Residents seek to combine Southside Addition lots and add 100x50-foot pole-shed; council flags zoning, covenant and drainage concerns

Justin and Lisa Bushaw told the Dexter City Council on Oct. 6 that they are interested in purchasing lots immediately south of their property in the Southside Addition and want to combine the parcels and add a 100 x 50-foot addition onto an existing pole shed.

Council members said the applicants would need to own both parcels to combine them and that the city would have to hold a public hearing to consider both the lot consolidation and the shed addition. Council members and the clerk advised that the proposed addition would not be permitted under the city's zoning ordinance as written and, if allowed, would require a variance.

Mayor Justin Forthun raised concerns that an addition of that size could worsen existing water drainage issues to the east of the Bushaws' property. Clerk Natalie Carroll told the Bushaws that Southside Addition is subject to a covenant that would remain in force whether or not parcels are combined and that, if the plat needed to be redone to reflect a combination of lots, the Bushaws would be responsible for the expense of redrawing the plat.

The clerk said she will check with the city engineer and mail the Bushaws a copy of the Southside Addition covenant. No formal motion or vote was recorded on the lot-combination or variance request during the meeting; council outlined the procedural steps the applicants must follow if they pursue the project, including a public hearing and any required variance application.

Next steps: the clerk will consult the city engineer and provide the Bushaws with the covenant documents; any future approval would require the Bushaws to follow the covenant, obtain ownership of both parcels, and secure a variance and any required plat amendments.