MK Williams Carpentry of Sagola has proposed a development on vacant lots at 1040 and 1060 Woodward Avenue in Iron Mountain. The easternmost parcel is north of Kingswood Apartments in Kingsford. (Jim Anderson/Daily News)

IRON MOUNTAIN — A zoning change intended to allow first-floor commercial units in proposed apartment buildings on Woodward Avenue failed to get approval Monday from Iron Mountain City Council.

The council took no action on the B1 Neighborhood Business classification after neighbors objected during a public hearing.

“Once the zoning is changed, anything is possible,” Evergreen Drive resident Monica Maule said. “There are too many gray areas. I don’t think our beautiful subdivision has been given any consideration.”

The property is zoned R-3 — which allows residential uses, including apartment buildings — so a project could yet go forward without businesses. It remains to be seen what developer MK Williams Carpentry of Sagola will do.

In their proposal, Maxim Williams and Kirill Williams said they purchased the parcels at 1040 and 1060 Woodward Avenue a year ago with the intention of developing them. The vacant parcels at Iron Mountain’s west city limits are east of Woodward Bar and north of Kingswood Apartments, both in Kingsford.

“The current area in both Iron Mountain and Kingsford has a mixed zoning use of business, multi-family apartments and condominiums and single family residential,” they said in the rezoning request.

The project called for a pair of three-story apartment buildings, not exceeding 40 feet in height. Each would have four ground-floor businesses and a total of eight two-bedroom residential apartments — four each on the second and third floors. Each unit would be about 1,000 square feet.

Tony Edlebeck of Lake State Land Surveying told the council the developers expected to house “office-type services” on the main floor.

In response to the advertised public hearing, the council received a protest petition from neighboring property owners on Woodward Avenue to the east and Evergreen Drive to the north. In addition to citing problems with “spot zoning,” they listed concerns such as neighborhood character, traffic and safety, property values and noise, lighting and activity.

Don Maule of Evergreen Drive, who spoke for the seven petitioners, said a master plan created by the city in 2020 designates the Woodward parcels as “neighborhood residential.”

A statement of opposition signed by 25 people named similar concerns and cited “many vacant commercial spaces available in the Iron Mountain area that businesses can utilize if needed.”

Evergreen Drive resident Holly DeGroot said the proposed parking could include as many as 130 spots, making it comparable to a downtown expanse. “Don’t change this to a business district,” she said.

Three council members were absent Monday, leaving just four to act on the requested change.

City Manager Jordan Stanchina explained that the protest petition elevated the number of votes needed to approve the zoning change from a simple majority to two-thirds of the seven-member council. With five votes needed, and only four council members present, no motion was offered for approval or denial.

During council discussion, no mention was made of taking action at a later date. Council member Kyle Blomquist said he finds city zoning rules to accommodate a mixed business and residential site “a little bit messy as written now.”

The B1 Neighborhood Business classification could allow multiple commercial uses, including retail, personal service, and eating and drinking establishments.

If the developers were to pursue another zoning course, it would first require a review by the Iron Mountain Planning Commission.

In other action, the council:

— Adopted a resolution of concurrence with a brownfield plan for 111 E. Ludington St., the downtown site of the former Appliance and Furniture Mart. The project is eligible for $932,650 in property tax reductions that will be carried out over an estimated 17 years. The 2025 taxable value of the parcels owned by Eden Property Collection LLC of Iron Mountain is $204,487, while the future taxable value is estimated at nearly $2 million once the project is complete. The redevelopment calls for parking, commercial space and up to 20 apartments. The brownfield plan now goes to the Dickinson County Board for final approval. The county board was initially briefed in August.

— Learned that Stanchina continues to seek an estimate on the potential cost of attending veterinarian services for the City Park deer herd. Ingalls veterinarian Dr. Barry Wehner has offered some of the costs and hourly rates, but no determination on the total hours. A public meeting may be held to gather input on whether to keep the attraction, once all cost factors are known. In September, Stanchina shared an estimate of $20,300 for one-time pen improvements, plus annual costs of roughly $19,600 for grain, hay, straw and tuberculosis testing.

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Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.