VBT BZA grants variance for garages, but denies siding variance

The Van Buren Township Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a variance to allow extra garages for the new senior housing on Belleville Road, and unanimously rejected a variance to use mostly siding instead of brick or stone.
This was at its Aug. 11 Zoom meeting.
Under the township’s assessory building requirements, the maximum detached accessory buildings on any lot shall be 4,800 square feet and Clover Communities Van Buren LCC asked for 9,600 square feet of total detached accessory building area, which was approved.
The request for a variance to architectural standards of unpainted red brick, brown brick, natural stone or similar high-quality materials the primary building was denied. Clover wanted to use hardieplank siding for about 70% of the building façade.
Beth Ernat of Clover Communities said she would bring back a revision to the township.
Director of Public Service Matt Best told Ernat that Dan Power and Vidya Krishnan will bring Clover through the next steps, “So you can get your senior housing up and running.”
Power is director of planning and economic development and Krishnan, of McKenna Associates, is planning consultant.
During the one-hour-and-12-minute meeting, Ernat explained plans for the independent living for seniors, aged 55 and up, at 8740 Belleville Rd. on the west side of Belleville near Robson Road.
Ernat said “Mr. Joseph” is the only owner of the development and the company acts as general contractor and holds the property long-term as property management. None of his communities have ever been sold, she said. The business started in mid 1989.
She said they have no government subsidy and HUD allows them to operate with the 55-and-up limit, with few exceptions. Ernat said the residents are mainly retired people so there is not a mass exodus from the buildings every morning.
She said Clover pays full property taxes and they offer no dining or health care. The buildings are TV monitored and controlled. They have elevators, an indoor mail system, and every unit has a laundry, kitchen, and bathroom.
She said there will be 125 units in the three-story building, with 40 garages and 118 surface parking spaces. Offered are two bedrooms and one bath and two bedrooms with a bath and a half.
The two acres that front along Belleville Road will be retained for commercial development.
Average rent for a two-bedroom unit would be $1,300 a month, including all utilities. She said a person could sell his or her home and live at Clover for ten years without any other money.
Ernat said having to have stone or brick increases Clover’s cost and affects what the rent would be.
Ernat had worked with the township to get zoning for senior independent living, which was recently added to the zoning ordinance.
She said Clover wouldn’t be creating a precedent with the siding. The project is 400’ behind the Belleville Road corridor and very similar to Westlake.
“To go from 30% stone to 90% brick and stone raises our cost 300%,” she said.
Ernat said the 40 garages is the “magic number” of those residents who want inside parking.
Nicole Butzin variance request
At its 30-minute, July 14 Zoom meeting, the BZA held a public hearing during which no one spoke and then considered the variance request of Nicole Butzin, 17160 Renton Rd.
Butzin had asked for a variance from the township ordinance that requires detached accessory buildings to be located in the rear or side yard. She proposed a 30’x40’ detached accessory building in the front yard.
Director Power said this request was for a flag lot. It is zoned AG, with standards similar to residential districts. The proposed building would be in front, slightly to the side of the principle building.
Director Power said based on the definitions of the front yard and side yard spelled out in the zoning ordinance, when the yard is not rectangular, the side lot lines are actually everything except for the front lot line and the rear lot line. This would put the accessory building in the side yard, as opposed to the front yard, which is following the zoning ordinance.
Power said the township is requesting the BZA remove this request from consideration as a variance request and refer it back to staff to review administratively.
Director Best said that without the specific definitions of yard areas and lot width laid out in the zoning ordinance, it would be very difficult to develop these unique flag lots with an accessory structure.
Best said Director Power’s and the staff’s interpretation, after extensive review, “is right on the money.”
“Affirmation from the BZA on this interpretation is the clarification needed to give the applicant the ability to move forward on her project without a variance,” Best said.
The BZA voted unanimously to remove the case from its agenda and turn it over to the staff for review.