Zoning board unanimously waives 12-month and 50% limits to allow completion of renovation at 22664 East River Road

The Grosse Ile Zoning Board of Appeals on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to approve Appeal 25-003, waiving the township's usual 50% investment cap and the associated 12-month limit so the owner may finish renovating a secondary dwelling at 22664 East River Road.

The petition before the board asked that the nonconforming-structure rules in township ordinance 18.6 'which limit reinvestment to 50% of a building's value within a 12-month period'be relaxed so the owner could complete a large remodel without stopping when that cap was reached. Brian Borden, the township zoning official, told the board that "they have the ability to invest up to 50% of the value of the building within a 12 month time frame," and that a permit for that initial work was issued in April.

Why it matters: The building is roughly 125 years old and the petitioner said the secondary structure has long been part of the family property. Petitioner Dane Oxlow said the family's plan is to allow his parents to "age in place" in the renovated secondary unit while he and his family occupy the primary residence. The board's action lets the…