The Bay City Zoning Board of Appeals approved a use variance (case Z25-7) on Dec. 18 allowing a microbrewery and restaurant to operate in a former church building, with conditions requiring documentation of overflow parking, a prohibition on operations past 11 p.m., and provision for bike racks.

The applicant, Zeke Carline, told the board the 150-year-old church "is a good place for a brewery" and that the adaptive reuse would preserve the building and serve the neighborhood. Carline said the venue would seat about 125 people, operate primarily as a restaurant with beer production on site, and occasionally host small bands. "No rock concerts," he said, and added that proposed hours are 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends with rare exceptions.

Neighbors raised concerns about on-street parking and deliveries. Barry Lyle, who lives across the street, asked, "How can you folks guarantee me that your clientele will park within their confined parking area?" He also expressed worry about delivery trucks in a residential neighborhood and the safety of children.

Staff and board members debated how to apply the city's parking standards. Adam Pruitt, the new community development planner, read the zoning definition for usable nonresidential floor area — the measurement used to calculate required parking — which excludes storage and utility areas. Commissioners noted the parcel's aerial map shows roughly 27 off-street spaces plus about six curbside spaces immediately adjacent to the building, for a working total near 33 spaces. Board members differed in interpreting whether usable floor area or a per-seat standard should govern, with one commissioner estimating the dining area at roughly 2,535 square feet and concluding the usable-floor-area method would yield about 30 required spaces.

After extended deliberation on the variance standards (property use limitations, unique circumstances, effect on neighborhood character, and hardship), the board's motion to approve was made with three explicit conditions: submission of sufficient documentation showing an agreement for overflow parking within the immediate neighborhood (to be submitted to staff for approval), a restriction that the facility not remain open past 11 p.m., and installation/maintenance of bike racks. The motion maker accepted an amendment making the parking documentation subject to staff approval. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll call recorded as five yes votes and no nays.

The board framed the approval as a way to preserve a historic building and return it to community use, while attempting to mitigate likely neighborhood impacts through binding conditions. The record shows applicants will need to present a parking agreement acceptable to city staff before the conditions are considered satisfied.

The variance allows the applicant to proceed toward permitting and building plan finalization, subject to the documented overflow parking agreement and compliance with the stated operational limits.