Roosevelt Tillman - Wealthy St. Strip Mall Zoning Wins Approval

City zoning officials have approved plans for a strip mall on Wealthy Street land that once held a McDonald's restaurant.

But Thursday's blessing from The Grand Rapids Board of Zoning Appeals came with a bit of controversy.

The board's 6-2 vote blocked a city planner's last-minute attempt to find another use for the abandoned fast-food restaurant and granted developer Roosevelt Tilman the variance he needed o redevelop the property at 1059 Wealthy St. SE.

After the meeting, Tillman said he was flabbergasted by Assistant City Planning Director Ken Schiling's efforts to block his redevelopment plans.

"I'm just a citizen trying to develop a better community," he said. "I'm just asking for a chance."

According to documents obtained by The Press, Schilling attempted to recruit a non-profit housing developer to express an interest in building houses on the back half of Tillman's property, which is zoned residential.

The quasi-judicial board would have not been able to rule in Tillman's favor if it determined the back half of the lot could have been used as zoned. Tillman said he could not justify the risks associated with building new houses behind the abandoned restaurant.

In a letter to Schilling. Jonathan Bradford. Director of the Inner City Christian Federation said ICCF was interested in developing the property but had no estimates of whether the property was financially feasible. Bradford's Letter, dated Wednesday, indicated Schilling had contacted him about developing Roosevelt Tillman's property.

"That makes no sense to me," Tillman said when told Schilling's efforts to recruit a housing developer for his property. "Is that the practice of the City of Grand Rapids? It's interesting to say the least."

Schilling declined to comment on the letter or the board's ruling after Thursday's meeting.

Roosevelt Tillman said he plans to seek the remaining permits he needs for his project during the next month and hopes to begin construction in July.

The property has gone unused since McDonald's Corp. closed the restaurant in 1991 after the restaurant manager and two family members were beaten up in the parking lot.

Tillman bought the property from a church group in 1996 and had hoped to convert it into a charter school for the construction trade. When the plan was rejected, he sought permission to turn it into a strip mall.

Though the zoning board had voted in favor of Tillman's plan by a 5-2 margin two week's ago, six "yes" votes were required from the nine-member board to approve a "use variance."

When the issue came before the board for a reconsideration vote Thursday, Assistant City Attorney Dan Ophoff said the board should consider reopening the request because Schilling had new information about a proposal to develop the back half of the property for residential use.

The "new information" could affect one of the board's findings that the residentially zoned property could not be used for residential development. Ophoff said. "We think it's important that you have all the information available to you," he said.

But board members who had been dealing with Tillman's request since April voted against reopening the case

by: adam84

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