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ZBA grants four variances to expand Ecumenical Senior Center at 702 North Burdick Street
Summary
The zoning board approved four dimensional variances for the Ecumenical Senior Center redevelopment at 702 North Burdick Street: reduced bicycle parking, increased impervious coverage, one required street entrance, and allowance for limited occupied-space utility placement.
The Kalamazoo Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved four dimensional variances on Feb. 13 that will allow the Ecumenical Senior Center to expand and replace its existing facility at 702 North Burdick Street.
Nut graf: Architect Michael Flynn and civil engineer Megan Oman told the board the corner lot's shape, the center's service needs (barrier‑free pick‑up/drop‑off, van access, meal deliveries) and existing utility locations restricted layout options. Staff supported most requests and noted the project will replace an outdated stormwater system and add site improvements.
The four approved variances were: - Bicycle parking: authorize 6 spaces where ordinance requires 16, reflecting shuttle and van transport for most patrons (motion approved unanimously). - Impervious coverage: authorize up to 80% site impervious cover where the LiveWork‑1 district caps it at 70%; redeveloping the current 89.6% site will improve stormwater management even if the new coverage remains above 70% (motion approved unanimously). - Street entrance doors: allow one entrance along North Burdick where two are normally required for this frontage because the second fronting door would serve only a utility space (motion approved unanimously). - Occupied-space utility placement: allow up to 30% of the first 15 feet of occupied depth on the Burdick frontage to contain mechanical/utility functions where occupied space rules otherwise limit such uses; board approved after staff described site constraints and limited scope of the intrusion (motion approved unanimously).
Flynn explained the building program: much of the south and west facades are dedicated to multipurpose rooms and active uses for the center's members; service functions, kitchen, shipping and mechanical equipment are constrained to the north tier by the access and layout needs. He said the plan preserves accessible pick‑up and drop‑off and dedicates parking and van loading near the entrance.
City staff said the redevelopment will replace antiquated stormwater infrastructure with an updated underground storage system, and staff supported variances they judged to be the minimum necessary to enable the center's operations and to reduce current nonconformity on the site. The board adopted a finding of fact and approved all four variances with unanimous roll‑call votes.
