“This is the third or fourth time council’s looked at it, and we’re looking at what use could do to traffic patterns in the area,” Mayor Vic Loomis said.

No developers are looking into the space in question, officials have said, but the city would like to rezone the area in an effort to make it more appealing to potential developers.

In other business, the council discussed updating the city’s code regarding taxi cab drivers and drug tests.

Drivers aren’t required to undergo drug tests, but City Clerk Nicole Evans said the tests can assure that drivers have good morals and intentions.

“As far as drug testing, that is something new, and it allows us to test the moral character of these drivers,” Evans said.

East Lansing’s taxi cab companies came under fire in 2007 when accusations were made by former Big Daddy Taxi employees that cab drivers had operated under the influence of marijuana and distributed alcohol to minors.

The council also considered a proposed sign ordinance that would better address the latest technologies to signs.

Discussion centered around the acceptability of sign usage on commercial property and to advertise neighborhood get-togethers.

“I think the technology does bring about the making of different types of signs, but one question I have about the usability of the sign ordinance — can people read it and understand it?” Loomis said.

The city faced a lawsuit several years ago requiring it to remove billboards from building tops, said Howard Asch, director of code enforcement and neighborhood conservation for East Lansing.

The city hasn’t faced much issue with signs since then, he said.