Jenny’s Ice Cream site plan approved for Cherry Avenue

ROYAL OAK — A site plan for a new seasonal ice cream shop at 620 Cherry Ave. was unanimously approved by the Royal Oak Planning Commission on April 14. 

The site is located on the north side of Cherry Avenue near the intersection with Crooks Road. The site was designed as an office building. 

The petitioner proposed to renovate the building into an ice cream shop for carryout service only. No interior seating or tables were indicated on the floor plan, and a concrete patio would be installed in the front of the building without any seating or tables. 

Any outdoor seating and or tables would require an approval of a special land use permit by the Planning Commission. 

There are six parking spaces identified on the site plan, which are in compliance with the zoning ordinance. 

Jennifer Vanlehn, the petitioner for the ice cream shop site plan, spoke to the Planning Commission about why she went on this journey to create an ice cream shop. 

Vanlehn said she is a lifelong Royal Oak resident. Her three sons also were born in Royal Oak and have grown up in the city. She and her family live three blocks from the ice cream shop’s planned location. 

“I wanted to do something for my children,” she said. “I thought, ‘What can we do together as a family,’ and something we could walk to as well, and this building came up. It’s down the street, it was zoned for a neighborhood, which I  looked up so that I could do ice cream there. And so, we went down this venture to hopefully do something I can do with my kids for a very long time.”

Planning Commissioner Travis Moore asked Vanlehn if there were any plans for seating at the location. 

Vanlehn said that they did not have plans for the future in terms of seating, because of the need for more parking spaces. 

“Regarding the benches in front, it was never an intention to have outdoor dining or cafe seating or anything like  that,” said Daniel Lennon, architect and owner of Lennon Design Co. “It was really a pedestrian amenity to have backless benches, not comfortable, just again, so an elderly person could kind of sit there and let her grandchildren order ice cream.”

He asked if that would be something that they could make happen, waving the special land use permit and outdoor cafe qualifications. 

“Talk a little bit about, you know, the ice cream and how that is going to be. We can see from those images, I am sure you’re going to have a service station, but talk a little bit more about the business and what it means to the neighborhood,” Mayor Michael Fournier said. 

Vanlehn said that having an ice cream shop to which kids can ride their bikes or walk will provide a safe activity for them.

“Ice cream makes everyone happy,” Vanlehn said. “ One, it’s in the summertime. Two, it’s really cute on the inside. And I do think it’s a cute place for people to walk to. … An ice cream shop right down the street is really a neighborhood business where you can go to and feel comfortable with your kids there.”

The ice cream being served will be soft serve and also hand-dipped. 

Fournier asked Joseph Murphy, Royal Oak director of planning, if there is any way they can avoid the ordinances for a bench on the property. 

“I appreciate how our ordinances are structured and our land uses, bu  I think the average person would find it highly unreasonable not to have a bench,” Fournier said. “At minimum, is there a way to permit a bench on the inside for grandmas, nursing moms, whatever it is, is there any maneuvering here that we have today that would permit that to happen?”

Murphy said that there is not a way to permit a bench without the special land use process. 

“This is an unreasonable restriction for an ice cream shop, and traditionally there is a bench for an ice cream shop,” Planning Commission Chair Gary Quesada said. 

Fournier said he is going to work to see if he can do anything to add a bench on the property without the extra hassle. 

“In any service situation, whether you are selling food or not, you should have a place. We have an aging community … and people should not be excluded from getting ice cream because they can’t necessarily stand,” he said. “It almost seems like an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirement to me, but at some point in time in the future, whatever we have to do in the zoning or whatever, it would be nice to have the ability for you guys to get some seats out there.”

Leanne Stadler, a resident of Royal Oak and sister of Vanlehn, spoke in favor of the shop. 

“I would love for my kids to not cross any busy streets, let them have some independence to get some ice cream,” she said. “I think it is a great addition to the community.”

Criag Vangold, a resident of Royal Oak since 1976, said that he is also in support of the ice cream shop. 

“I would love to be able to walk down here without crossing major streets with my grandchildren and be able to get an ice cream,” he said. 

City Commissioner and Planning Commissioner Woody Gontina spoke about the ice cream shop, saying that he thinks it is in a great location and he is excited to see it up and running. 

“It’s a perfect spot for it. I think it’s a great amenity for all of the neighborhoods surrounding it,” he said. “The fact that Northwood is right there, it’s going to be a great treat for the kids getting out of school. And I am fully supportive of this, and I am grateful you are bringing it forward.”

For more information, visit romi.gov.