Scottville business asking for alley abandonment

The owners of the Stallion Mill are asking for the alley, right side of photo, to be abandoned.

Scottville business asking for alley abandonment

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

SCOTTVILLE — The owners of a planned business in downtown Scottville are asking the Planning Commission to recommend to City Commission that it abandons an alleyway that runs adjacent to their building. The Stallion Mill is a planned eating establishment that will be located at the end of Blaine Street in the old farm co-op building. The building sits along an alley that runs east from South Main Street to Columbia Avenue.  Owners Jeff Barnett, Jeff Elliot and Maynard Keenan, are proposing the city  consider abandoning the alleyway from the building east to Blaine Street and re-routing building traffic north into the city-owned parking lot, then over to Blaine Street. Barnett said the owners would consider swapping some of their property on the north side of the building to be used for that re-routed alley.

Barnett said the building currently encroaches into the alley. He said they would like to build a handicap accessible ramp in the alley, which requires at least another four feet.

“We would really just like to have that whole segment of the alley and use it for an outdoor area,” Barnett said. “That area through there would still be accessible to pedestrian traffic. The existing alleyway is structurally in poor condition.

Barnett said the partners plan to start construction of the building this spring or early summer.

“We don’t know when it will open,” he said. “Maybe fall but we can’t promise that. We are in the process of looking for a general contractor and finalizing financing.”

He said plans for the new establishment include having a meadery and possibly a winery as well. All three partners are alumni of Mason County Central High School. Keenan, who is lead singer of the rock group Tool, owns several restaurants, vineyards and wineries in Arizona. Barnett and Keenan also own three other buildings in downtown Scottville including the former Holden’s Home Emporium (Schoenberger’s Market) building, the old laundromat building and the old Business Print (Gambles Hardware) building. Barnett said there are plans for various businesses in each of those buildings as well.

The decision would ultimately be decided by the City Commission.

Planning Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. today at City Hall, 105 N. Main Street.

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