Summary
The Suttons Bay Village Zoning Board of Appeals met on November 5, 2025, chaired to consider a request from Robert and McKenzi Barnes regarding 324 N. St. Mary's Street. The agenda included approval of the August 13, 2025 minutes and a hearing on an interpretation and possible variance request concerning driveway width off an alley. The document package includes the staff report, application materials, and supporting correspondence, but the November 5 minutes themselves (motions and vote outcomes) are not included in the provided record.
Public Comments
Robert and McKenzi Barnes, owners of 324 N. St. Mary's Street, submitted a written letter dated August 4, 2025, requesting an interpretation of Zoning Ordinance Section 2-4.D.4.b and, if necessary, a variance. They stated that a Department of Public Works (DPW) requirement limiting their alley driveway to 12 feet would cause "unreasonable difficulty and impose safety concerns upon entering/exiting the garage, especially when towing." They noted the Village Zoning Administrator, Steve Patmore, agreed with their interpretation that Section 2-4.D.4.b does not apply to rear alley driveways, but that DPW would not remove the 12-foot condition without ZBA review. The Barnes submitted photographic appendices showing other village driveways exceeding 12 feet on alleys near their property. A public comment period was listed as agenda item 7, but no specific comments from that session are recorded in the document.
Infrastructure Projects
The central matter concerned an alley driveway access dispute tied to DPW permitting standards. The DPW Director, Dave Miller, had conditioned the Barnes' Driveway Permit (approved for construction beginning around July 2025) on a maximum 12-foot width from the alley, based on DPW's interpretation of Section 2-4.D.4.b. Zoning Administrator Steve Patmore's staff report and a July 11, 2025 email to Robert Barnes stated his interpretation that the 12-foot limit in Section 2-4.D.4.b applies only to front/side yard driveways, not alley access, though he confirmed DPW's separate authority to set curb-cut standards independent of zoning. The staff report framed two possible Board actions: (1) an interpretation of whether Section 2-4.D.4.b applies to alley driveways, and (2) if it does apply, a dimensional variance to allow an 18-foot driveway (matching the garage door width) instead of 12 feet, per the five-part practical difficulty standard under Section 17-6.A.1. The document does not contain the Board's actual decision or vote on either the interpretation or the variance request.
Other Business
The August 13, 2025 ZBA meeting (minutes approved as part of the November 5 agenda) recorded: Chairperson Popke called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. with Bahle, Smith, Popke, and Cheadle present and Hassevoort absent. The Board approved the agenda (Smith moved, Cheadle seconded, Ayes: 4, No: 0) and approved the July 9, 2025 minutes (Bahle moved, Smith seconded, Ayes: 4, No: 0). The meeting adjourned at 5:33 p.m., with the next meeting listed as TBD.
Action Items
- ZBA to issue a formal interpretation of whether Zoning Ordinance Section 2-4.D.4.b applies to driveways accessed from alleys, specific to 324 N. St. Mary's Street.
- Contingent on that interpretation, ZBA to rule on the Barnes' variance request to widen their alley driveway from 12 feet to 18 feet, applying the five practical-difficulty standards under Section 17-6.A.1.
- DPW Director Dave Miller identified as the party who must approve removal of the 12-foot condition if the ZBA's interpretation conflicts with DPW's reading of the ordinance.
- Note: the document does not include the outcome of the November 5 hearing (no recorded motion, vote, or decision on the interpretation or variance).