Quick Hits: Commissioners Craft Bistro Review Plan

It was a short night at the Birmingham City Commission meeting, with several resolutions quickly passed on the consent agenda while commissioners then had a 30-minute discussion on setting deadlines for bistro applicants in the coming years.

Commissioners set plan for bistro application review process

While no formal resolutions were passed Monday night concerning the subject, city commissioners crafted a plan to set application deadlines for those looking to open bistros in Birmingham in upcoming years.

Under the city's 2007 bistro ordinance, only two bistro licenses are approved each year. Bistros are defined as having seasonal sidewalk seating, a full-service kitchen and no more than 65 seats.

Formerly, licenses were awarded after hearings at the Planning Board and the City Commission on a first-come, first-served basis. However, at a , city staff, merchants and commissioners noted that . Applicants are in a race to turn in their applications first, they said, so as to have the best chance to snag one of the two licenses. The city has yet to turn down an application for a bistro license.

Jana Ecker brought a resolution before the commission Monday night, which set hard deadlines for bistro applicants. Commissioners tentatively agreed to the plan, which includes:

• All bistro applicants will turn in a brief description of their restaurant concept, not to exceed five pages, by Sept. 1.
• The City Commission will hear all bistro applicants within 30 days at a brief hearing, at which time they'll direct the top applicants to the Planning Board.
• The Planning Board will hear detailed presentations from all applicants, including a final site hearing and special land use hearing. The Planning Board will hear these presentations within 90 days of the Sept. 1 deadline.
• The Planning Board will then rank the applications and send them back to the city commission for final approval.

This resolution, which has yet to be voted on, would officially go into effect for the two bistro licenses approved for 2013. The final resolution was amended several times during Monday's meeting, and will return to the commission for a vote in two weeks.

Already, Ecker said her department has five detailed applications for the 2012 bistro licenses. Instead of passing the resolution and amending it for the current year, commissioners decided to follow most of the steps in the coming months to pick the two bistros for 2012. However, instead of the Sept. 1 deadline, commissioners said all applications for 2012 bistro licenses must be turned in by Oct. 1.

Other commission action

• The 2011 CROP Walk will be held in Birmingham Oct. 2 after commissioners approved a request from Church World Service. The walk will take place from 2-5 p.m. near the , and has taken place elsewhere around Metro Detroit for 29 years.
• will place a Nativity scene in this holiday season, from Nov. 2 to Dec. 31.
• Commissioners recognized Friends of the Baldwin Public Library as a nonprofit organization so they can obtain a Michigan gaming license.
• by Daniel LaRue Johnson for the city's public art collection.
• Commissioners decided to use $16,756.50 in Community Credits — received from the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) — to fund the cost of a new bus shelter at 14 Mile and Woodward Avenue. The rest of the funds received from SMART will be used to support 's specialized transportation program.