Zoning Board Meeting 11.9.2022

Detailed briefing

Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting — November 9, 2022 - The board elected Bob Vogel as temporary chair because Chair Kristen McDonald was absent. It also approved the minutes of the prior meeting. - The board approved front- and rear-yard variances for a proposed replacement house on a small lot near the bluff. The applicant’s revised plan placed the house 15 feet from the front property line and 24 feet from the rear property line, reducing the variance request from the plan described in the public notice. - The applicant said the lot is 6,600 square feet, compared with the stated 8,000-square-foot minimum for the R-1B district. The proposed house was described as 3,170 square feet and 34 feet high, below the 35-foot height limit. An elevator was added to allow a smaller design than an earlier proposal. - Public comments raised concerns about erosion at the rear of the property, potential snowplow impacts near the front setback, the building’s perceived scale and neighborhood fit, and changed views from across the street. The applicants said they wanted the design to reflect Harbor Springs character and discussed using planting, including grasses recommended by a landscaper, to help address erosion. - Board discussion focused on the required findings for a variance. Members cited the lot’s size and shape and the bluff-related restricted area as unique constraints. They concluded the difficulty was not self-created, the proposed use was reasonable compared with the neighborhood, and there was no reasonable lower-variance alternative after the design revisions. - The board heard that five pieces of correspondence had been received, including four in the meeting packet and one distributed before the meeting. Their contents were not stated in the transcript. Worth watching: - The project still requires Planning Commission site-plan review because part of the work is within the restricted bluff zone. - Planning Commission review is expected to consider engineering information, bluff stability, erosion, and construction methods intended to avoid further damage. - Staff said they would seek clarification on responsibility if bluff deterioration occurs, depending on ownership and cause. Upcoming: Planning Commission review of the proposed site plan and bluff-related engineering and construction issues. Why it matters: The approval allows the project to move forward, but bluff protection and site-plan safeguards remain subject to further public review.

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