Harbor Springs Zoning Board June 8, 2022

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs Zoning Board of Appeals — June 8, 2022 ATTENDEES: Kim Morris, Kristin McDonald, Stu Stewart, John Leo, Bob Toma, Kathy Montjoy, and alternate Sue; Maddie Hines was absent. • The Zoning Board approved a dimensional variance for Mark and Nancy Rondell’s proposed accessory structure with guest quarters at 588 East Main Street, in the R-2 district. Kathy Montjoy was selected as the voting alternate because Maddie Hines was absent. • The proposal calls for a 1,056-square-foot structure. Staff said the existing principal home is 915 square feet, meaning the normal 75% accessory-building limit would be about 686 square feet. The proposed structure was described as about 115% of the principal building’s size. • Staff also noted a height issue: the existing house is about 22 feet, 6 inches tall, while the proposed accessory structure is 25 feet. The applicants said their longer-term plan is to replace the existing house and argued that adding onto a house they expect to remove would not be reasonable. • Public comment included support from a neighboring resident at 582 East Main, who described the applicants as good neighbors. Dave Holt of 598 East Main opposed the requested variance, while saying he did not oppose an accessory building and guest quarters that met the stated 686-square-foot limit. • Board members discussed whether the request met variance standards, including practical difficulty, reasonable alternatives, and effects on adjacent property. Alternatives discussed included building a smaller accessory structure, adding onto the existing house, or replacing the existing house with a larger home before building the accessory structure. • The motion to approve passed 3-1. Kathy Montjoy, John Leo, and Kristin McDonald voted yes; Kim Morris voted no. The board approved the meeting minutes earlier in the meeting. Worth watching: • Guest quarters still require special-land-use approval from the Planning Commission. • The approved variance allows the accessory structure despite its size relative to the existing home; the transcript does not establish a requirement or timeline for replacing or enlarging that home. Upcoming: Staff said the ZBA expects to meet July 13 to consider two variance applications and will send an invitation. Why it matters: The decision permits a larger accessory building at 588 East Main while leaving guest-quarters approval to the Planning Commission.

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