TRAVERSE CITY -- A new building in downtown Traverse City may grow more than expected.
Local developer Thom Darga wants to add a sixth story to a building under construction at the corner of Front and Park streets. Current building plans allow for the planned commercial, retail and residential development to be 60 feet tall with a seven-foot parapet to screen rooftop equipment from view.
Darga doesn't intend to put equipment on the roof and instead wants to enclose the space for additional residential units. That would boost the building's height to 68 feet with an additional row of windows, he said.
"It's a big open roof with no use other than as a seagull perch," Darga said.
The Traverse City Planning Commission discussed the requested change this week and determined it qualifies as a minor amendment to building plans, in effect a one-foot increase. That means City Planner Russ Soyring can authorize the change without a public hearing.
"It's adding a sixth story, which sounds like a lot," Soyring said.
But city zoning allows 68-foot-tall structures, he said.
City Commissioner Jim Carruthers looked at drawings that included the height increase and said the change doesn't appear to be huge, and isn't likely to be noticeable from ground level. But other considerations exist, he said.
"I do have a concern that we approve projects and then halfway through it make changes. Why wasn't this thought of before?" Carruthers said.
Mayor Chris Bzdok said he wants to see new drawings for Darga's project, but his instinct is to be supportive of the developer's request in a poor economy characterized by a construction slump.
"We're not talking about a big change," Bzdok said.
Darga said he will file updated building drawings with the city early next week and Soyring also plans to make his decision next week. The city's Historic Districts Commission will consider the proposed building change on Feb. 25.
