[00:00:02]
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP MERIDIAN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEETING.OH, MY GOSH, [INAUDIBLE] MY HUSBAND WILL KILL ME BECAUSE IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY.
IT'S MAY 18TH, 2022 [LAUGHTER] AND THE TIME IS 6:32 PM.
WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR ONE MEMBER TO JOIN US, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY WITH OUR APPROVAL OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
[2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA]
EVERYBODY GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK THAT OVER.>> I'LL MOVE THE AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
>> SO MOVED BY MEMBER DESCHAINE AND SUPPORTED BY MEMBER [INAUDIBLE].
WE WILL GO TO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
>> THE CHAIR VOTES, YES, SO THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.
[3. CORRECTIONS, APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF MINUTES]
NEXT ITEM WOULD BE THE CORRECTION, APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION MINUTES FROM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20TH, 2022.HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK THAT OVER.
I THINK OUR MINUTES [LAUGHTER] DID A VERY GOOD JOB RECORDING ALL OF THE MADNESS THAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST MEETING.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATED THE SUCCINCTNESS OF THE MINUTES [OVERLAPPING] AS OPPOSED TO WHAT ALL BACK-AND-FORTH OCCURRED.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT WAS A DIFFICULT MEETING TO WRITE MINUTES FOR; DIFFICULT MEETING TO SIT THROUGH.
ANY MOTION ON THE MINUTES OR ANY CORRECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE? I DID NOT SEE ANY MYSELF.
WELL, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20TH.
>> SUPPORTED BY MEMBER DESCHAINE.
ROLL-CALL VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? MEMBER [INAUDIBLE].
>> THE CHAIR VOTES, YES, SO THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED FROM APRIL 20TH.
NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS COMMUNICATIONS.
[4. COMMUNICATIONS]
I HAVE A SINGULAR LETTER PERTAINING TO ZBA CASE NUMBER 22-04-20-2 FROM JERRY FEDEWA.I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK DIRECTOR SCHMITT IF HE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE US SOME LITTLE UPDATE ON THAT SITUATION.
>> JUST BRIEFLY, THE APPLICANT HAS WITHDRAWN THE REQUEST BECAUSE UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS ADOPTED, THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN BUILD WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WITHOUT NEEDING A VARIANCE.
FUNCTIONALLY, THE ORDINANCE IS WORKING EXACTLY THE WAY WE HOPED IT WOULD; THAT IT WOULD STOP VARIANCE REQUESTS, BASICALLY.
>> PERFECT. WHAT IS THE NEW ORDINANCE STATE? HOPEFULLY WILL HELP US [LAUGHTER] A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THAT LAKE LANSING OVER LAKE DISTRICT.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT ELIMINATED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOUSES THAT FRONTED ON A SIDE STREET VERSUS HOUSES THAT FRONTED ON ONE OF THE MAIN STREETS OF LAKE DRIVE HASLETT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE OTHER ONE BECAUSE IT'S A STRIKE-THROUGH IN MY MIND INSTEAD OF [OVERLAPPING] ACTUALLY AN ORDINANCE, AND CHANGE IT TO.
THERE'S ONE STANDARD, IT'S 20 FEET.
ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU'RE IN AN AREA WHERE WITHIN 150 FEET OF YOUR PROPERTY, THE AVERAGE SETBACK IS LESS, SO YOU CAN USE THAT AVERAGE SETBACK.
>> NOW, I CAN ALREADY TELL YOU WE'VE ALREADY FOUND AT LEAST ONE QUIRK IN IT THAT BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE AIMING TOWARDS WAS THE ACTUAL MAIN STRUCTURE, NOT DETACHED [OVERLAPPING].
BUT WE THINK THAT'S THE INTENT, AND SO THERE'S SOME STILL MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO FLOATING AROUND WHEN YOU COME HERE, BUT BY AND LARGE, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY NOW.
I LOVE THAT THAT'S [OVERLAPPING].
>> DID MR. [INAUDIBLE] MEET WITH STAFF BEFORE HE WITHDREW?
>> STAFF INCURRED THAT THE NEW ORDINANCE DOES ELIMINATE HIS NEED FOR A ZBA CASE.
>> I WOULD NOT SAY THAT. WE TOLD HIM HE NEEDS TO PROVIDE US WITH THE INFORMATION THAT SHOWS HE DOES NOT NEED IT.
HE IS CONFIDENT THAT ONCE HE GETS THE INFORMATION, IT WILL SHOW HE DOES NOT NEED THAT.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE UPDATE.
I THINK WE WERE ALL CURIOUS [LAUGHTER] AS TO HOW THAT WAS GOING TO PLAY OUT, SO I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE WE HAVE NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
LIKE TO HEAR THAT TOO, SO WE CAN GO RIGHT INTO NEW BUSINESS.
[6A. ZBA CASE NO. 22-05-18-1 (4660 S. Hagadorn Rd.), Johnson Sign Company, 2240 Lansing Ave., Jackson, MI 49202]
THAT BEGINS WITH ZBA CASE NUMBER 22-05-18-1.THAT'S 4660 SOUTH HAGADORN ROAD, JOHNSON SITE COMPANY.
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR SCHMITT
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M GOING TO JUST USE THE PODIUM HERE FOR A SECOND.
THIS IS THE BUILDING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOCATED ON HAGADORN ROAD.
I'M SHOWING THIS SPECIFICALLY TO START JUST SO YOU CAN GET A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WAS THERE BECAUSE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CASE RIGHT NOW.
THE WELLS FARGO SIGN IS GONE, BUT I WANTED YOU TO SEE THIS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THIS SIDE WHICH FACES THE ROAD HAS NO SIGNAGE AND THIS SIDE WHICH FACES HAGADORN HAS ALL THE SIGNAGE.
THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR THIS BUILDING.
MSU HEALTH SIGN ON THE FAR NORTHERN END,
[00:05:03]
IN THE MIDDLE, THE [INAUDIBLE] SIGNS AND ON THE SOUTHERN END THE WELLS FARGO ADVISOR SIGNS.BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, THE [INAUDIBLE] SIGNS WERE THE FIRST SIGNS INSTALLED.
AT THE TIME OF THEIR INSTALLATION, THEY WERE LEGAL SIGNS.
THEY WERE PERMITTED BY ORDINANCE BY RIGHT, AND AT THE TIME IT TOTALED 93 SQUARE FEET.
THE ORDINANCE CHANGED SUBSEQUENTLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITED THE AMOUNT OF WALL SIGN THAT YOU CAN GET.
IT ALSO CHANGED THE WAY WE MEASURE SIGNS.
THAT'S THE DISCREPANCY YOU SEE OR THE DIFFERENCE YOU SEE IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH BETWEEN THE 93 AND THE 185.
IN TOTAL, IF YOU WERE TO PUT ONE GIANT BOX AROUND THAT [INAUDIBLE] SIGN, WHICH IS HOW WE WOULD TRADITIONALLY DO IT NOW, BECAUSE OF ALL THE DEAD SPACE TO FILL UP THAT BOX, IT IS 185 SQUARE FOOT SIGN.
BUT BY THE WAY IT WAS DONE AT THE TIME AS A LEGAL SIGN, IT'S 93 SQUARE FEET.
SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THERE WAS A REQUEST TO ADD 65 SQUARE FEET FOR THE WELLS FARGO SIGN.
SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THERE WAS A REQUEST TO ADD 65 FEET FOR THE MSU SIGN BOTH IN OTHER VARIANCE CASES PREVIOUSLY.
THERE'S 155 FEET AND A HALF FEET OF FRONTAGE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND 155 FEET OF FRONTAGE ON, I BELIEVE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING AS WELL.
I BELIEVE IT'S A SQUARE BUILDING, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
WHAT IS THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS THE WELLS FARGO SIGN HAS BEEN REMOVED AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE APPLICANTS, THE PROPOSED RENDERING YOU SEE HERE.
I'LL ZOOM IN ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS TWO REQUESTS ESSENTIALLY.
THE [INAUDIBLE] SIGN WILL REMAIN.
THEY'D LIKE TO REPLACE THE MSU HEALTH CARE SIGN, THE NORTHERN CORNER OF THE BUILDING, AND ADD THE PHARMACY SIGN ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
PREVIOUSLY, THERE WERE THREE SIGNS ON THIS BUILDING.
THEY ARE PROPOSING [INAUDIBLE] THREE SIGNS.
THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IS NOW A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
IN TOTAL YOU WOULD HAVE THREE SIGNS ON THE WEST SIDE WITH A TOTAL OF 303.8 SQUARE FEET WHICH IS IF PERMITTED UNDER THE ORDINANCE, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY A 2:1 RATIO OF THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING TO THE SIZE OF THE SIGN.
IT'S TWO REQUESTS IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING; THE TOTAL SIZE OF THE SIGNS AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THE SIGNS.
THE APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING TO SPEAK FURTHER TO THE REQUEST AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS SHOULD THEY ARISE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH DIRECTOR SCHMITT.
WOULD THE APPLICANT OR THE APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE LIKE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND SPEAK ON THE CASE? SIR, IF YOU CAN JUST GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS JUST FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
>> MY NAME IS JIM JOHNSON, WITH JOHNSON SIGN COMPANY.
ADDRESS IS 2240 LANSING AVENUE, JACKSON, MICHIGAN.
THIS IS MELISSA, WITH THE MSU HEALTH CARE.
I'M GOING TO JUST START OFF REAL QUICK AND GIVE A RUNDOWN FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE AND THEN I'LL PASS IT OVER TO MELISSA TO [OVERLAPPING] ALSO TALK.
THANK YOU FOR THE THOROUGH START BECAUSE THAT TOOK AWAY A LOT OF MY NOTES, SO THANKS A LOT FOR DOING THAT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS IN FROM THE ORIGINAL VARIANCE THAT ALLOWED 223 SQUARE FOOT.
WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 80.8 SQUARE FOOT, WHICH WOULD BRING UP THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE TO 303.8.
AS YOU CAN SEE BASED ON OUR DRAWINGS, THE NEW MSU HEALTH CARE SIGN IS ROUGHLY 210 SQUARE FEET, THE PHARMACY SIGN IS 39.8 SQUARE FEET.
THE MAJORITY OF THIS REQUEST AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SIZE AND HOW WE CAME UP WITH IT.
THE REASON WE'RE REQUESTING THIS SIZE IS BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES TO THIS BUILDING.
THIS BUILDING IS A SIX-FOOT OR A SIX STORY BUILDING THAT'S ROUGHLY 300 FOOT BACK OFF A HAGADORN.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE REQUESTING THE MSU HEALTH CARE SIGN LARGER THAN WHAT IT CURRENTLY WAS IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE EXISTING MSU SIGN READS ON THE BUILDING.
IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT IN PERSON, YOU CAN SEE THAT A LOT OF THE LETTERS ARE REALLY SMALL AND YOU CAN'T READ THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LETTERS.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK A STEP BACK AND LOOKED AT THE SIGN AND BEFORE THE THE LOGO HAD DAMAGED, THERE WAS AN S SPARTAN BADGE UP THERE.
THAT MEASURES ROUGHLY 39 INCHES AND THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN SEE THE BEST AND THE MOST CLEAR FROM HAGADORN WAS THAT S EMBLEM.
WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IS TRYING TO CAPTURE THE LETTERS FOR MSU HEALTH CARE IN A SIMILAR SIZE SO THAT YOU CAN READ IT REALLY WELL FROM HAGADORN ROAD.
THE NEW PROPOSED SIGN THAT WE HAVE, THE MSU LETTERS MEASURE 34 INCHES IN HEIGHT AND LIKE I SAID THE OLD S LOGO IS ROUGHLY 39 INCHES.
[00:10:03]
IT'S CLOSE IN SIZE TO THE OLD SIGN WHICH WAS THE BEST PART OF THE VISIBILITY.WHAT THEY MENTIONED EARLIER IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS THE SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR THIS SIGN APPEARS TO BE SO LARGE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BOX IN THE SIGN.
THE WAY THE CODE READS IS YOU GOT TO TAKE THE ENTIRE OVERALL HEIGHT, OVERALL WIDTH OF THE SIGN.
THE SPARTAN HEAD LOGO IS FIVE FOOT SO ALL THE DEAD SPACE ABOVE THE LETTERS AND BELOW THE LETTERS ARE COUNTED TOWARDS THE SQUARE FOOT.
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO REMOVE THE DEAD SPACE AND ONLY COUNT THE SPARTAN BADGE IN THE LETTERS, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IS ROUGHLY 66 SQUARE FEET LESS IN SIZE.
THE WAY WE CAME UP WITH THAT IS THE SPARTAN LOGO IS A 60 BY 56 INCH LOGO, WHICH IS 23 SQUARE FOOT AND THE LETTER AREA IS 34 INCHES BY 346 INCHES, WHICH WOULD BE 82 SQUARE FOOT.
JUST FOR CLARITY THAT'S WHY THE SQUARE FOOTAGE APPEARS TO BE SO BIG BUT LIKE I JUST MENTIONED 66 SQUARE ROOT ACTUALLY IS JUST WALL AREA THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY SIGN ON IT.
IN THE LAST THING I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY TOUCH BASE ON.
WE TRIED TO COME UP WITH THE LETTERS BECAUSE AFTER WE DID THE LAST SET BACK IN 2015 ONE THING WE NOTICED WAS HOW THEY SHRUNK PRETTY GOOD ON THE BUILDING WHEN YOU STEP BACK AND LOOKED AT IT.
FOR THIS ONE WE TOOK A STUDY AND SAID, THERE'S A CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT CAME OUT WITH A LETTER STUDY AND SO THEY RECOMMEND FROM 300 FOOT BACK THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT TO A LETTER IS 30 INCHES.
SO THE LOWERCASE LETTERS ARE ROUGHLY 26 IN INCHES AND THE UPPERCASE ARE ROUGHLY 34.
WE CAME WITH THAT HAPPY MEDIUM IN-BETWEEN THEM TO TRY TO HAVE THIS SIGN BE THE BEST USE FROM THAT DISTANCE.
IN CLOSING WE FEEL THAT THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE WE'RE ASKING IS IN LINE WITH THE BUILDING AND WHAT IT'S ALLOWED BECAUSE THEY HAVE TWO FRONTAGES.
I THINK TECHNICALLY I COULD BE OFF BASE BUT I THINK THEY GET 155 SQUARE FOOT FOR THE FRONT, AND A 155 FOR THE BACK WHICH WOULD BE ROUGHLY 310 SQUARE FOOT.
THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE WE'RE ASKING FOR IS 303 SO IT'S UNDER THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE ALLOWED FOR BUILDING.
HOWEVER BECAUSE OF THE WAY TO BUILDING SETBACK, IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR THEM TO PUT IT ON THE SIDE.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE ASKING FOR IT ON THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING GOOD FROM HAGADORN.
THOSE ARE THE MAIN REASONS WE CAME UP WITH THE DESIGN, WITH THE SIZE THAT THIS NEW LOGO LAYS OUT TO.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME AS FAR AS HOW THE SIGNS MADE, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM BUT I'M GOING TO LET MELISSA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS FROM HER PERSPECTIVE.
>> GREAT THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON, YOU JUST WANT TO COME UP AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, PLEASE.
>> YES MELISSA JAKUPOIVC 2836 MENTICO, DR. LANSING, MICHIGAN.
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT.
AS MSU HEALTHCARE, FORMERLY MSU HEALTH TEAM, IS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE WHEN PEOPLE COME AND SEEK CARE, WE HAVE MOTHERS, WE MAY HAVE CAREGIVERS TAKING CARE OF ELDERLY OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR FAMILY AND BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE TO THE BUILDING AND RECOGNIZE WHERE THEY'RE AT WITH ALL THOSE DISTRACTIONS OF A HEALTH EVENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
I WOULD SAY IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALL OF YOU FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY STANDPOINT AS WELL BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET TO A POINT OF CARE SAFELY.
I WORKED WITH MR. JOHNSON ON THIS, WHAT WE CAME TO WAS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OKAY THIS IS THE RIGHT BUILDING PUTTING MSU HEALTH CARE REALLY LARGE TOWARD THE TOP WOULD BE GOOD FROM A DISTANCE.
WE HAVE MANY CLINICS IN THIS BUILDING, WE HAVE CLINICS ON FLOORS TWO, FOUR, FIVE AND SIX, WE ADDED A PHARMACY ON FLOOR ONE AND WE WILL BE ADDING A LAB DRAW SERVICE SOON.
SO WE DO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF BUSINESS IN HERE.
THE REASON THAT WE PROPOSED PUTTING PHARMACY BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR WAS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT OKAY I'M AT MSU HEALTH CARE AND THEN AS THEY GET SOON CLOSER TO THE BUILDING THEY CAN SEE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF PHARMACY AND NOT CLUTTERING UP THAT TOP SIGN AREA.
AGAIN THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> SOUNDS GOOD GO WHITE [LAUGHTER].
ALL RIGHT, THANKS MS JAKUPOIVC.
IN THAT NOTE, IF THERE'S NO ONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN THIS CASE TONIGHT, WE WILL GET INTO OUR BOARD TIME.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR EITHER OF OUR APPLICANTS
[00:15:03]
OR WE CAN JUST JUMP RIGHT IN [OVERLAPPING].>> I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR STAFF.
>> I HAD A COUPLE OTHER THINGS.
>> THANK YOU. DR. SMITH I GUESS IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER TO BE HONEST BECAUSE IT LOOKS THE PROPERTY HAS ROAD FRONTAGE ON ALL FOUR SIDES, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> SO WAS THERE CONSIDERED ANY SIDE OF THIS BUILDING CONSIDERED TO BE A REAR FACADE? IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER BUT LET'S BE HONEST, I'M LOOKING AT THE CODE, I JUST WANTED TO ASK FOR SOME CLARITY.
>> YOU KNOW I THINK, I SUSPECT THAT IF I GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL APPROVAL FOR THIS, THEY MADE A DETERMINATION THAT HAGADORN WAS THE FRONTAGE.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE THIS IS TECHNICALLY A QUADRUPLE FRONT END LINE.
>> OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT, I ASSUMED I JUST WANTED TO ASK QUESTION PUT ON THE RECORD.
WHEN I WENT THROUGH THIS, I SAW THERE WAS A LOT OF NUMBERS [LAUGHTER] AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR CLARIFYING BECAUSE I WAS THE FIRST THING I SAW WAS ONE OF THIS SENTENCE SAYS 93 SQUARE FEET BUT THIS ONE DOWN HERE BASICALLY DOUBLES IT 185.
>> SO WHAT'S THE CORRECT NUMBER NOW I UNDERSTAND SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
IF I HAVE THIS CORRECT THE PERMITTED AMOUNT, SQUARE FOOTAGE, I'M JUST GOING BY SQUARE FOOTAGE NOW.
THAT PERMITTED AMOUNT IS 155.5 AND THAT'S BASED ON THE PART OF THE CODE THAT SAYS ONE SQUARE FOOT PER ONE LINEAR FOOT OF THE BUILDING, LINEAR, LINEAR FOOT OF BUILDING THAT WAS MEASURED.
THE EXISTING IS 158 AND THAT'S BASED ON THE EXISTING SIGNS THAT ARE THERE NOW INCLUDING THE EYED SIGNS THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SIGNS.
THE PROPOSED IS A TOTAL OF 3.803 AND THAT INCLUDES THE 210.8 OF THE NEW MSU SIGNS AND THE EXISTING HEIGHT SIGN, CORRECT?
>> IF I READ THIS CORRECTLY AND I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE CODE AS WELL.
THE APPLICANT SAID, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WAS IN THE STAFF REPORT, THIS MEMO, THAT RIGHT NOW THE REGULATIONS ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO HAVE THE SINGLE WALL SIGN ON THE BUILDINGS WEST ELEVATION, WHICH IS CONSIDERED LIKE YOU SAID POTENTIALLY THE FRONT OF A 155 BUT ALSO THEY CAN HAVE ANOTHER SIGN, THEY CAN HAVE A SECOND SIGN BASED ON PART THREE A OF THE CODE UP TO ANOTHER 155.5.
IF YOU DO THE MATH AS THE APPLICANT SAID THAT'S ABOUT 311 FEET AND THE THREE SIGNS THAT ARE COMING IN AS 303.8.
SO TO ME THE ISSUE ISN'T REALLY I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE SIZE OF THE SIGNS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE, ISSUE MORE TO ME IS THE NUMBER OF SIGNS, IS OBVIOUSLY THE CODE SAYS YOU ONLY HAVE ONE SIGN AND POTENTIALLY TWO.
YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE ON THE REAR BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO ON THE SAME WALL.
HOWEVER THE BIG THING I NOTICE IS THAT THERE WAS ALREADY THREE SIGNS TO BEGIN WITH.
TO ME I DON'T SEE THIS AS NECESSARILY WILLING TO PENALIZE THE APPLICANT COMING IN ASKING FOR VARIANCE F3 SIGNS WHEN THEY'RE TECHNICALLY ALREADY WAS THERE THREE THERE NOW, OR THERE WAS THREE IN THE PAST, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
I DON'T PERSONALLY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS, I DON'T THINK THE IMPACTS ARE GOING TO BE THAT GREAT ANYWAYS, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO MAKE THE LETTERS BIG ENOUGH SO YOU CAN SEE IT BECAUSE I GO TO PIZZA HOUSE, I DRIVE BY THERE AND LOOK AT THOSE SIGNS SOMETIMES AND IT'S IT'S CRAZY TO LOOK UP AND SEE SOMEONE THAT GREEN AND GO, WHOA THAT'S REALLY FUNKY AT NIGHT.
SO I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE SIZE OF THE SIGN.
THIS IS A COMMERCIAL AREA, IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM PARKING LOT AND EGG FIELD.
THERE'S NO RESIDENTIAL HOUSES NEAR HERE, SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE YOU HAVING ANY ISSUES WITH PEOPLE DRIVING BY GOING THAT'S TOO BRIGHT, IT'S TOO BIG, IT'S CAUSING NUISANCE.
SO THEREFORE I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT I PERSONALLY DON'T SEE MUCH OF AN ISSUE WITH THIS TO BE HONEST.
>> THANK YOU, MEMBER KATIE, YOU SAID EVERYTHING I WAS GOING TO SAY SO THERE WE GO [LAUGHTER].
IT'S GOOD TO BE IN AGREEMENT RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE I THINK THAT GOING FROM THREE SIGNS SO THREE SIGNS IS BALANCED AND A MINIMUM ACTION.
I FIND THAT TO BE RELATIVELY EASY TO GET BEHIND.
I AM CURIOUS AND I HOPE THAT THERE'S LITTLE BIT MORE THOUGHT BEHIND THE PHARMACY SIGN OF EITHER ONE OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
IS THAT CLOSE TO AN ENTRANCE WHERE SOMEBODY WOULD BE GOING INTO THE BUILDING TO ENTER THAT PHARMACY AREA? IT SEEMS A LITTLE MORE DIRECTIONAL IN THAT CASE.
>> WELL THE PHARMACY ENTRANCE IS
>> I THINK YOU CAN APPROACH THE MIC
>> YEAH PLEASE COME UP TO MIC, THAT WE WOULD GET YOU OUT OF THE MINUTES.
>> THE PHARMACY ENTRANCE IS LET'S SEE, THE SOUTH SIDE.
>> WHERE INDIVIDUALS ENTER THE PARKING TYPICALLY, THEY WILL ENTER FROM THE SOUTH SIDE BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THEY APPROACHED IN THE RIGHT AREA FOR MSU HEALTHCARE'S ENTITIES, AND THEN AS THEY GOT CLOSER, THEY COULD SEE THE PHARMACY.
IT'S NOT EXACTLY ON THE FACADE OF THE PHARMACY.
>> THERE'S AN ENTRY ON EVERY SIDE OF [OVERLAPPING].
>> RIGHT, THAT'S WHAT WE SAYING,
[00:20:01]
THE FOUR SIDED BUILDING.>> OKAY. MEMBER JOSE DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD?
>> [INAUDIBLE] I SAID ALREADY ALSO, I THINK THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES INTO THIS ORDINANCE IN PART BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER FIVE STORE-Y BUILDINGS I BELIEVE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
THIS IS UNIQUE AND IT IS A VERY LARGE BUILDING.
I THINK OUR ORDINANCES LIKELY WRITTEN FOR ONE STORE-Y BUILDING, WHICH IS 99 PERCENT OF WHAT OUR BUILDINGS ARE.
ALSO, I DON'T SEE THAT SO MUCH AS A SIGN SO THEIR EYED LOGO UP THERE AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY COUNTED IT AS A SIGN.
BUT IF PEOPLE I THINK GENERALLY SEEN THAT ENOUGH THAT THEY IGNORE THAT AND THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO THOSE OTHER TWO SIGNS.
I REALLY SEE IT AS ALLOWING FOR TWO SIGNS, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS TRADE-OFF EITHER.
>> OKAY. ON THAT NOTE, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT OUR NEW VARIANTS.
IT'LL BE OUR VERY FIRST TIME WITH OUR NEW VARIANTS CRITERIA.
LET'S SEE CRITERIA 1, UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST THAT ARE PECULIAR TO THE LAND OR STRUCTURE THAT ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO OTHER LEADERS STRUCTURES IN THE SAME ZONING DISTRICT, AND THESE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NOT SELF-CREATED.
I THINK IS MEMBER JOSE JUST POINTED OUT.
IT IS A VERY UNIQUE BUILDING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
JUST [LAUGHTER] BEING A SIX STORE-Y BUILDING AND THEN BEING A FOUR-SIDED BUILDING, IT JUST HAS SOME UNIQUE PROPERTIES THAT NOTHING ELSE AROUND IT HAS AND NOT SELF-CREATED.
CRITERIA NUMBER 2, STRICT INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE LITERAL TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER WOULD RESULT IN PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT WOULD PREVENT THE OWNER FROM USING THE PROPERTY FOR A PERMITTED PURPOSE.
I DO THINK THAT WE'VE COVERED THIS IN THAT WE'RE PRETTY MUCH AT MINIMUM ACTION AND NEUTRAL HERE, BUT THAT NOT HAVING THE SIGNS IS NOT ONLY PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, BUT ALSO WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO USE THE BUILDING? SURE. WOULD PEOPLE BE ABLE TO FIND THEM? NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
WITH THAT, ALLOW THEM TO PRACTICE THE PERMITTED PURPOSE? I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT WOULD NOT WITHOUT THE PROPER SIGNAGE.
I THINK AS MEMBER KENNETH POINTED OUT THE FACT THAT THEY COULD HAVE SIDES AND OTHER SIDES OF THE BUILDING, ARE CHOOSING TO USE THIS AS THEIR FRONTAGE.
I ALSO THINK LENDS ITSELF TO SOLVING THOSE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES OF HOW TO GET PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT SPOT, ESPECIALLY FOR A HEALTH CARE SETTING.
CRITERIA NUMBER 3, GRANTING THE VARIANCES, THE MINIMUM ACTION NECESSARY WHICH WOULD CARRY OUT THE SPIRIT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE, SECURE PUBLIC SAFETY, AND PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL JUSTICE.
I THINK BOTH OF MY TWO FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HERE COVERED THAT WELL, THAT WE ARE REPLACING TWO SIDES WITH TWO VERY SIMILAR SIGNS IN SIZE AND WE'RE NOT EXCEEDING THE SIZE OF WHAT WOULD BE PERMITTED IF YOU WERE DOING ONE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
IN THAT I BELIEVE IT IS A MINIMUM BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY UNDER THE SQUARE FOOTAGE YOU WOULD BE AT.
I THINK YOU'VE MET THAT CRITERIA VERY WELL.
WE DO APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT GO THE LARGER WITH SIGNS, SO THAT'S APPRECIATED.
CRITERIA NUMBER 4, GRANTING THE VARIANCE WILL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ADJACENT LAND OR CENTRAL CHARACTER IN THE VICINITY OF THE PROPERTY.
AS MEMBER KENNETH POINTED OUT HERE IN A COMMERCIAL AREA WITH NO RESIDENTIAL DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU WITH THE COLLEGE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AT A BUSY BOULEVARD ROAD THERE.
I DON'T SEE THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECTING, IF ANYTHING, IT WILL POSITIVELY AFFECT THE PEOPLE MAY NOT BE GETTING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS TRYING TO FIND THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
CRITERIA NUMBER 5, GRANTING THE VARIANCE WILL BE GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC INTERESTS AND PURPOSES AND INTENT OF THIS CHAPTER.
I DO THINK THIS IS A CASE WHERE OUR SIGN ORDINANCE DOESN'T QUITE FIT THE MOLD FOR THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF BUILDING.
I DO THINK IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE PURPOSES AND INTENT OF THIS CHAPTER.
WITH THAT SAID, I CAN MEET ALL FIVE CRITERIA.
WANT TO SAY THAT? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE, ANYBODY?
>> I MOVED TO PROVE ZBA CASE NUMBER 22-05-18-1 JOHNSON SIGNED COMPANY 2240 LANSING AVENUE, JACKSON, MICHIGAN 49202.
>> OKAY. MOVED BY MEMBER KENNETH IT'S SUPPORTED BY MEMBER JOSE.
WE WILL GO AHEAD WITH A VOTE UNLESS WE HAVE ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE THREE OF US.
I THINK WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING.
>> THE CHAIR VOTES YES. YOUR VARIANT APPLICATION HAS BEEN APPROVED.
THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY, FOLKS, AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SCIENCE.
[6B. ZBA CASE NO. 22-05-18-2 (1830 W. Grand River), MAG OKF RE, LLC, 1830 W. Grand River Ave., Okemos, MI 48864]
ON THAT NOTE, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT CASE WHICH WILL BE,[00:25:04]
LOOK THROUGH MY PACKET HERE.ZBA CASE NUMBER 2205-18-2 1830 WEST GRAND RIVER, MEG.
M-E-G-O-K-F-R-E-L-O-C, 1830 WEST RIVER AVENUE.
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR. SMITH, PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THE REQUESTS IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS A LONG AND, IT MIGHT BE COMPLICATED SIGN HISTORY HERE.
IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME FOR JUST A SECOND.
>> PROPERTY IS 1830 WEST GRAND RIVER CURRENT HOME TO MORRIES AUTOMOTIVE FOR DEALERSHIP.
THEY CURRENTLY HAVE AND I BELIEVE THEY HAVE PROVIDED SOME PICTURES IN YOUR PACKET BECAUSE THIS IS ONE TIME GOOGLE EARTH DOESN'T DO US A GREAT JUSTICE.
YOU CAN SEE THE COURTESY SIGN FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND THE BLUE OVAL SIGN THAT IS INDICATIVE OF A FORD.
BY WAY OF HISTORY, THIS HAS HAD A NUMBER OF VARIANTS AS WELL.
NINETY EIGHT THEY GOT THEIR INITIAL VARIANTS TO ALLOW THE FORD LOGO AND THE CAMPUS SIGNS ON THIS CAMPUS ROAD ON THE EAST AND WEST WING OF THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
THERE ARE OTHER VARIANCES ON OTHER PARTS OF THE BUILDING THAT DON'T MATTER TO THIS CASE, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN DECIDED THEY'RE NOT BEING CHANGED.
WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
EVENTUALLY THOSE CAMPUS SIGNS GOT REPLACED WITH COURTESY SIGNS THAT WERE FUNCTIONALLY THE SAME SIZE WHEN THAT GOT BOUGHT.
AN ADDITIONAL SIGN WAS GRANTED IN 2015 FOR MODIFICATION OF THE COURTESY SIGN AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE OVAL AND THEN THE COURTESY SIGN WAS REPLACED WITH MERRILL IN 2019.
MORRIES IS THE CURRENT OWNER AND FORD CORPORATE REQUIRES THAT YOU HAVE THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE IT'S WHEN YOU OWN MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS, RIGHT?
>> YEAH. THEY HAVE TO PUT MORRIES OKEMOS UP NOW IN PLACE OF PREVIOUSLY IT WAS JUST MERRILL AND THEY JUST OWNED ONE.
FUNCTIONALLY, THE VARIANCES REQUESTED THIS EVENING IS TO PUT THE WORD OKEMOS UP ON THE BUILDING.
TO CLEAR THIS UP GOING FORWARD FOR FUTURE TIM AND FUTURE KEITH, WE ARE ASKING ZBA TO CONSIDER MAKING A CONDITION OF APPROVAL THAT ZBA CASE NUMBER 22-05-18-2 IS THE CONTROLLING VARIANCE FOR APPROVAL OF SIGNS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING LOCATED AT 1830 WEST GRAND RIVER AVENUE.
IN THE FUTURE, WE COULD JUST GO TO THIS FILE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PULL FIVE OTHER ONES TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HISTORY OF THIS IS.
THAT'S ALL WE HAVE AT THIS TIME.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THE APPROPRIATE MOMENT.
>> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. SMITH.
WOULD THE APPLICANT OR THE APPLICANTS REPRESENTATION LIKE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD.
>> MY VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS LONNIE SIBLINSKY AND I'M THE MANAGING PARTNER AT MORRIE'S OKEMO'S FORD.
AS MR. SMITH TOLD YOU, WE HAVE A VARIANCE INVOLVEMENT.
IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE ACTUALLY, IS TOO FULL FOR US.
WE REQUESTED BECAUSE WE WANT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER SIGN SO IT CAN BE SEEN FROM THE ROAD.
NUMBER 1 AND NUMBER 2, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND WE CERTAINLY FEEL LIKE ADDING THE NAME OKEMOS AFTER MORRIES IS DOING THAT.
THAT REALLY IN THE SHORT AND THE LONG OF IT.
>> OKAY. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND STAYING RIGHT AT THE PODIUM WITH US SO IF WE HAVE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND FORTH.
>> I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS CASE TONIGHT? ARE YOU GOOD, MR. JOHNSON? [LAUGHTER]
>> YEAH. WE'RE DOING THE INSTALLATION.
I JUST SAVED [INAUDIBLE] QUESTION.
>> OKAY. GREAT. I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY? MEMBER JOSE GO AHEAD.
>> I THINK ADDING ON COMMERCIAL IS NICE, GOOD TOUCH TO CARE FOR COMMUNITY'S NAME.
IS IT ALSO A REQUIREMENT OF FORD NOW THAT YOUR DEALERSHIPS SAY THEY'VE NAMED THE DEALERSHIP AND THE COMMUNITY THAT IS LOCATED IN?
>> WELL, IT IS A REQUIREMENT BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S THE SAME TIME THAT MORRIES AUTOMOTIVE GROUP PURCHASED MERRILL FORD, WE ALSO PURCHASED GRAND LEDGE FOR IT.
>> EVEN THOUGH MERRILL MAY HAVE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T OWN TOOL TO GET AWAY FROM A CERTAIN VARIANTS.
>> WE'VE PUT THE NEW SIGN UP, BUT THEN THE GRAND LEDGE OCCASION MORTGAGE GRAND LEDGE.
THEREFORE WE ALSO WANT TO [INAUDIBLE] WE ARE NOT JUST BECAUSE FORD REQUIRES US, WE WOULD AGREE TO IT.
>> WITH ALL THE TURNOVERS YOU'VE HAD,
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ARE WE COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE GOING TO NOT SEE ANOTHER NAME CHANGE FROM THIS DEALERSHIP ANYTIME SOON?MORRIES IS A REASONABLE AUTOMOTIVE ROOM ACROSS WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, AND NOW WE'VE MENTIONED IN THE MICHIGAN WITH 22 DEALERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THAT ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
WE ALSO ARE IN LINE TO LOOK TO PURCHASE MORE IN THE MICHIGAN AREA.
>> GOOD. WELL, I THINK MEMBER DESCHAINE ASKED MY QUESTION, WHICH WAS WHETHER OR NOT THE OKEMOS WAS REQUIRED.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A VARIANCE OF 20.75 SQUARE FEET FOR THAT ADDITIONAL OKEMOS.
NOW IS THE MORES PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE SIZE THAT WAS MERRILL? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ADDITIONAL SIZE DIFFERENTIAL IS THE OKEMOS? MAYBE MR. JOHNSON KNOWS THAT.
>> YEAH, MR. JOHNSON, YOU MAY HELP ME WITH THAT.
>> COME ON UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE.
THIS IS MR. JOHNSON FROM JOHNSON SIGN COMPANY JOINING US AGAIN.
[LAUGHTER] WE LIKE WHEN PEOPLE ARE BACK FOR TWO DAYS IN A ROW.
IT'S VERY HELPFUL. WE GET TO KNOW PEOPLE.
>> YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. LET ME JUST FIND IT REAL QUICK IN MY FILE.
I BELIEVE THERE WERE 26-INCH HIGH LETTERS AS WELL.
>> OKAY. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THE VARIANCE IS LITERALLY THE OKEMOS.
THAT WOULD JUST BE MY QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION.
>> YEAH. THE MERRILL LETTERS WERE 26 INCH HIGH BY 17 FOOT, FOUR INCHES WIDE SO THEY'RE REALLY CLOSE.
ON THIS DRAWING, I DON'T HAVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT I WOULD ASSUME THEY'RE REALLY CLOSE.
>> IT APPEARS LIKE THAT WITH THE MATH.
>> IF I COULD SET SOMETHING STRAIGHT.
>> THE APPLICANT'S RESPONSE TO APPLICATION REVIEW CRITERIA NUMBER 1 DOES SAY THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING A SIGN WITH 26 INCH LETTERS AND THE CITY DOESN'T NEED BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
PREVIOUS OWNER HAD A SIGN WITH 26 INCH LETTERS SO THEY'RE SAYING THAT IT'S THE SAME SIZE.
>> IT'S THE SAME SIZE. OKAY, GREAT.
THAT HELPS. IT HELPS TO READ THE BUCKET. THANK YOU. [LAUGHTER]
>> THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE.
>> [LAUGHTER] THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
[OVERLAPPING] CLEARLY IT DIDN'T GET TO THAT PAGE SO I APPRECIATE THE HOMEWORK BY MEMBER KOENIG.
>> IN THAT CASE, QUESTION ANSWERED.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HONESTLY WILL SAY I DON'T SEE THIS AS BEING A BIG VARIANCE.
I DO SEE IT AS BEING MORE MINIMAL.
IS THE OKEMOS EXTRANEOUS? PERHAPS. IS IT NECESSARY? IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM A BRANDING PURPOSE FOR FORD, IT'S NECESSARY.
HOWEVER, IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE VARIANCE IN MY ESTIMATION HERE.
WE'RE LITERALLY JUST TACKING THE OKEMOS ON AND LEAVING THE SIZE THE SAME SIZE AS WHAT EXISTED.
I DON'T HAVE ANY LARGE RESERVATIONS FOR THIS.
I DO APPRECIATE STAFF'S NOTE HERE THAT THIS WILL BE THE CONTROLLING VARIANCE BECAUSE THIS SEEMED LIKE A PRETTY COMPLICATED THING TO WADE THROUGH, TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THESE, TO GET TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I DEFINITELY TAKE THAT NOTE INTO CONSIDERATION. YES, MEMBER DESCHAINE.
>> ONE MORE COMMENT TO THE APPLICANT. IF YOU TURN AROUND, YOU'LL SEE OUR TOWNSHIP LOGO THERE, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY, NOT BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD BE OKEMOS, BUT BY THE TOWNSHIP.
DID YOU EVER CONSIDER MORES MERIDIAN AS YOUR NAME?
>> WELL, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT BECAUSE IT WAS LOOKED AT BY OUR CORPORATE OFFICE IN MINNESOTA.
>> I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY CONSIDERED THAT AT ALL.
>> I THINK THAT THE SITUATION WITH FORD IS CONTROLLING THE OKEMOS PART.
>> IT'D BE EVEN MORE OF AN ASK FROM US BECAUSE THERE'S A COUPLE OF MORE LETTERS THERE, BUT ONE THING, BUT IT HAS ALLITERATION TO IT.
JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION.
>> IT'S SOMETHING I COULD BRING UP.
>> THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T REALLY SEE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, UNLESS EITHER OF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING THAT MAY HITCH ON OUR CRITERIA HERE.
BUT I'M CURIOUS TOO, FOR MEMBER DESCHAINE,
[00:35:03]
JUST AS LONG AS WE'RE IN OUR BOARD TIME IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK WITH, BOTH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING, AND REALLY TALKING WITH OUR BUSINESSES THAT COME INTO THE TOWNSHIP AND TALKING ABOUT BRANDING AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VERSUS HASLETT OKEMOS, WHAT HAVE YOU, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE THE HASLETT MARATHON VERSUS THE [INAUDIBLE], VILLAGES OF OKEMOS.IT'S A LITTLE SLIPPERY, RIGHT?
>> AGAIN, IT'S HOW YOU UNWIND THOSE IDENTIFICATIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS WITH IT.
IT DOES HELP WITH OUR NEW LOGO BECAUSE THAT'S A LOGO YOU THINK THAT'S REALLY COOL.
[OVERLAPPING] OUR OLD ONE WAS THAT OF 1850S SCHOOLHOUSE WITH RURAL FLAGS TAKEN OUT OF IT AND YOU THOUGHT IF I HAD ONE HAVE ANY ASSOCIATION AT ALL WITH THAT BRAND, IF YOU WILL, BUT THAT NEW BRAND IS EXCEPTIONAL.
WELL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT CRITERIA.
I'LL ASK YOU BOTH TO CHIME IT ON THESE.
UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST THAT ARE PECULIAR TO THE LAND OR STRUCTURE THAT ARE NOT SO APPLICABLE TO OTHER LAND OR STRUCTURES IN THE SAME ZONING DISTRICT AND THESE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NOT SELF-CREATED.
WHAT DO YOU THINK GENTLEMEN? [LAUGHTER] I THINK THAT JUST BASED ON THE RESEARCH THAT STAFF HAD TO DO ALONE, THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES [LAUGHTER] HERE ON THIS PROPERTY.
A COUPLE OF TIMES THEY'VE BEEN BEFORE THE ZBA HERE.
>> I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY BASED ON THE REQUIREMENT FOR FORD, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO SAY TO TAKE THE MESSAGE BACK TO FORD THAT GOOD LUCK IS MY GUESS IS WHAT THIS IS A TRUE REQUIREMENT THERE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE MULTIPLE VARIANTS AS BEING REQUESTED ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AT DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. [LAUGHTER]
>> ALL OVER THE PLACE. ABSOLUTELY. I WILL POINT OUT THAT AS LONG AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, BEING CONTENT-NEUTRAL IS ONE THING AS FAR AS THE CONTENT OF THE SIGNAGE, BUT THAT THESE GO WITH THE PROPERTY.
IF THIS CHANGES FROM BEING A FORD DEALERSHIP, THIS WILL STILL STAY WITH THE PROPERTY.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT IN OUR HEAD WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE SIGNAGE.
I THINK FOR THE PREVIOUS CASE THAT WE CAN ALL ARGUE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE RESIDING IN THAT BUILDING.
BUT THIS ONE, IT'S PRETTY PARTICULAR TO CAR DEALERSHIP.
IT WILL GO WITH IT IF IT CHANGES FROM BEING A FORD DEALERSHIP.
WE WILL JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SIGN ORDINANCES HERE AND SIGN CASES.
BUT THAT SAID, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THAT WAS A UNIQUE FOR THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING.
CRITERIA NUMBER 2, STRICT INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE LITERAL TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER WOULD RESULT IN PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT WOULD PREVENT THE OWNER FROM USING THE PROPERTY FOR A PERMITTED PURPOSE.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PREVIOUS CASE, BUT THE NAVE OF THE BUSINESS IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE FOR THE PERMITTED PURPOSE.
THE FOREIGN FORD EVERYWHERE IS VERY WELL BRANDED, BUT CONSIDERING WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE SOUTH ELEVATION, WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SIGN.
I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE BUSINESS NAME AS PART OF THE PERMITTED PURPOSE FOR THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
CRITERIA NUMBER 3, GRANTING THE VARIANCE TO MINIMUM ACTION NECESSARY WHICH WOULD CARRY OUT THE SPIRIT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE, SECURE PUBLIC SAFETY, AND PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL JUSTICE.
WE ARE BACK TO WHAT I WOULD POINT OUT AS BEING A 20.75 SQUARE FOOT ADDITIONAL REQUEST.
I CAN SAY THAT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THAT FEELS LIKE A MINIMUM ACTION TO ME AND I DON'T FEEL THAT THAT'S AN OVERREACH.
CRITERIA NUMBER 4, GRANTING THE VARIANCE WILL NOT ADVERSITY EFFECT THE LAND OR ESSENTIAL CHARACTER IN THE VICINITY OF THE PROPERTY.
CONSIDERING THAT IS CAR DEALERSHIP ROW, I THINK YOU'RE IN GOOD COMPANY THERE.
>> BAM. BAM. BAM. WE KNOW WHERE TO GO FOR A CAR ON THAT STRETCH OF GRAND RIVER, IF WE CAN GET THERE.
>> SORRY. I'LL BUY YOU NEW ONE.
>> IT'S DEALER ROW NORTH BECAUSE WE HAVE NOW A SEPARATE DEALER ROW [OVERLAPPING] DOWN ON JOLLY ROAD.
>> THAT'S CORRECT. AT JOLLY ROAD, YEAH.
CRITERIA NUMBER 5, GRANTING THE VARIANCE WILL BE GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE PURPOSES AND INTENT OF THIS CHAPTER.
AGAIN, I CAN VERY EASILY MEET THAT CRITERIA.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, DO WE HAVE ANY MORE DISCUSSION OF THE CRITERIA OR OTHER CASE? IF NOT, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ZBA CASE NUMBER 22-05-18-2 WITH THE CONDITION THAT THIS IS THE CONTROLLING VARIANCE APPROVAL FOR ALL SIDES LOCATED ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING
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LOCATED AT 1830 WEST GRAND RIVER AVENUE.>> SUPPORTED BY MEMBER DESCHAINE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON EITHER THE MOTION OR THE CONDITION I SHOULD SAY? NOT THE ADDITION. ALL RIGHT.
THEN WE'LL GO TO A VOTE. MEMBER KOENIG.
>> THE CHAIR VOTES YES, SO YOUR VARIANCE HAS PASSED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. GOOD LUCK ON OKEMOS.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP I SHOULD SAY. [LAUGHTER]
>> ABSOLUTELY. HAVE A GREAT DAY.
>> IN THAT CASE, LET'S SEE WHERE WE'RE AT HERE ON OUR AGENDA, IF I CAN GET TO THE TOP AGAIN.
WE HAVE NO OTHER BUSINESS SO I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC REMARKS.
SINCE IT'S JUST US, I WILL CLOSE THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC PARKS AND OPEN THE FLOOR FOR BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS,
[9. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
IF THERE'S ANY BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.>> YOU COULDN'T FIND TWO MORE DIFFERENT MEETINGS IN THE PAST TWO MEETINGS OF THIS BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR A COUPLE OF SIGNAGE QUESTIONS.
>> YOU'VE HANDLED BOTH EXTREMELY WELL.
>> WELL, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
I LIKE THE CHALLENGE AND I ENJOY THE REST BIT IT. [LAUGHTER]
>> YOU SURE HAD ONE LAST MEETING.
>> WELL, ON THAT NOTE, I WILL CLOSE BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS AND THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.
>> THANK YOU, GUYS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.