Green Lantern Pizza owner frets about losing parking during road construction

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (FOX 2) - The owner of a popular local restaurant is voicing concerns about the hosting city's plan to remove parking spots in front of his business.

If Royal Oak's plan to replace the land with green space, Green Lantern Pizza CEO John Spreitzer says it will hurt business.

Big picture view:

On any given Friday night, some 300 vehicles come in and out of the Green Lantern's parking lot. 

But with upcoming construction on Rochester Road - work that Spreitzer says needs to happen - plans by Royal Oak to replace the front parking spots with grass and other vegetation could have a negative impact on how people get to the restaurant.

"There will be absolutely nowhere for our customers to park on any given day," he said.

Spreitzer says the solution the city has offered is using neighborhood streets for parking.

"Which I think is a horrible idea," Spreitzer said "We’ve never had any accidents or safety concerns, so I’m not quite sure why."

Local perspective:

The City of Royal Oak has not made any decision on what the future of Rochester Road will look like. It has also encouraged any business owner that worries it will be impacted to reach out. 

It released a statement adding that it's assessing several small front parking lots on a case-by-case basis. Because Rochester Road is attracting new investment, "this is a moment to reevaluate how we use our right-of-way," the statement read.

"While on-street parking has historically served us well, we also see potential in converting some of these spaces to green infrastructure that enhances walkability, manages stormwater, and contributes to a more vibrant and connected corridor."

But if the front parking lot goes away, Spreitzer says he'll be forced to move.

"We have to go in front of the planning commissioners April 28th at 7 and hopefully they’ll get us some kind of a license or agreement to keep the parking," said Spreitzer.