Board OKs sauna and cold‑plunge studio on narrow Lake Eastbrook parcel; owner secures shared parking agreement

The Grand Rapids Board of Zoning Appeals approved variances that will allow a proposed sauna and cold‑plunge studio to be built at 3535 Lake Eastbrook SE, a narrow parcel with limited buildable depth. The board approved variances to reduce front and waterside setbacks and separately approved a side‑yard dimensional variance to allow the facility to occupy space now used for parking.

Why it matters: The property sits between a road and the water with only about 40 feet of usable depth, according to planning staff. The applicant said the site’s configuration leaves no practical place for the outdoor seating and circulation that sauna and cold‑plunge operations require; board members concluded the narrow site and the parcel’s existing nonconforming parking created an exceptional circumstance that justified the variances.

What was proposed Applicant David Stoffer described a small personal‑service business that would enclose part of an existing structure and construct a platform over an existing parking area to support a sauna building and cold plunge tubs. The program would include locker rooms and an office; staff calculated the proposed use needs eight parking spaces and the applicant presented two letters of support, including one from the adjacent property owner at 3555 Lake Eastbrook SE offering a shared‑parking agreement.

Questions from the board Board members and staff asked about permanence, sightlines and privacy for outdoor plunge and cooling areas, and whether the program could be reconfigured without encroaching on setbacks. The applicant said the cold‑plunge tubs and open‑air seating are essential to the business model and that the parcel’s shape and waterline constrain relocation. The adjacent property owner, Jean Stover of 3555 Lake Eastbrook, testified in favor and said she will sign an agreement for shared parking and would accept conditions, including a 10‑foot clear area for fire access if necessary.

Board findings and vote Planning staff found the site’s narrowness, the building’s long‑standing placement, and the preexisting nonconforming parking footprint met the standards for dimensional relief: exceptional circumstance, substantial property right, and not self‑created. The board first approved the lake‑side/front setback variances (to allow construction within the existing nonconformity) and then approved the side‑yard dimensional variance that will permit decking, cold‑plunge tubs and related open‑air space adjacent to the neighboring parking lot, noting the parcel’s unusual constraints and the area’s ongoing commercial transition.

Conditions and next steps The approvals were framed as specific to the plans and layout presented to the board; building‑permit review will require demonstration of fire separation and any necessary structural and site work. Staff advised that 0‑lot‑line or near‑lot‑line construction will trigger standard building‑code requirements (fire ratings and separations) handled during plan review. The applicant confirmed permanent construction is intended, but said structures could be removed and parking restored in the future if business needs change.

Clarifying details Planning staff emphasized the parcel has about 40 feet of usable depth where improvements can be placed and that the parking lot currently occupies areas inside setbacks; the proposed use would require a shared‑parking agreement with 3555 Lake Eastbrook. The proposal includes both enclosed locker rooms and a platform supporting saunas and cold plunges over the existing parking area.

Ending Board members said the proposal aligns with the master plan’s emphasis on activating storefronts and corridors and noted the area is in transition with vacant buildings and ongoing redevelopment nearby. The applicant may proceed to building permit review, where the plan will be examined for structural, fire and site‑work compliance.