Summary
The Suttons Bay Village Planning Commission's October 9, 2024 agenda introduced two zoning ordinance amendments (BV District stories and Wireless Communications) for future action, following up on a July 24, 2024 special meeting where the Commission held public hearings and voted 5-0 to recommend Village Council approval of wetland ordinance language and Single-Family Waterfront Residential (SFWR) district amendments requested by Bahle Properties, LLC.
Public Comments
At the July 24 special meeting, Dusty Christensen, a Land Use Consultant representing applicants Bahle Enterprises, LLC (Rich and Lois Bahle), spoke in favor of all four proposed SFWR zoning changes, noting two properties already have an extra sewer line installed years earlier. Commissioner D. Smith asked why the applicant sought a 90-foot width rather than another figure; Christensen responded it was seen as a good middle-ground number. Zoning Administrator Patmore raised concerns that eliminating minimum lot depth could create non-conforming parcels and increase pressure on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). No public comments were received during the wetland ordinance hearing. The Leelanau County Planning Commission report was distributed for member review as written communication.
Infrastructure Projects
Consultant Sara Kopriva's October 4, 2024 memo proposed updating Section 9-13 (Wireless Communications) to align with State Law (P.A. 110 of 2006, Section 3514), allowing co-located wireless equipment on existing towers to be approved administratively without special use permit review, provided height and equipment compound limits are met. Tower height remains capped at 199 feet, with removal required within 90 days of abandonment (Village may bill owner 110% of removal cost if not completed). This amendment was introduced for discussion on the October 9 agenda; no vote was recorded. Separately, at the July 24 meeting, Commissioner D. Smith reported the Village Council accepted a waterways grant for bathroom reconstruction and adopted the Leelanau County Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Other Business
The Commission voted 5-0 (Feringa moved, Hylwa seconded) to recommend Village Council approval of wetland ordinance amendments to Sec. 2-6 and the Article 20-1 wetland definition, finding the changes clarified enforcement language. The Commission also voted 5-0 (Feringa moved, D. Smith seconded) to recommend approval of the SFWR amendments as requested by Bahle Properties, including reduced setbacks and lot width, citing consistency with Section 18-3 criteria. Village Council also appointed Petroskey as Clerk. The Zoning Administration report noted Patmore issued land use permits for Harbor Heights and reviewed a change of use for a motel in the Central Business Area; a South Business Area outdoor lighting issue was noted as disconnected.
Action Items
Commissioner D. Smith requested that height/story requirements in the Single-Family Waterfront District be discussed at a future meeting. Kopriva will continue reviewing the zoning ordinance for State Law compliance and bring further proposed changes. Staff recommended the Planning Commission look into implementation of the Master Plan as time allows.