ZBA Minutes
MEETING
CITY OF WALKER
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Thursday, August 23, 2007
7:00 p.m.
The meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals was called to order by
Robert Marz, Chairman at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall 4243 Remembrance Rd.,
N.W., Walker, Michigan.
Members present: Robert Marz, Chairman; Charles Deshaine; Tyler
Korfhage; Roger Crabtree; James Hickey; Beth Rogers; and Randy Smith.
Also present: John Stuyfzand, Building Department and Bonnie Antcliff,
Recording Secretary.
DECISION AND ORDER
Motion
Roger Crabtree moved and James Hickey supported the motion to remove
3787 Remembrance Rd. from the table.
Motion carried 7 to 0.
Legal Description
Property located at 3787 Remembrance Rd. also known
on the tax rolls as 41-13-17-176-006. Hearing requested by Linda Peters.
The applicant’s request is to paint a 4 x 30 ft. sign
on the side of the building which will make the total signage for the
parcel 240.5 sq. ft. instead of the 121.5 sq. ft. allowed.
Finding of Facts
Robert Marz, Chairman reviewed the site plan and
application submitted. No citizen appeared with respect to this
application.
John Stuyfzand stated that the frontage on this
property is 81 ft.
Bob Marz, Chairman stated that since this was noticed
under the old ordinance we are going to treat it under the old
ordinance.
Ms. Peters stated that this is more important to us
now than it was in May when we first started talking about the sign,
because since then two more day cares have opened in this area, and we
need the new sign to make us visible.
Bob Marz stated that there is a power line easement
through this property and the power company does own this property. This
is a unique situation since no one is ever going to build on this
property.
James Hickey stated that this sign does not meet the
criteria for the new sign ordinance, but under the circumstances, he is
in favor of it.
Charles Deshaine stated that this is a unique
situation and he sees no problem. It is a clean looking sign.
Motion
James Hickey moved and Charles Deshaine supported the
motion to approve the applicant’s request to paint a 4 x 30 ft. sign on
the side of the building which will make the total signage for the
parcel 240.5 sq. ft. instead of the 121.5 sq. ft. allowed.
The variance is necessary for the preservation
and enjoyment of a substantial property right similar to that
possessed by other properties in the same zoning district and in
the vicinity. This is a unique circumstance because of the power
easement next door.
The variance is necessary for the preservation
and enjoyment of a substantial property right similar to that
possessed by other properties in the same zoning district and in
the vicinity. Because we do not typically have foot traffic, we
require direct auto traffic and visibility from the road as do
most businesses in a C-3 district.
Authorization of the variance will not be of a
substantial detriment to adjacent property and will not materially
impair the intent and purpose of the ordinance or public interest
in that our signs won’t affect vision and will be easy to read.
The condition or the situation of the piece of
property or the intended use of the property for which the
variance is sought is not of so general or recurrent a nature as
to make reasonably practicable for the formulation of a general
regulation. This sign would not create a general problem.
Does not apply.
Motion carried 7 to 0.
DECISION AND ORDER
Motion
Tyler Korfhage moved and Jim Hickey supported the motion to remove
3003 Walkent from the table.
Motion carried 7 to 0.
Legal Description
Property located at 3003 Walkent also known on the tax rolls as
41-13-03-412-002. Hearing requested by Priority Construction.
The applicant’s request is to build an addition to existing
industrial building for West Michigan Shared Hospital Laundry with a 20
ft. front yard setback instead of the required 40 ft.
Finding of Facts
Robert Marz, Chairman reviewed the application and site plan
submitted. No citizen appeared with respect to this request.
Don VandenBerg, Priority Construction stated that this is an
irregular shaped site and there are extreme elevations on this site. The
business is a co-op and owned by the hospitals in the area and they
serve the hospitals in the west Michigan area. They are servicing a lot
of hospitals. They have an unusual process and they cannot shut down.
The hospitals are always open and they need to keep the clean laundry
going to the hospitals. The way the line is layed out in the building,
from east to west, and along the back wall, is where all their washing
and drying equipment is placed. This is the main part of the production
line. Because of the shape of the lot, they cannot put any production on
the north side because it is sloped. To put an addition on the north is
contrary to the way the production flows. Because of the nature of the
business, they cannot shut down to relocate that line and move
everything. They have to continually keep going. Other businesses do not
have those limitations. The business is an asset to Walker and the
entire community. Because of the health care business, they do need to
expand and this is a main facility.
The architect for Omega Design showed a drawing of the property and
facility. He stated that this lot has the lowest lot coverage in the
area. The average is 64-65% lot coverage and we are at 49%. With the
addition that we are proposing, we would be at in the 54-55% range if we
are granted the variance. The west end of the property is where the
warehousing space is inside and to the east along the south wall and
back to the north is where the current offices are now. We want to move
the office area out front and they are going to move the warehouse area
up into the northwest corner and they are going to add a few truck docks
in that area as well. In the northwest corner of that building is where
their big wash deck is located. On the east side of the building is
where their power plant is located and all of their electric service, so
expansion to the east cannot happen and to the west as well. It is a
clockwise flow of product in and out. So now they have the new warehouse
that is going to be located in the northwest corner. We can come a
little further to the east to provide a little bigger warehouse space.
With the warehouse and the offices gone, that opens up their production.
They have all of this production that they are doing for the hospitals
and all of the hospitals are expanding and getting bigger. This is a
co-op so they have been sending tons and tons more of washing to this
facility than what this whole place was designed for. If they do not get
this variance, they will not be able to do the washing here. Because of
the shape of this site, it is not as usable as it could be. There will
still be a lot of green area when they are done, there just will be a
smaller front yard area.
Dan Conover, West Michigan Shared Laundry, stated that in 1975 six
hospitals in the area got together and decided that they would work
together. About 12 years ago, we were processing about 10 million pounds
of laundry for 8 hospitals. The plant was built to process 10 to 15
million pounds of laundry. In the last 12 years we have gone to
processing 26 million pounds of laundry a year and serving 28 hospitals
in West Michigan and 350 off site clinics in Michigan. We are projecting
a 6 to 8% growth over the next 10 years. That puts us at 35 to 36
million pounds in 6 years. We cannot do any more at our present site.
Our building has about 36,000 sq. ft. of productive space and the rest
is used for warehousing, offices, and for the lunch room. The proposed
expansion will give us another 26 to 27,000 sq. ft. of production space.
It will be about 2/3 more space that what we currently have. We are a
good neighbor in Walker. We need the ability to keep growing. If we
cannot grow here we will have to go.
Jim Hickey asked why the office was not designed to go down the east
side?
The applicant replied that the east side is where the power plant is
located. We would have to relocated the parking and electrical and
mechanical room. It would not work with the flow of the operation.
Tyler Korfhage asked if they were projecting more jobs here?
The applicant replied that we run one 10 hr shift. We have to have as
much down time as up time. If we lost half of our equipment, we would
still have enough time to process the linens for the hospitals and
preventive maintenance. We cannot not do it today if something breaks
down. It still has to be done.
Charles Deshaine asked if this will take care of the growth for the
next five to ten years?
The applicant replied yes and technology lets us do more in less
space than ten years ago.
Roger Crabtree stated that these two additions together are just over
15,400 sq. ft. and you said with these additions you would pick up
approximately 26,000 sq. ft. operating area?
The applicant replied that they are going to take out a lot of dead
space in the middle that is chemical storage and additional warehousing
storage, which opens up additional floor space for us. Even though we
are adding more space than we are gaining, we are gaining more
productive space because it is opening up. We can do more there.
Roger Crabtree asked if they had thought of going to 2 stories?
The applicant replied that it would be too expensive. That is the
first thing we looked at. It would not be practical. It is going to be
designed to look better than it does right now.
Bob Marz, Chairman stated that he felt there was enough visibility
for truck traffic going in and coming out of this facility.
Motion
Charles Deshaine moved and James Hickey supported the motion to
approve the applicant’s request to build an addition to existing
industrial building for West Michigan Shared Hospital Laundry with a 20
ft. front yard setback instead of the required 40 ft.
The variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of
a substantial property right similar to that possessed by other
properties in the same zoning district and in the vicinity. The
nature of the building and the way it is layed out on this
irregular lot makes this an exceptional circumstance.
The variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of
a substantial property right similar to that possessed by other
properties in the same zoning district and in the vicinity.
Because of the extreme elevation changes this facility cannot
practically be expanded and allow for growth in the business as
other businesses near this location have been doing as they do not
have the same site limitations.
Authorization of the variance will not be of a substantial
detriment to adjacent property and will not materially impair the
intent and purpose of the ordinance or public interest in that it
will not be a detriment to adjacent properties ZBA 8-23-07 because
the proposed addition is in the center of the property which is
many hundreds of feet from either adjacent property and the site
is next to the cul-de-sac at the end of the road where no thru
traffic passes by the site except for the business traffic to the
other buildings on the cul-de-sac.
The condition or the situation of the piece of property or the
intended use of the property for which the variance is sought is
not of so general or recurrent a nature as to make reasonably
practicable for the formulation of a general regulation. The
extreme changes and shape of this property is very unusual and is
not a normal industrial property that can comply with the general
rules of the ordinance.
Does not apply.
Motion carried 6 to 1. Roger Crabtree opposed.
Motion
Tyler Korfhage moved and James Hickey supported the motion to approve
the Zoning Board of Appeals minutes of August 9, 2007.
Motion carried 7 to 0.
Motion
Beth Rogers moved and Randy Smith supported the motion to adjourn the
Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 8:00 p.m.
Motion carried 7 to 0.
_________________________
Roger Crabtree, Secretary
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