City Council

Armada Township ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 23121 E. Main Street, P.O. Box 578 Armada, Michigan 48005 Telephone: (586) 784-5200 Facsimile: (586)784-5211 ZONING BOARD of APPEALS Minutes Tuesday June 20, 2023 7:00 p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Hicks called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Chair Hicks lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Chair Hicks, Board Liaison Goetzinger, Kehrig, Moegle, Xagoraris. Members Absent: None. Also Present: Cris Martin, Recording Secretary. 4. APPROVE / AMEND AGENDA: Motion by Kehrig, second by Xagoraris, to approve the agenda as presented. All Ayes, Motion Carried. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion by Kehrig, second by Xagoraris, to approve the minutes of the November 18, 2022, meeting as amended. All Ayes, Motion Carried 6. PUBLIC HEARING: Boo Boo’s Boneyard, LLC Dimensional Variance: Motion by Kehrig, second by Goetzinger, to open the public hearing for Boo Boo’s Boneyard at 7:07 p.m. All Ayes, Motion Carried. Note: Public hearing publishing and adjacent property notifications documentation was available but not requested to be presented. The applicants, Sabrina Terenzi and Kate Opalewski ran a video of drone footage of the property as well as video of the interior of the barn areas. Kehrig read the result of the Special Land Use hearing from the Planning Commission. Ms. Opalewski presented the request to the board to consider the differences between a “kennel” and their business. Confirmed hours of operation Mon-Fri 6:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Sat, Sun 8-10 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. only for boarding pick-up and drop-off. Extra traffic perceived includes family and friends visiting after hours. Macomb County will not issue a kennel license until all township approvals are granted. Bordman is considered a major thoroughfare on the Armada Township Zoning map. 7. Comments: Patricia Fons, 21515 Bordman, Allenton; Terry Scott, 21510 Bordman, Armada; Michelle Fogarty, 21330 Bordman; Armada: Greg Hill, 75960 Brown Rd, Romeo, Richard Tucker, 75036 McKay, Romeo. Concerns about extra traffic on the road; worried about property values; running business without license; dogs bark; smell; love animals but it’s not the right place, concern if a dog were to get loose, rules are in place for a reason, setting a precedent. Martin Hauer, Lenox Twp; Lori Delmotti, 20621 Pratt Rd, Armada, John Blanchard, 52173 Highberry Ct, Chesterfield Twp; Lea Walkowski, 74901 True Rd, Armada; Bailey Lane 21900 Bordman, Armada; James Ahearn 29336 Charlotte Ln, Chesterfield; Best boarding and day care in the area. The applicants have character; Sabrina is a dog whisperer; they are trustworthy; treat their clients and their pets like family; work very hard; very organized; require clients to follow rules for drop-off and pick-up; regimented, dogs must be leashed before exiting a vehicle; can watch your animals on Facebook; the facility is always clean; never hear barking; asset to the community, bringing business to the community; increasing traffic is happening on all township roads, not just Bordman due to growth; would rather have BooBoo’s next door than hunting dogs.  Letters from Karen Zaidan, Andrew Iwan, Darrel Dossin, Connie Parr and Jeff Kaltz were read into the record in support. Motion by Goetzinger, second by Kehrig, to close the public hearing for Boo Boo’s Boneyard at 8:08 p.m. All Ayes, Motion Carried. 8. NEW BUSINESS: Boo Boo’s Boneyard, LLC Dimensional Variance: Requirements for a kennel were read into the record, and identified those requirements that the property currently does not meet. The dog run is 53 ft off the eastern lot line, requirement is 200 ft, so a 147 ft variance is needed, and an 18 ft variance is needed on the western lot line. The minimum lot width is 300 ft, the property has 275 ft, so a 25 ft variance is needed. The soundproofed building requires 100 ft from lot lines, and only has 53 ft, so a 47 ft variance is needed. Discussion on the rules for allowing a variance, the ZBA cannot vote based on emotion, but must consider the five questions that must be answered. Variances and Special Land Use are granted to a property, not a person, so any conditions imposed would apply to future owners. The ZBA cannot change an ordinance, the applicant can petition the Planning Commission to look at the ordinance. The Board considered the property as compared to other properties in the district and sees no unique characteristics. Motion by Kehrig, second by Goetzinger, to deny the dimensional variances for Boo Boo’s Boneyard based on the fact that the property does not have unique circumstances, and it would confer special privileges denied other properties in the same zoning district. Ayes: Moegle, Goetzinger, Kehrig, Hicks, Xagoraris; Nays: None. Motion Carried. 9. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None 10. ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Kehrig, second by Goetzinger, to close the meeting at 8:52 p.m. All Ayes, Motion Carried. Respectfully submitted: Cris Martin Recording Secretary Approved: ______________________________________________ ___________________ Gail Hicks, Chairperson Date