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Politics & Government

Quick Hits: Planning Board Approves Papa Joe's Expansion

Also discussed at the Wednesday night Planning Board meeting was potential locations for downtown bike racks.

The agenda was light but there was plenty of discussion at the Wednesday night meeting of the Birmingham Planning Board. Director Jana Ecker updated board members on recent progress on Complete Streets as well as what the city is doing to renovate alleys and passageways. Meanwhile, received the green light from the board for its expansion plans.

Papa Joe’s expansion approved

After being asked to resubmit plans for a proposed expansion to Papa Joe’s at , Papa Joe's representatives presented a modified plan before the board Wednesday evening.

The plan involves adding an additional 2,606 square feet to create an indoor/outdoor market space, along with a 1,426-square-foot new retail space to be located next to neighbor .

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Last week, Papa Joe's representatives were also asked to return with a better traffic plan for the parking lot along with modifications to landscaping and lighting. Though the modified plans included additional crosswalk lines, board members were still concerned about the traffic flow and recommended taking a further look at the Woodward Avenue and Worth Street entrances with city staff.

Even so, Planning Board members — with the exception of Carroll DeWeese, who was absent — voted unanimously to recommend the approval of the development. The plans must now go before the Design Review Board and Board of Zoning Appeals.

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Downtown bicycle parking plan in works

As part of a city's efforts to implement Complete Streets in its planning process, steps are also being taken to review the use of bicycles in the downtown area, Ecker said. Ease of parking and bike traffic are being monitored by the planning department and a consultant has been contacted to help review how to improve bike traffic on East Maple Road. Board member Bryan Williams noted that the lighting situation should be looked at as well to ensure cyclists have adequate lighting.

The Downtown Bicycle Parking Plan is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks, Ecker said, with the hopes of new bicycle racks to be installed next fall.

Are Birmingham's alleys going green?

Ecker said the city has hired two consultants to create conceptual plans for improving the alleyways in Birmingham while keeping a "green" approach in mind. Krieger/Klatt Architects Inc. and Ron & Roman Architecture are gathering data and making observations of alleyway conditions throughout the city. Ecker also said the planning department and took a trip to Detroit recently to look at a green alley for research purposes.

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