ELK RAPIDS -- Steve Montero believes Elk Rapids' "laid-back, relaxed atmosphere" is one of the main reasons its residents are drawn to the quaint coastline town.
Montero owns The Moose, a small restaurant and party store. He believes personal touches like daily chats with his regular customers help define the town's character, and create a sense of community he hopes the village preserves when it reviews its commercial zoning over the coming months.
"Obviously, you can't stop progress ... but maybe there should be little vestiges of simple, small-town life left in the world," said Montero, also a board member of the Elk Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. "There are other people that think we should be the next Acme, but personally ... I think it's kind of nice when you have customers on a regular basis come in and you know their name."
Officials in the Antrim County village this month stopped accepting applications for certain types of commercial developments in Elk Rapids while they continue to look at ways to better regulate bigger businesses.
The village planning and zoning department is working to draft new zoning language that would require a special use permit and public input process for general merchandise stores, restaurants and miscellaneous retail outlets over 3,000-square feet.
In early August, the village council enacted an eight-month moratorium on accepting applications for such businesses, which are permitted in all of the village's commercial districts under the current zoning, said Steven Ravezzali, village planning and zoning administrator.
"Those classifications are currently allowed by right; there is no defined square footage. There was no public input mandated by our ordinance," Ravezzali said. "I think the village council really felt strongly that development of that magnitude would, or could, have a profound effect on the village, and the public input should be a significant part of the process."
The village council requested a closer look at the commercial zoning after a "major, national retailer" approached the municipality in July to purchase village-owned property near Ames Street and U.S. 31, Village Manager Robert Peterson said.
The council decided not to sell the lot.
It currently is used for boat trailer and public parking, a stormwater retention pond and a sewer lift station.
Peterson said the goal of the review is to "have zoning regulations in effect that would be in parallel with our community character. Small town, small business, small operations."
The moratorium runs until May 1, 2009, or until the village resolves the issue.
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