Quick Hits: Play Birmingham Returns to City Commission

It was a busy meeting of the Birmingham City Commission on Monday, though with the absence of commissioners Tom McDaniel and Gordon Rinschler, there was a significantly smaller board that considered the updated Play Birmingham proposal as well as the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

Here are the highlights of what happened at Monday's meeting:

Play Birmingham moves forward, asked to return with complete plans

. Monday night, commissioners approved a request to add 270 Old Woodward LLC — a company created to operate Play Birmingham, a proposed restaurant and entertainment complex — to the current Class C liquor license held by Restaurant LLC.

However, commissioners delayed approving the group's request for a dance and entertainment permit, as well as a permit for an outdoor service area on city sidewalks.

Commissioner Scott Moore said he wanted to wait until the group had the project's final site plans approved by the Planning Board so he could consider the various permits within the context of the updated plans.

Play Birmingham, which wants to move into the former Buca di Bepo location at 270 N. Old Woodward, has been in front of the commission before. During its first attempt at moving into the empty space, Play Birmingham representatives were .

The group needed the SLUP because original plans included billiard tables and coin-operated gaming machines. New plans presented Monday were without the billard tables or machines, but still included a restaurant, sweet shop, an eight-lane bowling alley and a gaming center with electronic golf, darts and basketball.

Parks and Recreation Master Plan, dog park pass expiration OK'd

Also approved Monday night were:

• A resolution modifying the city's annual dog park pass to expire within a year of the date of issuance. All current passes expire in February 2012.
• A resolution approving the adoption of the city's five-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The Parks and Recreation Board after .
• A resolution formally banning the practice of raising chickens in Birmingham, as well as keeping chicken coops on residential property.

Detroit Council representative speaks on regional initiatives

Commissioners also heard a presentation from Detroit Council President Pro-Tem Gary Brown on Monday night, during which he stressed the importance of the relationship between the city of Detroit and its neighbors in Oakland County.

"We want to reach out to our neighbors," Brown said. "How can we help each other, how can we share services?"

Brown advocated a regional approach to mass transportation, a point also agreed on by County Commissioner David Potts, who was also visiting the commission meeting Monday night.

"I hope efforts to create a regional transportation system actually happens," Potts said. "It doesn't work in its present form."