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Homeowner asks to keep shipping container; ZBA tables decision for neighbor outreach
Summary
William Goldsmith sought permission to keep a 20-foot shipping container behind his Lasser Road home to store business equipment; after staff recommended denial and a neighbor objected by letter, the Zoning Board of Appeals tabled the case to Feb. 3 for Goldsmith to seek neighbor support and present a landscaping/privacy plan.
William Goldsmith told the Southfield Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 6 that he placed a shipping container behind his home at 29700 Lasser Road to store business equipment after losing work and to avoid rising storage fees. Goldsmith said he built a pad and painted the container green to blend with the surroundings but acknowledged he had overlooked a zoning rule that generally prohibits shipping containers for storage at single-family residences.
City staff read findings of fact and recommended denial, noting the property and surrounding lots are zoned RE single-family residential, that the container is visible from Murray Crescent, and that storage containers are not permitted under Article 5, Chapter 45 (sections 5.61) of the Southfield City Code. The staff memo said the applicant had not demonstrated an extraordinary or exceptional condition on the property that would justify relief and that granting a waiver could be detrimental to neighborhood character.
No one appeared for public comment, but the clerk read a written objection from Deborah Petty, who identified herself as a Southfield resident and asked that yards be kept "as homes, not using our yards as storage or junkyards." Board members cited that written opposition in their deliberations. Some board members said they would be open to granting relief if neighbors withdrew objections or if the homeowner returned with a concrete screening or landscaping plan; others said the presence of a written neighbor objection weighed against approval.
After discussion the board voted to table Case 25-37 to its Feb. 3 meeting to give Goldsmith time to contact neighbors and present a privacy/landscaping plan. The board instructed Goldsmith to obtain neighbor support and reminded him the city's position was unlikely to change absent neighbor agreement.
The board noted that staffs recommendation to deny was based on the text of the zoning ordinance and on their evaluation that the container as placed is not consistent with the areas residential character. Goldsmith said he intends to contact the neighbor who submitted the letter and to return with a plan at the next meeting.
The case was tabled; no variance was granted. The board listed the item for the Feb. 3 agenda.
