Planning commission approves site plan for house at 10024, approval conditioned on ZBA variances

The Huntington Woods Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a site plan for a reconstructed single‑family house at 10024, but the decision is contingent on the Zoning Board of Appeals granting two variances for minor setback shortfalls.

Applicant Amar Marc Youssef introduced the proposal and architect Seth Hart described the work as removing the existing second floor and building a new second floor with interior renovations. Hart said the existing house is about 1,500 square feet and that the project will largely reuse the existing foundation and walls while replacing siding and exterior finishes. "We have a a 1,500 square foot existing house that we plan to remove the existing second floor and build a new second floor on," Hart said during his presentation.

Planning staff told the commission the project exceeds 50% reconstruction and therefore must be reviewed as a new single‑family dwelling under the city’s site‑plan rules, which also requires the project to conform to current setback standards. Staff advised the commission that the existing foundation currently sits at 24.8 feet from the front lot line and 4.8 feet from the side lot line, short of the ordinance minimums of 25 feet and 5 feet. The shortfalls are a few inches: the architect described the front and side differences as roughly "about 2 inches." Staff said those shortfalls mean the applicant must seek two variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals; the planning commission may approve the site plan only "subject to" the ZBA granting the variances.

Commission discussion focused on neighborhood compatibility and the limited magnitude of the nonconformity. Commissioners noted the proposed finished house would be 2,318 square feet — under the local maximum house size — and that the design uses wood‑clad windows and a stone veneer intended to be compatible with surrounding properties. Commissioner Blake Moore moved to approve the site plan "subject to the ZBA variance;" the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

The commission’s approval is limited: it does not replace the ZBA process. If the ZBA denies either variance, the approvals conditioned on those variances may not be effective. The applicant and architect may also need to supply detailed elevation drawings or material samples to staff or the ZBA as a condition of final permitting.