase the floor area of the site, the |
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city automatically requires them to demonstrate that they are meeting Michigan |
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barrier-free requirements. They ask them to indicate the locations of all handicap |
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parking spaces and show the accessible route to the building and make sure the |
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spaces are distributed throughout the site. His preference would be to add more |
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handicap spaces rather than try to redistribute them. Fourteen barrier-free accessible |
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