The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Commercial updates
Several development projects in flux
By Edward Freundl, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: September 25, 2008
City planning officials have weighed in on several commercial developments that are pending in Chelsea, leaving the next steps more or less up to the developers.
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Walgreens
The original site plan Walgreens submitted to the Planning Commission has undergone major changes, according to Chairman George Kinzer.
"We have had one formal presentation from Walgreens before the commission and it has been substantially amended," Kinzer said.
"It may come before us at the next meeting or the meeting after that."
The original plan called for a pharmacy building of approximately 17,000 square feet on Old US-12 west of South Main Street, currently occupied by The Chelsea Standard and The Wolverine Food & Spirits.
The commission sent the plan back for changes in parking and other details.
Walgreens responded earlier this month with a proposed purchase of the Rich gas station at Old 12 and Main Street and another parcel west of the newspaper office, giving them enough space for a second building.
"Walgreens optioned the gas station and the parcel next to Thompson's Pizza," said city Planning and Zoning Administrator Jim Drolett.
"Now it's not just a Walgreens but a separate 7200-square-foot building, and the plan submitted for review was for retail/restaurant."
The newest plan was submitted the first week of September and will go before the Planning Commission on Oct. 21.
The clock is running on the Walgreens proposal.
Drolett added: "If the Planning Commission approves the preliminary site plan in October, they could submit a final site plan in November or December; January is probably the latest for final site plan approval
Federal Screw Works
The hotly debated plan for redeveloping the former Federal Screw Works site on South Main Street is still several months from becoming reality.
Developer Rene Papo of Magellan Properties faces many regulatory hurdles before he can begin to convert the former factory site into mixed commercial and residential use.
"The only thing the Planning Commission has done is approve an area plan," Drolett pointed out.
"He needed to know the area plan so he knew how much brownfield area he would need to remediate."
That must be approved by the Downtown Development Authority, the City Council, the Washtenaw County Brownfield Authority, the County Commission, and finally the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
"(Papo) is in the midst of a very complex process," Kinzer said.
"That process is the best part of a year at least to have everything done.
"We would have no further interaction with him until that is done."
The Village Plaza
(a.k.a. Old Polly's)
Across the corner from the proposed Walgreens development, the former Polly's supermarket has stood vacant since the store moved farther down Main Street about four years ago, but remains in the hands of the Kennedy family of Jackson.
Spokesman Shawn Kennedy recently concluded negotiations with the U.S. Postal Service to relocate the Chelsea Post Office in the building, but it would occupy only about 7,000 of the store's approximately 30,000 square feet.
"Kennedy has submitted plans showing a future post office area and three other retail spaces, two of which appear to be spoken for," Drolett reported.
"That's as far as it's gotten, officially."
Kinzer confirmed that no plans for the property have come before the commission, but "may be in the pipeline."
"We've had some prior discussions on the site, but nothing new," Kinzer said.
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