Clawson Zoning Board approves rear-setback variance for Renshaw's Lounge

The Clawson Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 16 approved a variance to permit a rear addition and an extended covered patio at Renshaw’s Lounge, 210 East 14 Mile Road. The board voted 3-0 to allow a proposed canopy with an approximate 10-foot rear setback and a small 84-square-foot interior storage “notch” with a 25-foot setback, both shorter than the 30-foot rear setback required by the city’s CMD (central mixed use) district.

The variance permits the restaurant to add a 124-square-foot canopy that will cover an existing patio and a roughly 84-square-foot interior storage area, the city planner said. Approval came after a public hearing in which a nearby resident raised noise concerns but offered no formal opposition to the variance.

The approval matters because the property was rezoned from a city center district to the CMD district in 2018, which introduced the 30-foot rear-yard standard. Stephanie Osborne, planner with Giffels Webster, told the board the building has been on the site since at least 1963 and that earlier zoning allowed smaller rear setbacks; the rezoning created the present nonconforming situation. The planning commission reviewed the project Oct. 14 and recommended approval contingent on conditions, including addressing rooftop units.

Applicant representatives said the addition is intended to improve kitchen function, not to increase seating or occupancy. "We're not adding seating. It's just function of the kitchen," said Matt Badrack, the project's designer. Owner Mike Lang said the covered area is used for deliveries and as a sheltered landing for employees and customers, and that it helps comply with state rules about smoking distance from doors. "Having a landing area that is protected from the weather and the snow and the rain is operationally advantageous," Lang said.

At the public hearing, resident Jeff Dundell of 115 Pear Street said he has sometimes heard loud noise from the Renshaw's area during events, but he did not ask the board to deny the variance. Board members discussed material conformity and whether the addition would worsen the property's nonconformity; members and staff said the proposal aligns with existing building lines and materials and does not increase occupancy. The fire marshal reviewed the plan and found no occupancy changes were needed.

With only three members present the board noted a unanimous 3-0 vote was required for approval. The motion to approve the variance referenced the five statutory findings the board must consider for a nonuse dimensional variance and noted the planning commission's prior approval and conditions. Nick (staff member) confirmed the property was rezoned from city center to CMD in February 2018.

The board imposed the planning commission's conditions related to rooftop equipment as part of the approval. No effective date for construction was discussed at the meeting. The applicant may proceed with permitting consistent with the variance and any conditions imposed by planning staff.

Details: the proposed canopy would leave an approximate 10-foot rear setback where the CMD district requires 30 feet; the interior storage notch would have a roughly 25-foot setback (about 5 feet short of the standard). The canopy would cover an existing patio; the applicant said the patio footprint will not expand.

Votes at a glance: Variance to permit rear addition and covered patio at 210 East 14 Mile Road — motion carried, 3-0 (Diane Smith: yes; Perkins: yes; Cindy Smith: yes).