Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting — 2025-11-12

Detailed briefing

Zoning Board of Appeals — date metadata lists Nov. 11, 2025; the meeting title lists Nov. 12, 2025 ATTENDEES: Board roll call listed Kim Morris, Kathy Model, John Leo, Ron Turner and Jamie Jenkins; Sue Stewart was absent. Applicant Adam Lowry also spoke. • With the regular chair absent, the board selected John Leo as temporary chair. The motion received support without recorded opposition, and the board confirmed that it had a quorum. • The board approved the October meeting minutes as written by consensus. No changes or corrections were identified during the discussion. • The only application concerned Adam Lowry’s Traverse Street property. Lowry requested a dimensional variance for a 12-foot rear extension of an existing garage that is already beyond the accessory-building setback. The addition would be two stories, retain the garage’s current width and allow two vehicles to be parked front-to-back rather than side by side. • Lowry said the upper floor is currently unfinished and that he hopes to use the expanded space as an office. Plans showed a small upstairs bathroom and relocation of the interior stairway to an exterior stairway between the house and garage. Several members questioned why the application emphasized vehicle storage without separately explaining the planned upper-floor space. • Staff clarified that the ZBA’s task was to decide whether the accessory building’s proposed size and setback relief were justified by a practical difficulty and whether reasonable alternatives existed. Potential living, office or rental use was described as a separate zoning or Planning Commission concern rather than the basis for the variance decision. • The Little Harbor Club, identified as the neighboring property owner to the north, submitted a letter generally supporting the project while raising concerns including fire suppression. Staff said building-code, plumbing, mechanical and fire-safety requirements would be handled through the Emmet County Building Department or fire department. The board then approved the variance. All five responses recorded during the roll call were yes. Worth watching: • Staff said the original garage approval records will be checked for conditions that may still apply. • Staff will determine whether the upper-floor plans require additional administrative or Planning Commission review. • Code and permit review, including any fire-safety requirements, remains outside the ZBA approval. Upcoming: No future meeting or project-review date was announced in the supplied transcript. Why it matters: The decision permits an existing setback nonconformity to be extended while leaving possible use restrictions and building-safety requirements for follow-up review.

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