By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

After sitting vacant since 1999, the Clarkston Cinema and surrounding land may soon be getting a facelift.
Located at 6808 Dixie Highway, a new Dort Financial Credit Union is planned for the property and received conceptual site plan approval at the Aug. 10 meeting of the Independence Township Planning Commission.
The project, once a few issues have been addressed, would then potentially go to the Independence Township Board of Trustees for a planned unit development (PUD) approval for a later vote.
“Well, I never thought I’d see this day,” said Richard Carlisle, president of the Carlisle Wortman Associates planning firm that works with the township, at the meeting. “We’ve been working with the Dort Financial Credit Union for a number of months now in their attempts to redevelop a very challenging site. Challenging because of access issues, challenging because of the existing building, obviously, and the fact it is zoned C-2 (planned shopping center), for whatever reason. Let me just say that they have done a tremendous job working through these issues. One of the other issues is Hidden Lane, sort of a little hidden gem back there, and we asked them certainly to be sensitive to the residents along Hidden Lane. And you may be aware that there are actually residences on the lake side to the north of this area that has access more or less off Dixie Highway to that particular area, so they have worked around that very well.”
The theater first opened in 1970 and was a popular attraction up until its closure 29 years later.
“One of the things that struck me during the course of our review is that they need to have special approval for the drive-thru and multiple variances,” Carlisle said. “I thought if there has ever been a site that has been crying for a planned development option over the Dixie overlay, this is the site. That’s the method we used to redevelop the old Clarkston gas station site on the corner of M-15 and Dixie. It will give them all the flexibility without the necessity of having to try to justify variances, although I’m sure variances on this site were justified. To come back before final (approval), with their special approval application for the planned development option, that is certainly something I would recommend.
“Yes, this will need to come to the board for a planned unit development approval if they request it, but I don’t believe they have yet, or they would need a few variances,” said Township Trustee Sam Moraco. “They got conceptual site plan approval at this meeting, so it would need to be requested by the petitioner to be a PUD or obtain a few variances and special land use for a drive-thru. I don’t think it’s at a point that it’s coming to us until more details are figured out, but it got a positive response from the planning commission. I would expect that they come back and ask for a PUD, but not sure yet. I would be very surprised if it doesn’t move forward, especially with us trying so hard to redevelop Dixie Highway.
“I am just happy we have interest and someone willing to invest and redevelop this long-abandoned site.”

PHOTO: The Clarkston Cinema building sits vacant in Oct. 2021. Photo: Matt Mackinder