Amendments to the township zoning ordinance changing lot coverage in residential districts were approved unanimously by the Leland Township Board on July 8.
The board, with trustee Mariann Kirch absent, approved the amendment. However, a resolution was not prepared in time for the monthly meeting. It will be presented to the board in August.
The amended language specifi cally addresses sections 9:10, Schedule of Regulations, 11.02, R-1A Medium Density Lakeshore Residential, 11.03, R-2 Medium Density Village Residential, and 11.05, R-3 High Density Residential.
The zoning R-1 district, which identifies medium density lakeshore residential properties, was previously 30% for the maximum lot coverage, but was changed to a “graduated scale” of 35% for the first 10,000 square feet of lot area, ultimately reducing density as lot size grows.
In the R-2 medium density village residential district, the maximum building height in feet was amended from 35 feet to 30 feet. The side yard setbacks (measured from eaves and not exterior walls) changed from 15 feet total with a minimum of five feet on one side to now eight feet minimum on each side. And within the R-3 high density residential district, maximum lot coverage was amended from 35% to a graduated scale of 50% for the first 10,000 square feet of lot area, allowing for higher density on smaller village lots. In addition, the front and rear yard setbacks were changed from 25 feet to 30 feet.
Tim Cypher, Leland Township zoning administrator, said the process of amending the ordinance language essentially started over five years ago when it was brought to the board’s attention that the character of the village, residential zoning, and the waterfront areas should be looked at due to general concern about the size of homes being built in the area. Within the last two years, Cypher said they’ve held a public hearing about residential zoning, as well as many discussions at various township and planning commission meetings about what works and what doesn’t.
“It’s hard to please everybody along the way, but I think there’s been a good compromise that’s been brought forth in this amendment,” Cypher explained at the meeting. “It’s been thoroughly discussed and a lot of back and forth, I’ll say that, and trying to work through what we are really trying to accomplish… so the planning commission approved it unanimously to send it to the township.”
Cypher said the amendment will create some legal non-conforming home sites that are in the R-2 zoning district, however, the property owners of those homes would have to comply with the current zoning in place and any changes they would propose to make in the future.
“Any dimensional variance that would come forth, they do have administrative remedy with anything in the ordinance that they could appeal to the zoning board of appeals,” Cypher said. “Then they have to show practical difficulty and hardship related to that.”
The ordinance amendment will become effective approximately 180 days following publication to give individual property owners in the zoning districts time and opportunities to obtain and commence with the changes.
