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CITY OF MUSKEGON
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
REGULAR MEETING
DATE OF MEETING: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE OF MEETING: City Hall Commission Chambers, First Floor, Muskegon City Hall
AGENDA
I. Roll Call
II. Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of April 8, 2025.
III. Public Hearings
A. Hearing, Case 2025-04: Request for variances from Section 404 of the zoning ordinance
for a reduction in the minimum rear setback requirement of 15 feet and from Section
2310 of the zoning ordinance to allow more than one accessory structure on site at 1515
Lawrence Ave.
IV. New Business
V. Old Business
VI. Other
VII. Adjourn
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Ann Marie Meisch, MMC
City Clerk
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Muskegon, MI 49440
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CITY OF MUSKEGON
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
STAFF REPORT
May 13, 2025
Hearing, Case 2025-04: Request for variances from Section 404 of the zoning ordinance for a
reduction in the minimum rear setback requirement of 15 feet and from Section 2310 of the
zoning ordinance to allow more than one accessory structure on site at 1515 Lawrence Ave.
SUMMARY
1. The property is zoned R, Neighborhood Residential. The parcel is very large and is actually
three lots combined into one. It measures 20,085 sf.
2. A single-family house has been sited on the lot for many years. A recent building addition
and an additional shed were added without permits. The applicant is now applying for
permits after the fact.
3. There are two violations of the ordinance with these new additions. The rear lot setback
requirement of at least 15 feet has not been met. The rear setback of the new addition to the
principal structure is eight feet. Also, only one accessory structure (i.e. shed) is allowed on
a residential lot. The addition of another accessory structure violates Section 2311 of the
zoning ordinance. This new accessory structure appears to be a relaxation area for the pool,
but is not considered another livable unit.
4. The ordinance also requires that the parcel not be covered more than 50% by structures.
Even with the additions, the lot is still only about 38% covered by structures. The structures
cover 7,645 sf of the 20,085 sf lot.
5. Please see the enclosed denied site plan and also a copy of a recent sketch from the
Assessor’s Department that includes the new additions.
6. Notification was sent to every property within 300 feet of this address. At the time of this
writing, staff had not received any public comments.
1515 Lawrence Ave
House after an addition in 2015.
Picture from 2015 of the back yard. The basketball court has recently been removed and a
building addition and pool has been placed in this area.
New addition and shed recently placed in the back yard.
1515 Lawrence Ave from the back yard. New housing addition to the right. New shed to
the left.
Zoning Map
Aerial Map
Answers Provided to Variance Questionnaire
REVIEW STANDARDS
Questions to consider when reviewing a variance request:
a. Are there are exceptional or extraordinary circumstances or conditions applying to the
property in question or to the intended use of the property that do not apply generally to
other properties or class of uses in the same zoning district?
b. Is the dimensional variance necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a
substantial property right possessed by other properties in the same zoning district and in
the vicinity?
c. Will the authorizing of such dimensional variance be of substantial detriment to adjacent
properties?
d. Is the alleged difficulty caused by the ordinance and not by any person presently having
an interest in the property, or by any previous owner?
e. Is the alleged difficulty founded solely upon the opportunity to make the property more
profitable or to reduce expense to the owner?
f. Is the requested variance the minimum action required to eliminate the difficulty?
DELIBERATION:
The following motion is offered for consideration:
I move that the request for variances from Section 404 of the zoning ordinance for a reduction in
the rear setback requirement to seven feet and from Section 2310 of the zoning ordinance to
allow more than one accessory structure on site at 1515 Lawrence Ave be (approved/denied)
based on the review standards in Section 2502 of the Zoning Ordinance.
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