Planning commission sets public hearing on outdoor dining ordinance changes

The Canton Township Planning Commission set a public hearing for proposed amendments to the township outdoor dining standards (section 6.02AA) that would add flexibility for siting and separation requirements.

Patrick Sloan summarized proposed changes intended to adapt standards adopted in 2021 to lessons learned since implementation. Key staff recommendations include: allowing the approving authority (typically the Planning Commission) to permit outdoor dining within a required front-yard setback when the reduced setback meets a specific site-design objective; permitting a separation narrower than five feet between outdoor dining and drive aisles or parking where a raised platform or continuous barrier exists; and clarifying permitted openings for ingress/egress in enclosures.

Sloan said the changes respond to situations where buildings are close to the front lot line or where a raised curb and barrier provide an equivalent or better safety buffer than a five-foot landscape/sidewalk separation. Commissioners voted to set the public hearing (motion by Commissioner Watkins, support by Commissioner Foster); the hearing was scheduled for the April Planning Commission meeting and staff offered a work-session briefing prior to that hearing.

The text amendment will be subject to public hearing notice and public comment; staff said that some outdoor dining details are still reviewed administratively while others will be routed to the commission depending on site specifics. The motion sets the hearing stage for the ordinance amendment and does not itself change policy prior to the hearing and final action.