GRAND HAVEN, Mich — Grand Haven's mayor and its City Council has been the center of attention for the last several months for a few reasons.
One being the fact that Grand Haven City Mayor Catherine McNally alleged that Councilwoman Karen Lowe primarily lives in Grand Haven Township. Lowe denies the claim.
And also because a proposed expansion of Noto's at the Bil-Mar has been seeking approval of an expansion to its restaurant, which the City Council has tabled multiple times over the last four months.
Three city councilmembers voted yes to the proposal, while the mayor voted no.
The proposal would allow Noto's at the Bil-Mar to expand with the construction of a conference room and bridal lounge, as well as enclose its outdoor patio.
People with concerns about the project have said they believe it will include a rooftop dining area. There were also challenges to the proposal based on a city planning development agreement.
Attorney Douglas Van Essen, representing Noto's, says there will not be outdoor dining on a rooftop patio and that agreement actually expired back in 2009.
He also let the City Council know that their expansion plans do not violate that previous agreement in that the building is not getting larger or taller than previously agreed upon.
Van Essen added that making the building more aesthetically pleasing will benefit the entire community.
"If you smooth it out, it’s gonna present a much smoother, professional, updated look that’s cleaner and then enhances the overall look, which isn't to emphasize the restaurant or the building, it's to deemphasize it right? It’s a beautiful area," he says.
Van Essen adds that their plan does not increase their restaurant's capacity, but rather it spreads everyone out.
He says the team at Noto's is pleased with this decision so they can get to work on final construction plans to share with the City Planning Commission.
The City Council says they postponed the vote until Monday so they could review a more detailed analysis of the deck and ask further questions they might have on the matter.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
