Dental Office on Lincoln, Union Negotiations Up for City Commission Approval Monday

Union negotiations, approval of a new office complex in the Rail District and a potential new study looking at a controversial vacant lot are all on the Birmingham City Commission agenda Monday night.

The City Commission will meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. Stay tuned to Birmingham Patch all week to hear what happened, or watch the meeting live either on Public Access Channel 15 or at the city's website.

Appointments

• Kyle Edwards and Virginia Reynolds will interview for two spots on the Public Arts Board, to serve terms ending in January 2015.

Guests

• Andy Meisner, Oakland County treasurer, will speak regarding the Oakland County Step Forward Program.

Consent Agenda

All items listed on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion and approved by a roll call vote. There will be no separate discussion of the items unless a commissioner or citizen so requests.

• Approving a request to hold the 2013 Day on the Town in downtown Birmingham on July 27.
• Approving a request to host the Principal Shopping District's family move nights in Booth Park on June 21, July 19 and Aug. 19.
• Setting a public hearing for April 8 to consider dividing the property at 290 Lake Park Dr.
• Approving a request from Bella Piatti to transfer 50 percent membership interest from Robert VanHellemont to Antonio Cutraro.
• Approving the transfer of the Development District Class C liquor license from the Greenleaf Hospitality Group (which ran Zazios) to The Stand, a new restaurant approved to move into the soon-to-be-vacant spot at the corner of Woodward and Maple. The Stand is scheduled to open this fall.
• Accepting the 2012 Golf Report and the 2013 Prospectus from the Department of Public Services.
• Confirming the placement of the Old Woodward Avenue reconstruction project, Willits Street to Brown Street, on a list being prepared by the Oakland County Federal Aid Committee. Should the money become available, Birmingham's project could receive federal funding if they're on this list. The South Old Woodward reconstruction project is scheduled for 2014.
•  Authorizing the Oakland County Water Resources Commission to include Birmingham's Hidden Ravines Sanitery Sewer Connection project as part of their contract repairs. The total cost of the project is expected to be $10,000.

New Business

Lincoln Avenue medical building: Commissioners will hold a public hearing approving the the final site plan and Special Land Use Permit for a dental office building looking to break ground at 2400 E. Lincoln, a large vacant lot located at the far eastern end of Lincoln.

The . There are plans for a dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon to move into the building.

On Monday night, the City Commission will also have to approve a lot split for the vacant lot. The dental office is looking to take up a portion of the six-acre lot. They will also have to decide whether to allow the dental office to use 10 parking spaces on East Lincoln.

Planning for 404 Park St.: On Monday, commissioners will consider asking LSL Planning — who is currently working on the city's South Woodward Gateway Project — to study the vacant lot at Woodward, Oakland and Park Street for an additional $5,500.

The request comes after the City Commission denied a request to rezone the lot at 404 Park St. last month. Developers wanted to rezone the lot from residential to general business so they could build an apartment complex.

During the hearing in late February, commissioners were concerned about the kind of developments appropriate for transitional zones like 404 Park St., which borders a residential neighborhood but faces an office building and abuts Woodward Avenue.

Also on the agenda:

• Sewers on Cole Street: Commissoners will hold a public hearing of necessity for the installation of lateral sewers within the Cole Avenue paving project area. If approved, a public hearing of confirmation would be held on April 8.
• Grievance from firefighters union: Commissioners will need to decide whether they want to consider a grievance filed by the Birmingham Firefighters Association on Dec. 4, 2012. If so, a hearing will be scheduled for April 8.
• 2013 Charter amendment: Commissioners will need to decide whether to place a charter amendment on the Nov. 5, 2013 ballot. The city charter needs to be amended to reflect a recent change in Michigan election law.
• Settlement with city employees union: The settlement with Birmingham's AFSCME Local 998, which represents 21 city employees, is up for approval Monday night. The current contract with the union expires June 30, 2013.