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Zoning board tables request to build closer to road at 69211 Eagle Drive
Summary
The Paw Paw Township Zoning Board of Appeals tabled a variance request on Nov. 19, 2025, after questioning a plan for a new home at 69211 Eagle Drive that would reduce the front setback from 50 feet to 12 feet; the applicant agreed to submit revised plans and a new public notice.
Chairman Phillip Arbanas called the Paw Paw Township Zoning Board of Appeals to order on Nov. 19, 2025, and introduced a public hearing on a variance request for 69211 Eagle Drive. The applicant, Jeremy Vainavicz of Field and Vine Development Group, sought permission to locate a new home with a 12-foot front setback where the ordinance requires 50 feet (Chapter 42, Article 6, Attachment 3).
Vainavicz described the site’s constraints, including the presence of a wetland, and said the home's placement had been coordinated with EGLE and the Health Department to address environmental and septic considerations. A representative of the Home Owners’ Association raised concerns that a reduced setback could impede emergency vehicle access and increase on-street parking on the block.
Staff preparer David Jirousek characterized the parcel as unique and said a variance may be necessary for reasonable use. Board members Nate Smallcombe and Neil Boff questioned the proposed orientation and proximity to the road and suggested rotating or shifting the house footprint to reduce its impact on street frontage.
Based on discussion, Jirousek said a new public notice would be required for any revised application. The staff recap indicated the new notice would reference, for notice purposes, a 15-foot front setback and a 5-foot east-side setback; the ZBA emphasized that actual setbacks could be greater and would be reviewed when a revised plan is submitted. Vainavicz committed to providing more comprehensive submittal documents and to re-staking the building footprint and marking the front lot line with paint.
Member Nate Smallcombe moved to table the variance request pending the applicant’s revised materials and a new notice; Tom Beam seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0 (Ayes: Phillip Arbanas, Nate Smallcombe, Neil Boff, Tom Beam, Trish Downard). No formal variance was granted at the meeting.
The board had no other new or old business and adjourned at 8:13 p.m. The file lists the subject property as parcel #80-14-430-026-00 at 69211 Eagle Drive, Paw Paw, MI 49079.
