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CITY OF MUSKEGON
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
REGULAR MEETING
DATE OF MEETING: Tuesday, September 14, 2021
TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE OF MEETING: Commission Chambers, First Floor, Muskegon City Hall
AGENDA
I. Roll Call
II. Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of August 19, 2021.
III. Public Hearings
A. Hearing; Case 2021-04: Request for a variance from Section 2334 of the zoning
ordinance to allow for off-premise signage at 1812 Lakeshore Drive, by Christine
Mattson.
B. Hearing; Case 2021-05: Request for a variance from Section 2310 of the zoning
ordinance to allow electrical lines to be buried on a steep slope at 3561 Woodlawn Court,
by Bruce Meyer.
IV. New Business
V. Old Business
VI. Other
VII. Adjourn
AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT POLICY FOR ACCESS TO OPEN MEETING OF THE
CITY COMMISSION AND ANY OF ITS COMMITTEES OR SUBCOMMITTEES
The City of Muskegon will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing
impaired and audio tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities who want to
attend the meeting, upon twenty-four hour notice to the City of Muskegon. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary
aids or services should contact the City of Muskegon by writing or calling the following:
Ann Marie Cummings, City Clerk
933 Terrace Street
Muskegon, MI 49440
(231) 724-6705
TTY/TDD: Dial 7-1-1 and request that a representative dial 231-724-6705
CITY OF MUSKEGON
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
STAFF REPORT
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Hearing; Case 2021-04: Request for a variance from Section 2334 of the zoning ordinance to
allow for off-premise signage at 1812 Lakeshore Drive, by Christine Mattson.
SUMMARY
1. Section 2334.4 of the zoning ordinance prohibits off-premise signage. Businesses may not
have signage on other properties, other than billboards.
2. The applicant is seeking a variance to allow the names of other businesses in Lakeside to
be able to be painted on the new mural on the building at 1812 Lakeshore Dr.
3. This mural will be visible to tourists exiting the Cross Lake Ferry property.
4. Please see the responses below to page two of the application.
5. Notice was sent to properties within 300 feet of the property. At the time of this writing,
staff had not received any comments.
Proposed Signage on Mural
Zoning Map
Aerial Map
VARIANCE 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?
DETERMINATION:
The following motion is offered for consideration:
I move that that the request for a variance from Section 2334 of the zoning ordinance to allow for
off-premise signage at 1812 Lakeshore Drive be (approved/denied) based on the review
standards in Section 2502 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Hearing; Case 2021-05: Request for a variance from Section 2310 of the zoning ordinance to
allow electrical lines to be buried on a steep slope at 3561 Woodlawn Court, by Bruce Meyer.
SUMMARY
1. This property is located in a critical dune and must follow the regulations in section 2310
(critical dunes) of the zoning ordinance.
2. The critical dune ordinance prohibits (unless a variance is granted) a use on a slope within
a critical dune area that has a slope steeper than a 1-foot vertical rise in a 3-foot horizontal
plane.
3. The slope of the dune in this area is greater than a 1-foot vertical rise in a 3-foot horizontal
plane.
4. Please see the responses below to page two of the application.
5. Notice was sent to properties within 300 feet of the property. At the time of this writing,
staff had not received any comments.
Electrical Wires and Dune at 3561 Woodlawn Ct
Zoning Map
Aerial Map
DETERMINATION:
The following motion is offered for consideration:
I move that that the request for a variance from Section 2310 of the zoning ordinance to allow
electrical lines to be buried on a steep slope at 3561 Woodlawn Court be (approved/denied)
based on the review standards in Section 2502 of the Zoning Ordinance.