Marysville commission puts restrictions on Habitat for Humanity's ReStore
The ReStore Habitat for Humanity retail site still has some restrictions on its operation, after Marysville's planning commission voted for it to receive a use permit Wednesday. Among them:
• Operators must give the city two weeks notice if there is an event at the store, and must also at the next planning commission meeting give the city an idea of the nature of such events.
• The store should be largely a retail operation, with no onsite construction.
• Storage must be inside the store or behind constructed walls if outside.
• Signs must be appropriate to the area and must be approved by the commission, possibly as soon as at the next meeting.
There won't be any construction there, the signs still needs some work, and any events there will require prior notice to the city of Marysville.
But, apparently with official status this time, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore retail operation has the go-ahead to open in the former Mervyns store site.
Marysville's Planning and Historic Preservation Commission approved the retail opening Wednesday night after a lengthy discussion, and at least one pause for Habitat for Humanity officials to huddle on what their plan would be.
Earlier in the meeting, some commissioners said while they supported the not-for-profit group's goals and mission, they had concerns about allowing the store to also have on-site construction as training for homebuilding skills.
"I like to think everyone works in good faith," said Commissioner Bruce Buttacavoli. "But I think we've heard a whole lot of stories lately."
More than once during the meeting, commissioners said they weren't sure whether Habitat for Humanity's volunteers were proposing to have large-scale building at the store, small-scale building, or construction on or off the store lot, inside or outside.
Habitat for Humanity Vice President Jack Levine said to get the store open, he and others were fine with dropping any construction at the store itself, though he asked to still have storage of construction materials.
"The store being closed keeps us from doing our mission, and that's to provide housing for low-income families," he said.
Getting a use permit to open the store was a significant step for Levine's group, which announced plans to move its ReStore outlet selling construction items to the Mervyn's site last year. Volunteers even briefly opened the store in January but closed days later after the city postponed giving a use permit.
Some nearby business owners and city officials said concerns about signs, events at the store and other issues should prompt a longer look by the city, and planning commissioners Wednesday said they will clarify those aspects at next month's meeting.
After the meeting, Levine said, reopening the store will be determined by how and when appropriate signs can go up, which Habitat for Humanity officials are still discussing.
CONTACT Ben van der Meer at bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4786. Find him on Facebook at /ADbvandermeer or on Twitter at @ADbvandermeer.
