COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A site plan review for a 53 space expansion of the parking lot that serves the Dutcher Funeral Home at 440 West Chicago and the nearby event rental facility was approved the City of Coldwater Planning Commission Monday evening. But there were four contingencies in the motion for approval which included designing a storm water management plan that would be in accordance with the city’s specifications. A maintenance plan must also be developed.
City Planning Director Dean Walrack said their engineering consultant Brian Van Zee from the Lansing firm of C2AE was not satisfied with the current storm water plan.
Walrack said and the Planning Commission later agreed that no work will be allowed until Van Zee and the city staff give their approvals.
Petitioner Mark Barone from Dutcher Funeral Home blasted the lengthy process he has had to go through with the city since the parking lot expansion plans started in 2017 and he felt this is why Coldwater is struggling to find businesses to locate here.
Barone said, “it’s a wonder no one wants to come to the city because nothing happens. It’s why buildings are empty.” He went on to say the parking lot was for the good of the community but “this is going to cost me $100,000 to put in a parking lot for the community that will gain me zero.”
Dutcher’s want to expand their parking lot by over 12,000 square feet because their current lot is not big enough to handle the amount of traffic generated by the funeral home and the adjacent former church building that they own.
The Coldwater Zoning Board of Appeals approved three variance requests last June for the project.
