Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Text Amendment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission asks staff to draft changes for detached-garage setback rules in older southeast neighborhood
Summary
Following a ZBA referral, the commission asked staff to draft language to address detached garage setbacks in five older subdivisions where many lots are undersized; the city attorney cautioned against using an overlay district as drafted and commissioners asked staff to return with options that are easy to administer.
The planning commission agreed to ask city staff to draft ordinance language to address detached accessory building (garage) setbacks in a southeast Troy neighborhood originally platted in the 1950s. The referral came from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), which said many lots in the area do not meet current minimum lot-area and frontage standards (staff reported approximately 70% of parcels below the 7,500-square-foot lot-area threshold) and that homeowners who need to rebuild aging garages are encountering practical difficulties complying with the six-foot setback requirement.
Jim McAuley, the ZBA member authorized to present the request, told the commission that many of the garages are approaching 50 years old and replacing them under the current ordinance can require owners to seek a variance. The ZBA recommended exploring an overlay or targeted amendment that would allow homeowners to reconstruct existing garages within their existing footprints without the expense and delay of a variance, provided the footprint does not expand.
City attorney Julie Dufresne cautioned that an overlay district, as drafted, may be an ill-fitting tool and recommended staff explore alternatives — including a narrowly worded R1E exception, a geographically defined footnote, or other approaches that would avoid setting an undesirable precedent across the city. Commissioners discussed fee waivers for ZBA applicants, coordination with Fire and Building Departments, and whether the fix should apply citywide or be limited to the identified subdivisions.
The commission formed a consensus to ask staff to draft suggested language and return for review. Commissioner Fox moved a short resolution to acknowledge the ZBA referral and request staff begin preparing measures; the motion was seconded and passed on roll call. Staff said they will return with draft verbiage and implementation options for the commission to consider.
