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Zoning board approves 19.8-foot rear-yard setback for Habitat for Humanity house at 17495 Ridge Avenue
Summary
On March 12, 2026, the Ferrysburg Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a 19.8-foot rear-yard setback variance for Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity to build a single-family home at 17495 Ridge Avenue after staff found the lot's unusual 1:1 width-to-depth ratio met all six variance standards.
The Ferrysburg Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously on March 12 to grant Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity a variance reducing the required rear-yard setback from 30 feet to 19.8 feet for a proposed house at 17495 Ridge Avenue.
Staff read a planning report into the record describing the parcel (700316100064) as RG2 (medium-density residential) and noting the lot is a vacant corner parcel with an atypical 1:1 width-to-depth ratio. "The applicant requests a rear setback of 19.8 feet instead of the 30-foot minimum," the staff member said while summarizing the application and the six standards the board must consider.
An applicant representative told the board the project uses a smaller model that increased the setback to 19.8 feet compared with designs discussed earlier. A board member said the revised footprint "meets the intent" of the board's December conversation about the project.
After the staff findings — which concluded that all six variance standards could be met given the lot's constrained envelope and neighboring lot depths — a board member moved to approve the request, citing the standards. Another board member seconded the motion; the board recorded unanimous votes in favor and the motion passed.
Board members noted that variances are valid for one year and must be re-applied for if construction is not completed within that time. A nearby resident asked whether an existing driveway would remain in use; the applicant representative said the neighbor agreed to surrender the driveway and that the build site had been staked.
The board's approval allows Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity to proceed with the proposed single-family dwelling with an attached garage and a footprint the staff described as about 1,352 square feet, subject to any applicable permit conditions and the usual building permit process. The board adjourned its hearing items and continued to the next agenda topics.
