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Applicant Spencer Tellkamp seeks to replace required tree buffer with 6-foot fence; Zoning Board records 3–1 vote but legal validity pending
Summary
At the Aug. 1 meeting the Grant Township Zoning Board voted 3–1 to require a 6-foot chain-link fence in place of a previously required tree line along parcel '019' adjoining Grant High School; the board paused to seek a legal ruling on whether the vote meets the variance threshold and requested supporting documents from the school and applicant.
Chair Jason Fulton called the Grant Township Zoning Board to order at 7:00 p.m. and the board approved minutes from May 30, 2024. The meeting then moved into a hearing on a use-variance amendment sought by applicant Spencer Tellkamp.
Applicant Spencer Tellkamp requested an amendment to a use variance originally set in April 2001 that had required a greenspace tree line between his business and Grant High School. The minutes record that the variance was amended on May 30, 2024 after the trees were removed; at this meeting Tellkamp proposed replacing the tree line with a 6-foot fence to run from the south corner on the west side of parcel '019' north to a point 40 feet from the edge of the right-of-way.
A motion was made (mover and seconder not specified in the minutes) to require Tellkamp to install a 6-foot chain-link fence in lieu of replanting trees, with one condition: that a survey be obtained to verify the property lines described in the proposal. The minutes do not identify who introduced the motion.
During discussion, Tellkamp presented an insurance-company quote and referenced input provided by attending school board members, a school resource officer and a letter from the school superintendent. Board members and school representatives raised questions about whether the fence could create barriers in the event of an emergency evacuation of Grant High School and asked for additional facts and statistics related to safety and access. Board members also questioned whether the meeting had the necessary votes and quorum to lawfully approve the variance, noting one member was absent and that there may be a four-vote threshold for this type of variance.
The minutes show an initial vote resulted in a tie. A second vote recorded a 3–1 result in favor of the fence requirement, but the board delayed finalizing the outcome while awaiting a ruling on whether that tally meets the legal threshold for approving the variance. The board requested that the school board and Tellkamp supply supporting documentation about safety and other concerns; the minutes state those documents could be obtained.
The board did not record any final, uncontested approval during the meeting; Chair Jason Fulton and the recording minutes indicate members were awaiting a ruling on vote validity before treating the motion as final. The meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m.; minutes were submitted by Gladys VeltKamp, Recording Secretary and Grant Township Clerk.
Next steps: the board is awaiting an external or legal ruling on the vote validity and expects supporting documents from the school and applicant before any final action is posted.
