Zoning board approves third detached accessory building for Torrance property after split vote

GROSSE ILE, Mich. — The Grosse Ile Township Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4-3 on Sept. 23 to approve a variance allowing property owners William Torrance and Cindy Ashley to construct a third detached accessory building — a 16-by-12-foot shed — at 22623 West River Road.

Township planner Brian Borden told the board the property is a large, multi-parcel site with two existing detached accessory buildings (a detached garage and a guest house) and that the proposed shed would reoccupy a location where a prior shed had stood. Under the township code, a single variance is required because the ordinance permits only one detached accessory building on lots of the type in question.

The applicant’s representative, Tony Carmen, said the property owners removed the older shed for safety and weather-related deterioration and later installed a concrete pad for a replacement. "The dimensions are 16 by 12 by 10," Carmen said, describing the new shed, and he said the family currently pays for off-site storage at additional expense after the new shed was removed from the property at the township's direction.

Carmen and supporters stressed the parcel’s unusual configuration and historical use: board member and site-walk participant Mister Schweickart described the property’s buildings as former schoolhouse, horse stable and caretaker housing dating back decades and said that history affects how accessory structures should be treated on the site.

Borden said the proposed shed generally meets size, height and setback standards and that its placement behind the principal residence in a heavily wooded area would have limited visibility and minimal impact on neighbors. He pointed out, however, a discrepancy in the applicant materials over the shed dimensions and asked the applicant to confirm the correct size if the board approved the variance.

During public comment a neighbor testified in favor of the shed and the applicant presented a letter of support from a neighboring household. After discussion, a motion to approve the variance passed by roll call vote, recorded as four ayes and three nays.

The transcript records board members debating alternatives, including combining or enlarging existing structures, and noting practical difficulty concerns tied to storage and access (the garage contains horse stables and attic storage that is less accessible to older homeowners). The board approved the applicant’s request, contingent on the specific dimensions presented to the board (16-by-12 shed noted in the applicant’s submission).