[0:07] Okay. Good evening. I am the vice chair

[0:10] of the board of appeals and zoning and I

[0:13] call this meeting to order. Secretary,

[0:16] please take role.

[0:20] Um,

[0:22] board member Forbes is missing. Board

[0:25] member absent. Sorry. Board member Gail

[0:28] present. Board member Nash present.

[0:31] Board member Nail present. You have a

[0:34] quorum. Okay, thank you.

[0:38] So, everybody's had a chance to

[0:42] Sorry. Copeland. Board member Copeland

[0:44] present.

[0:51] Am I okay to go yet? Yes. Sorry. Okay.

[0:55] Everybody's had a chance to read the

[0:56] minutes and the agenda.

[1:00] Do we have a motion to approve?

[1:06] So move. Yes. Support. All those in

[1:09] favor? I I. Any corrections?

[1:13] Seeing none.

[1:16] Okay.

[1:19] So, we'll go into new business. Correct.

[1:21] Yes. Okay. The function of a board is to

[1:23] provide zoning flexibility. The action

[1:26] of the board can be in an interpretation

[1:28] which involves an interpretation of the

[1:30] zoning code text or zoning district

[1:33] boundary. We may also issue a variance

[1:36] with with the which is an appeal to vary

[1:39] from the strict application of the

[1:41] zoning code. This med meeting is

[1:43] videotaped. It is important only one

[1:46] person may speak at a time and the

[1:48] audience must observe the respect of the

[1:51] speaker.

[1:52] When the appeal in which you are

[1:54] interested in is called, please come

[1:56] forward to the podium and allow the

[1:59] board a moment to review your material

[2:02] after which you may give your name

[2:04] address to the secretary.

[2:07] After the appellent presentation, anyone

[2:09] interested to come forward

[2:12] can give his or her name and address to

[2:15] the secretary. Please make your comments

[2:17] brief and to the points. Speakers shall

[2:20] not ask questions specifically to the

[2:22] board members. Each speaker is limited

[2:25] to three minutes and may only speak

[2:27] once.

[2:30] The board will discuss the appeal, vote,

[2:33] and continue to the next appeal. An

[2:36] affirmative vote of twothirds of the

[2:39] board, which is in this case three

[2:41] votes, shall be necessary to decide in

[2:44] favor of an appeal. The action of this

[2:47] board is final. The only relief is

[2:49] through the court.

[2:51] Are there any questions?

[2:55] If none, the secretary will call the

[2:58] first appeal. Mr. Chairman, this is um

[3:01] case number J25-2833.

[3:05] This is a variance request for parking

[3:08] in the front yard setback area. Um, in

[3:11] this case, there are two violations of

[3:13] the city's ordinance on 2215 Trenton

[3:18] Street. The first one is paving in the

[3:21] rightway between the sidewalk and the

[3:23] curb, which is cons called the back of

[3:25] the curb parking. Uh there was no permit

[3:28] that was was uh

[3:31] um applied for for that and the city

[3:35] engineering would typically look at that

[3:38] case um if a permit was was applied for

[3:43] um and then typically they they do not

[3:45] permit that that in in most cases. Um

[3:49] the second violation is the expansion of

[3:52] the park of the driveway into the uh

[3:56] front yard setback of the area.

[3:59] Um

[4:01] the applicant is seeking a variance uh

[4:04] to permit that portion of the driveway

[4:06] to be extended in the front yard set

[4:08] back and allow for the paving within the

[4:10] right of way which has already been

[4:12] installed. Um

[4:16] staff is recommending denial of the

[4:19] request. Um it sets precedence for the

[4:24] community. Okay. Thank you. I I didn't

[4:27] catch the denial part of it. I I say

[4:30] just it sets precedence for the rest of

[4:33] the community. Okay. Okay.

[4:37] We will now open the public

[4:39] hearing to consider the request. Is

[4:41] there anyone here who would like to make

[4:43] a comment on this case?

[4:48] Yes.

[4:56] Hi, my name is Martha Stewart and I own

[4:58] the property at 2215 Trenton. Um, I'm

[5:02] not sure if everyone got a copy of the

[5:04] letter I stated, so you all know the

[5:08] situation. Um, I've been a landlord for

[5:10] 25 years. I've never um, per se broken

[5:14] the rules. I usually do things um, you

[5:17] know, like it's supposed to be done.

[5:19] I've never been in this situation

[5:20] before. I've hired several contractors

[5:23] through the years. I've never pulled a

[5:25] permit. Um, they've always taken care of

[5:27] it. Um, so that's kind of the situation

[5:32] that I'm in. Um, I'm not blaming the

[5:34] contractor. I learned a lesson that I

[5:36] should ask more questions. Um if I did

[5:40] know prior, um I I wouldn't have even

[5:43] planned the project, you know. Um so I'm

[5:46] just requesting that I'm able to keep it

[5:48] and not have to be forced to tear it

[5:51] out. Um

[5:54] and just um appreciate the consideration

[5:58] to and thank you for all be all of you

[6:00] for being here and um considering my

[6:03] case. So, thank you.

[6:08] Is there anyone here, anyone else here

[6:10] that would like to comment on this case?

[6:15] Please state your name and address.

[6:23] My name is Amy Cheetah and I live at

[6:27] 2215 Trenton

[6:30] at the house.

[6:32] Um

[6:35] I have been sick and battling cancer.

[6:38] There did come a time where there seemed

[6:40] to be a lot of vehicles, a lot of family

[6:43] there, people coming to stay that

[6:44] normally we don't do that type of

[6:47] situation.

[6:48] So along with other reasons I'm sure but

[6:52] she's been very much trying to

[6:54] accommodate me. And the only other thing

[6:56] I would like to say of all the

[6:58] properties on the street and in that

[7:00] neighborhood, Marty has one of the best

[7:03] kept houses. Curb appeal is 100%. The

[7:07] yard is never left to grow up like the

[7:11] neighbors two door down that gets to

[7:13] your knees that looks like junk. Her

[7:16] shrubs are always manicured. We have

[7:19] beautiful flowers out front. Just my

[7:21] point is this by no means is an eyesore

[7:25] to anybody, but I understand you have

[7:29] rules that I don't understand about the

[7:31] driveway, but okay, that's all I wanted

[7:33] to say. Thank you for listening. Okay.

[7:35] Thank you.

[7:38] Is there anybody else that would like to

[7:40] speak on this appeal?

[7:46] Is there anyone else that would like to

[7:47] speak on this appeal?

[7:52] Is there anyone else that would like to

[7:54] speak on this appeal

[8:01] at this point?

[8:04] We would like to close the public

[8:06] hearing with the vote. So, do we have a

[8:09] motion to close? Do we have a motion to

[8:11] close the public hearing? So, moved.

[8:14] Second. All in favor? I. All opposed?

[8:19] Seeing none,

[8:21] go on the

[8:25] discussion.

[8:29] You need a motion to approve and then

[8:32] you can go into discussion. But I don't

[8:34] do that, right? Somebody else has. Yeah,

[8:36] somebody's Yeah, I'm going to take make

[8:38] a motion to speak on

[8:41] a motion for discussion. It would be a

[8:44] motion to approve the variance, which

[8:45] opens it up for discussion. For

[8:47] discussion. Oh, okay. Well, I I will

[8:49] make that motion. Second. Okay. All

[8:52] those in favor? I I Okay.

[8:57] So, is there any discussion on this

[8:59] project

[9:01] from the board? I So,

[9:05] we did the approval before discussion.

[9:07] So, I think you need to

[9:11] resend that last vote and redo. Okay.

[9:15] Gotcha. Got you. Yeah. So, I

[9:18] rescend the vote. So, you need a motion

[9:20] to rescend. Need a motion to resend.

[9:23] Motion and support. Need to support.

[9:26] Second. All those in favor? I. All

[9:29] right. Now, a new motion to approve and

[9:33] support and then discuss and then vote.

[9:37] New motion to approve and support. Yes.

[9:41] Second. Oh, that's done. Now discuss.

[9:45] Now we can go into discussion. Thank

[9:47] you. Any questions from the board, the

[9:50] commissioners?

[9:52] Go ahead. The picture from 2319 North

[9:55] Mason Street. I was just trying to make

[9:57] sure I understood the placement. Did the

[10:00] city provide that to us as an example?

[10:04] No, no. The uh applicant provided that.

[10:07] Um I called the engineering department.

[10:10] That was um a time when North Mason was

[10:14] being um

[10:17] uh re paved and so they were getting a

[10:21] rid of on street parking. So they made

[10:26] an exception for this person to allow

[10:28] them because they did not because they

[10:32] were going to lose any on street parking

[10:34] from their house.

[10:37] And then the followup question is the

[10:40] recommendation from city staff is that

[10:43] is from our city engineering department

[10:46] based on what is provided it still would

[10:50] not meet city regulations. That's

[10:52] correct. And likewise the expansion of

[10:56] the driveway into the front yard setback

[10:59] area does not meet the zoning ordinance.

[11:03] And does the current owner have the

[11:06] opportunity to pull a permit and

[11:09] renegotiate and have conversations with

[11:11] city engineering regarding

[11:14] this?

[11:16] Um, again, it it sets bad precedents for

[11:20] the city. Thank you,

[11:23] Mr. Gil.

[11:28] Like I say, I drove by. I understand that it's an eyes sore, but

[11:34] uh it would be an eyesore to tear it up

[11:36] again, too. Well, not if you plant grass

[11:39] back in there.

[11:42] I mean, if you look at the driveway as

[11:44] it sits now, there was an expansion of

[11:46] that driveway south. You could fit three

[11:50] cars side by side in there, plus the

[11:54] twocar garage.

[11:57] Any

[12:03] other? Well, are we are we discussing

[12:05] the south or the north side? The north.

[12:08] Okay.

[12:10] That's the part that violates the

[12:14] That's the north and that's the south.

[12:16] Yeah. Any other discussion from the

[12:18] board? Right. Correct. Any other

[12:21] discussion from the board?

[12:25] Um I'm a long-term resident of Sagena

[12:29] and I looking at this it does it's it

[12:32] will set up a precedent for the rest of

[12:34] the city meaning that other people might

[12:38] keep on pouring paving more and more the

[12:41] driveway over the years

[12:43] since and uh unfortunately in this

[12:46] situation there was no permit pulled and

[12:50] in most cases the contractor should have

[12:53] known

[12:54] that there was should have been a

[12:55] permit. It's a direct violation of city

[12:58] code every place, every way you look at

[13:00] it.

[13:04] Any other discussion from the board?

[13:12] Okay, since there is no other

[13:15] discussion, we will call for the vote.

[13:17] And likewise, I just want to remind

[13:19] everyone that

[13:21] you need to state why you're voting.

[13:24] Yes, we have a roll call or just

[13:29] uh Sure.

[13:31] Okay. Commissioner or board member Gail,

[13:40] we're voting for the approval or for

[13:45] disapproval. What what So you're you're

[13:48] voting the motion is a motion to

[13:49] approve. A yes vote would be for

[13:52] approval. A no vote would be to deny

[13:55] approval. Okay. But you still have to

[13:57] give the reason the reason either way. I

[14:00] understand.

[14:11] I guess I vote against it because it

[14:14] does not comply with city ordinances.

[14:22] Um, board member Nash, I would vote no

[14:27] because it is against the city ordinance

[14:30] and it will set a precedent throughout

[14:32] the city.

[14:36] Board member Nightingale, I would vote

[14:39] no uh because it is not compliant with

[14:42] city bylaw.

[14:46] And board member Copelan, I will also be

[14:49] voting may uh due to it not meeting city

[14:52] ordinance.

[14:58] So the motion fails.

[15:03] Okay, that's the end of that goes public comment now.

[15:09] Um, there was no public here for

[15:12] comment. So,

[15:14] just call it in case. Okay, you just

[15:17] call it in case. Huh? Just call it in

[15:20] case. Ask if there's anybody. Is there

[15:21] anybody that would like to speak for

[15:24] public contact? Uh, public comment.

[15:27] Anybody for public comment?

[15:30] Anyone for public comment? Seeing none.

[15:35] Can I speak twice or no? Not. It has to

[15:39] be for a different topic. Okay.

[15:45] Do is there any old business? No. Okay.

[15:50] Seeing no old business, I'd like a

[15:52] motion for adjournment.

[15:55] So moved. Second. Approve.

[15:59] All those in favor? I I motion

[16:02] adjourned. Meet an adjournment.

[16:08] [Music]

City of Saginaw Zoning Board of Appeals July 2, 2025

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