Editorials

Commentary: Longway threat remains

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By Gary P. Custer

Tuesday, November 29, -0001

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Unfortunately, the ordinance, if enacted, only applies to new billboards on which space is leased for advertising.

It does not apply to existing billboards, such as the four-sign structure on Longway and Vernon. According to city officials, the only way that the existing billboards could be eliminated is for the city to buy them — at a tremendous cost.

And the proposed ordinance would not apply to billboards used to advertise the goods and services sold by a business on the site of the sign.

Although there is no indication that the railroad plans to sell any of its property along Longway, there is nothing to prevent it from doing so whenever it pleases. Further, although the railroad is unzoned, any use permitted on an abutting property is allowed on the railroad property.

The railroad property from Dort Highway to Vernon, about 325 feet of frontage, is treated as an E (heavy commercial, limited manufacturing) district. From there almost to Franklin, about 175 feet, is treated as a D-6 (general and highway commercial service) district. The next 50 feet is treated as D-3 (community business). The rest of the railroad property is treated as a B (two-family residential) district.

What could the land be used for?

The D-3 property could be used for retail stores, eating and dining places (restaurants, bars, drive-in restaurants), entertainment (night clubs, halls for hire, penny arcades), motels and hotels, outdoor advertising and a variety of offices, schools and business services as well as most D-1 and D-2 uses.

The D-6 property could be used for almost all D-3 uses listed above, almost all D-4 uses ("commercial activities commonly found in the core of central business districts ... and in the largest regional shopping centers"), almost all D-5 uses (manufacturing, printing, laboratories and warehouses) and all D-6 uses ("... primarily those establishments offering accommodations, supplies or service to motorists...").

The rest of the property (375 feet of frontage), zoned E, could be used for any commercial use allowed in D-1 through

D-6 zones, except dwellings and residences, schools and health care facilities (such as hospitals and clinics) as well as a wide variety of light manufacturing uses.

While we applaud the efforts to restrict billboards in the Longway corridor and urge you to support them, we do not think changing the sign ordinance is enough.

The billboard is an abomination which few people, including us, thought was possible, yet it happened legally. But now, no one can say that they do not have warning about the potential threats to a major entrance way to Flint's Cultural Center, stable east side residential neighborhoods and downtown.

We recommend that the city council zone the whole property A-1, the most restrictive zoning category possible.

The reason the railroad got the property no longer exists. There is no train destination, no tracks for them to run on and no possibility that there will be within the lifetime of many generations yet to be born — if ever.

Obviously, the city cannot simply take the land from the railroad. But it has the power to use the zoning code to determine how the land within its corporate boundaries will be used as long as it does not exceed legislative and judicial limitations. And it has the responsibility to use its powers to protect the public health safety and welfare.

The railroad land is unzoned. If trains were running across it there might be some legal basis for leaving it that way. But the land, except for the colossal monuments to corporate greed on the corner of Vernon and Longway and on the corner of Dort and Longway, is a 550-foot stretch of poorly maintained vacant land. No business would be hurt by the zoning because there are no existing businesses.

The railroad abandoned any rights to an unzoned right-of-way it might have had when it stopped running trains on it and ripped up the tracks.

There is no good reason for our elected city officials to allow a rich corporation to threaten the quality of life of Flint residents.

We think enacting the proposed ordinance to prohibit billboards within 300 feet of residential neighborhoods is a good thing for all Flint residential neighborhoods.

But, more importantly, we think city officials should immediately zone the railroad right-of-way to end an even more serious threat to the Longway corridor. And hopefully, the Flint Planning Commission will not fumble around for months before it makes its recommendation to city council.

GPC

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