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BOYNE CITY - Signed petitions calling for a referendum on the downtown parking issue were presented to the city clerk at the commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

But, due to incorrect information given by the county, the petition circulators must acquire about 50 additional signatures.

At issue is the parking exempt zone amendment to the city's zoning ordinance. The amendment gives commissioners the authority to waive the number of downtown parking spaces developers are otherwise required to create to accommodate a project. If parking spaces are waived, a fee will be collected by the city.

City resident Penny Hardy told commissioners that she was disgusted at the commission for approving the amendment for several reasons.

"The commission approved it with no indication of future parking (provisions). It was very ill-considered and should have been planned more carefully," Hardy said. "This will really affect businesses downtown and it needs to be well thought out."

Hardy added that the decision by all but one of the commissioners did not complement the city's "Home Town Feel, Small Town Appeal" motto.

The downtown boundaries drawn for the parking amendment gave rise to the opposition and the petition drive, because the proposed One Water Street development is included in the boundary zone.

The boundary zone for the amendment runs roughly along Main Street, Pine Street, the waterfront to State Street and dog-legs along parts of Spring, Pearl and Boyne streets.

Because the project is within the boundary, the developers of One Water Street were granted an exemption to the requirement that they create 147 parking spaces. In a 4-to-1 vote by city commissioners the developers were allowed to forego about 58 of those spaces. Only commissioner Chuck Vondra objected to the exemption.

Those in opposition to the amendment say that downtown parking will become sparse and hurt the downtown businesses.

Following verification of the petition signatures, the matter will either be placed on an upcoming election ballot, or the commission may choose to withdraw its vote that approved the parking exempt amendment.

If it goes to a vote by city residents, the issue will not be on the November ballot because the timing is too short. Instead, it will likely appear on the January primary ballot.