Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting - 2025-01-08

Detailed briefing

Zoning Board of Appeals — January 8, 2025 ATTENDEES: Kim Morris, Sue Stewart, John Leo, Ron Turner (Zoom), Janie Jenkins and Bob Buckner. • Sue Stewart was elected chair for 2025. The board also noted several newer members and alternates. Staff explained that Ron Turner could participate in discussion by Zoom but could not vote under state rules because he was not physically present. • The board reviewed minutes from February 14. Staff corrected the record to remove an absent member from the motions in which she had mistakenly been listed as participating. The transcript does not clearly capture a formal motion on the minutes. • The 2025 meeting schedule was approved with a correction to its final entry. The January 2026 meeting should be Wednesday, January 14, 2026, reflecting the board’s second-Wednesday schedule. Application deadlines are generally noon on the date of the preceding meeting. • The board reviewed its existing bylaws. Staff reported no new recommendations arising from changes to Michigan’s zoning law, and members proposed no revisions. • The board approved a dimensional variance for a covered porch at 661 East Bluff Drive. Plans showed the porch extending about five feet beyond the required setback while remaining approximately 19 feet from the front property line. Members discussed the narrow, angled lot; nearby porch and house setbacks; and the property’s existing configuration. One nearby owner submitted support, while another property owner objected to the porch’s aesthetics. Staff reminded the board that the zoning code does not contain architectural design standards. • Approval was conditioned on the porch not being enclosed in the future. Staff said later construction and zoning review would include compliance with lighting rules requiring fixtures to be shielded and directed away from neighboring properties. A member also raised concerns about construction traffic, deliveries and possible damage to roadside irrigation systems on the narrow street, but no traffic-related condition was adopted. Worth watching: • The final minutes should clarify the variance voting roster. Sue Stewart announced a recusal because of personal ties to the property and neighborhood, but her name appears in the later roll call. • Staff will review final lighting details when the project’s zoning application and construction plans are submitted. • The corrected annual schedule and meeting documents still need to reflect the dates and current chair accurately. Upcoming: The next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting was announced for Wednesday, February 12; staff said February 14 on the agenda was incorrect. Why it matters: The decision permits a front porch closer to the property line while preventing its later conversion into enclosed living space.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.