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Committee advances rezoning to allow Schmitz Health Club HVAC and outdoor lounge at 656–662 Melbourne
Summary
After presentations from City Planning Commission staff and the property owners, the committee voted to send a rezoning request for two Melbourne Street parcels (656 and 662) to formal session with a recommendation to approve. Developers said the change is needed to site an HVAC unit behind the historic Schmitz bathhouse and to expand a small outdoor lounge; neighbors raised noise and historical-sensitivity concerns.
The Planning and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday voted to send a rezoning request for two parcels at 656 and 662 Melbourne Street to the council's formal session with a recommendation to approve.
City Planning Commission staff and the Schmitz Health Club ownership team described the plan as a limited expansion to permit commercial HVAC equipment and a modest outdoor lounge adjacent to the historic bathhouse. Keemani Jeffrey of the City Planning Commission said the rezoning would reclassify two currently R3 parcels to B4 so the club can install ventilation and expand an existing lounge area, and he noted staff recommended approval at the CPC in June 2025.
The developers said the change is driven by the building's age and roof configuration. "If it weren't for the age and the shape of the roof, this is an HVAC unit that would normally go on a roof," the petitioner explained, adding engineers advised the unit be placed behind the building on the adjacent lots. Owner Patty Lynch, who described the site as a nearly 100-year-old landmark, said the team purchased the neighboring house to act as a buffer and that the new equipment is quieter than older units: "These new units are way quieter than the older ones." She added the plan includes screening with foliage and sound-dampening panels and that contractors now expect to need only one unit, not two.
During the public hearing some residents voiced support for the project as an economic boost to the North End and downtown; others asked for decibel testing and raised concerns about the site's history of exclusion and how the owners will reach historically harmed communities. Council member Gabriela Santiago Romero asked whether the developers had considered deeper affordability for Detroit residents; Lynch said the Schmitz has offered discounted days and plans design and scheduling changes to keep the space accessible as it grows.
Pro Tem Coleman Young asked why a zoning change was necessary for HVAC. Staff and the petitioner explained that engineers ruled out rooftop installation on the historic structure and that placing a commercial HVAC unit behind the building requires the adjacent lots be zoned commercial. Keemani Jeffrey told the committee the rezoning aligns with the city's master plan designation for neighborhood commercial in that area.
A motion to send the item to formal with a recommendation to approve passed on unanimous voice approval ("hearing no objections, that action shall be taken"). The formal session will address the ordinance language and any additional conditions the council may add.
