Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Land Use Employee Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission approves special land use permit for employee housing on nonconforming Alba Township parcel
Summary
The Gratiot County Planning Commission approved a special land use permit allowing a 960-square-foot permanent employee housing unit on a nonconforming parcel in Alba Township; the zoning administrator said the application met the ordinance standards and there were no public comments at the hearing.
The Gratiot County Planning Commission on an administrative vote approved a special land use permit for parcel 0302400600, allowing a 960-square-foot permanent employee housing unit on a nonconforming parcel in Alba Township.
The permit, requested by DeSager Investments (applicant), covers an approximately 80–88 acre parcel currently containing two existing dwellings, which makes the lot nonconforming under the county zoning code. The commission opened a public hearing at 5:02 p.m.; no members of the public spoke and the hearing was closed at 5:08 p.m.
Bill (zoning administrator) told the commission that the zoning administration report compared each ordinance standard to the application and that “all five of the conditions for a permit for farm labor dwelling are met for this application.” Commissioners then moved to approve the permit; Commissioner Rob made the motion and Commissioner Al Quinn supported it. The motion carried. The meeting record does not show a roll-call tally of yes/no votes.
The zoning administrator and staff noted the county does not regulate well and septic approvals; those are handled by the state health authority. Staff also said the property owner has other farm labor housing projects elsewhere that have had well and septic approvals through the state process. The commission discussed addressing options: the parcel and its additional housing may receive separate addresses at the property owner’s request.
Staff said the county must publish a public notice in the local paper, after which there will be a 30-day period before the local ordinance language becomes enforceable in practice. Commissioners noted setbacks had been adjusted as a compromise between the county’s initial suggestion and the applicant’s request; the specific setback distances were not specified in the transcript.
The commission’s action approves the special land use permit as submitted by DeSager Investments and directs staff to complete the required public notice and administrative steps for final local implementation.
