By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With some fancy footwork, Bowling Green Planning Commission tweaked the city’s zoning code to allow a dance studio to build a new facility in the Bellard Business Park.
Bowling Green Economic Development Executive Director Sue Clark asked that the M-3 zoning classification be expanded to allow for a dance studio.
Clark explained to the planning commission Wednesday evening that The Beat dance program has been asked to leave its current location at 1060 N. Main St., in order to make room for another tenant. Clark said she looked at several possible sites with the client, but could not find a suitable home for the business which has about 200 students and needs parking for 30 to 35 vehicles at a time.
So the owner, Colleen Murphy, has decided to build instead.
“We have done an extensive search for appropriate properties to build on and this location keeps surfacing as the best fit,” Clark said in a letter to the city planning office.
“I showed her a lot of places,” Clark said Wednesday evening. “She kept coming back to Bellard.”
Several of the dance students live in Perrysburg, according to Clark. “She really wanted to stay on the north end of town.”
The business purchased the northernmost two acres of the business park near the corner of Newton and Brim roads, and is planning to build a facility of about 7,300 square feet.
“We think this will be compatible,” with the area, Clark said. But under the current zoning code, it is not permitted.
The zoning code allowed indoor sports training facilities, defined as for baseball, basketball, batting cages, boxing, cheerleading, gymnastics, martial arts, soccer and volleyball courts. The language specifically rules out ice and roller skating rinks, bowling alleys, racquet and tennis clubs, paintball arenas, billiard halls, archery and shooting ranges.
Dance and yoga classes, as well as health and fitness clubs were previously on the list of not permitted activities, but were moved to the permitted list with the planning commission action Wednesday evening.
Also at the meeting, Bowling Green Planning Director Heather Sayler reported the city has issued 172 zoning permits so far this year, compared to 189 for the same period last year. The city has approved 19 single-family homes, compared to 16 last year. Permits for two commercial projects and one institutional project have also been issued this year.
