Jun 17, 2026 Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting

[00:00:02]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN.

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

FIRST, I WILL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL SO WE KNOW WHO IS IN ATTENDANCE.

MEMBER BENOIT. PRESENT. MEMBER KOENIG. PRESENT.

MEMBER NAHUM. PRESENT.

PRESENT. AND CHAIR MANSOUR IS PRESENT AS WELL.

WITH THAT, WE WILL GO ON TO THE APPROVAL OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA.

[2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA]

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AGENDA? ANY NOTES BEFORE WE VOTE? THIS IS THE VOTE TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA.

MEMBER BENOIT. YES. MEMBER KOENING. YES. MEMBER NAHUM.

YES. MEMBER TREZISE. YES. AND CHAIR MANSOUR VOTES YES.

SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE CORRECTIONS APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF THE MINUTES FROM MAY 20TH 26TH MEETING.

[3. CORRECTIONS, APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF MINUTES]

I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MAY 20TH, 2026 MEETING MINUTES WITH ONE CORRECTION.

FOR UNDER NUMBER 6. NEW BUSINESS. THE FIRST ZBA CASE NUMBER, I BELIEVE MEMBER BENOIT VOTED NAY.

SO THE TOTAL VOTE WAS 3-1. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.

MEMBER BENOIT, IS THAT CORRECTLY CHARACTERIZED? THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE. THAT WAS TAILGATERS. WHAT'S THAT? THAT WAS TAILGATERS. OH YEAH. SO ZBA CASE NUMBER 20.

IS IT 2605? YES. OKAY. SO LET'S.

20TH WITH THE CORRECTION OF THE ROLL CALL VOTE BEING YAY IS BEING MEMBER KOENIG, MEMBER NAHUM, MEMBER TREZISE AND NAYS BEING MEMBER BENOIT FOR.

ZBA CASE NUMBER 2605 MEMBER BENOIT. YES. MEMBER KOENIG.

YES. MEMBER NAHUM. YES. MEMBER TREZISE. YES. AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES.

SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO COMMUNICATIONS, OF WHICH THERE ARE NONE AND NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

SO WE'LL MOVE STRAIGHT INTO NEW BUSINESS. WHICH BRINGS US TO ZBA CASE NUMBER 26-07, 4734 OKEMOS,

[6.A. ZBA CASE NO.: 26-07 (4734 Okemos), Okemos Community Church, 4734 Okemos Road, Okemos, MI 48864 ]

SO THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A VARIANCE TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS ON THEIR PROPERTY.

SO THE WAY THE ORDINANCE READS, THE SOLAR PANELS ARE CONSIDERED AN ACCESSORY BUILDING, WHICH BY DEFINITION ALSO INCLUDES STRUCTURES. SO THE WAY THAT IT READS IS, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES ON CORNER LOTS HAVE TO MEET THE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS OF THE PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE ON THAT LOT.

SO ON OKEMOS ROAD, THE SOLAR PANELS ARE PROPOSED TO BE 51.1FT FROM THE CENTER LINE OF OKEMOS ROAD. THE REQUIRED SETBACK THERE IS 100FT AND ON METHODIST, THE. I GUESS IT MEETS THAT SETBACK. YEAH. SO.

AND YOU HAD A VARIANCE THERE ALSO. OH YEAH. SORRY.

18FT. THANKS. YEAH. SO 7FT VARIANCE THERE. AND THEN ALSO THE ORDINANCE STATES THAT STRUCTURES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEN FEET FROM THE PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE OR ANY OTHER STRUCTURE FOR THAT MATTER.

AND IT'S PROPOSED TO BE FOUR FEET AWAY FROM THE CHURCH ON BOTH PANELS.

THE EXISTING CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1946 AND IS LOCATED 60.6FT FROM THE CENTER LINE OF OKEMOS, RIGHT AWAY, AND 26FT FROM THE STREET RIGHT AWAY ON METHODIST.

THERE WERE VARIANCES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY GRANTED, ALLOWING FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURE.

THIS INCLUDES AN ADDITION, SOME RENOVATIONS AND RETAINING WALLS ALONG THE PROPERTY.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAPMAN. WOULD THE APPLICANT OR THE APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK ON THIS CASE? AND IF SO, PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, PLEASE. YES.

GOOD EVENING. I'M ROBERT BARNHART AND I'M A MEMBER OF OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH.

I AM SERVING AS THE CHAIR OF THE SOLAR PROJECT FOR OUR CHURCH.

AND AS YOU KNOW, OCC HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1840.

[00:05:04]

WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS AT THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS TIME.

WE ARE ACTIVE IN RECYCLING AND ALSO A MINISTRY THAT SERVES THE TOWNSHIP.

WE'RE ADDING SOLAR WITH THE IDEA OF REDUCING OUR ELECTRIC COSTS, AND ALSO BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT IS GOING TO BE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY OVERALL AND FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT. WE ARE JOINING HASLETT COMMUNITY CHURCH, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF OKEMOS AND THE FAITH LUTHERAN, ALL OF WHICH ALREADY HAVE SOLAR. AND WE THINK THAT THEY'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

AND SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO DO THAT AS WELL.

WE BEGAN THIS PROJECT RESEARCHING IT IN LATE FEBRUARY.

AND WE REALIZED THAT WE HAVE LIMITED SPACE IN ORDER TO PUT THAT SOLAR IN.

OUR SANCTUARY ROOF CAN TAKE PART OF THE SOLAR.

WHAT WE COULD GENERATE FROM WHAT WE CAN PUT THERE IS ONLY ABOUT LESS THAN 20% OF WHAT OUR ANNUAL USE OF ELECTRICITY IS.

SO IT WOULD BE A SMALL AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD BE REDUCING.

SO THE OTHER POSSIBILITY WAS OUR FLAT ROOF. WE HAVE A FAIRLY NEW FLAT ROOF.

IT'S PERMEABLE SURFACE. THERE IS INSULATION UNDERNEATH AND PUTTING THE SOLAR PANELS THERE HAVE THE RISK OF PUNCTURING THAT.

AND ALSO THERE'S REAL CONCERN OF COMPRESSING THE INSULATION, WHICH THEN WOULD KIND OF GO AGAINST SOME OF THE EFFORT OF REDUCING OUR ENERGY USE IF THE INSULATION ISN'T WORKING SO WELL.

SO WHAT WE THEN WERE LOOKING AT IS DOING SOME ON THESE TWO AREAS OF THE LAWN, PARTICULARLY THE SOUTH END, IS, I THINK THE BEST SPOT THAT WE CAN USE. IF WE CAN, THE SOUTH LAWN WOULD PRODUCE ABOUT 30% OF OUR ANNUAL USE. SO TOGETHER WITH THAT, WITH THE SANCTUARY ROOF, WE COULD GET JUST OVER HALF OF THE AMOUNT OF OUR ENERGY USE, WHICH WE THINK WOULD BE PRETTY PRODUCTIVE AND EFFICIENT OVERALL.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY MORE INFORMATION FROM ME.

WE FELT THAT WHERE WE'RE SITTING THAT SOUTH LAWN AREA, IT'S RIGHT ON METHODIST STREET.

THERE'S NO TRAFFIC AND FOOT TRAFFIC, AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC.

THE WEST SIDE FACING OKEMOS ROAD SETS UP PRETTY HIGH.

IT SHOULD NOT OBSTRUCT THE SIDEWALK OR ROAD TRAFFIC.

AND WE ALSO THINK IT'S JUST THAT WE WANT ALSO ARE GLAD THAT IT WOULD BE A VISIBLE AREA.

IT'S HARD TO SEE WHAT WE WOULD BE PUTTING JUST ON THE SANCTUARY ROOF, BUT WE THINK THAT ALSO THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO SEE THAT WE ARE ALSO ON BOARD WITH SOLAR ENERGY, OF TAKING CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND JUST BEING GOOD STEWARDS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. BARNHART.

I THINK, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TONIGHT ON THE CASE? IF NOT, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO BOARD TIME. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME. AND SIR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO STAY AT THE PODIUM THERE.

LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT.

WELL THEN I'M GOING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND GO RIGHT INTO BOARD TIME.

ANY QUESTIONS,THOUGHTS? YES. MEMBER TREZISE. YEAH.

I HAVE DRIVEN BY THAT CHURCH. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND TOOK A SPECIAL TRIP THERE THIS WEEKEND TO LOOK AT IT.

I DON'T HAVE AS MUCH PROBLEM WITH THE SOUTH PIECE.

IT IS AN ELEVATED BRASS. THERE'S NO SIDEWALK THERE.

AND I DON'T SEE THAT BEING A TERRIBLE POSITION INTO THE GREEN SPACE.

A LITTLE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WEST FACADE.

IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THE SIDEWALK. AND YES, IT IS ELEVATED, BUT IT IS A SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE FROM THE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS. AND THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON IT.

YEAH. MR. BARNHART, I THINK, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH MEMBER TREZISE, I THINK THE WEST ELEVATION, THAT WAS CONCERNING TO ME AS WELL. IS IT, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH, OR.

I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE COULD VISUALIZE IT, I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE HARDEST PART FOR ME IS TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

[00:10:01]

YEAH. WELL, LET ME ADD. WE'RE VERY. WHETHER OR NOT WE GO WITH THAT WEST SIDE, IT'S NOT AS EFFICIENT BY ANY MEANS.

PRODUCTION. WE COULD CERTAINLY FOREGO THAT. THE SOUTH IS VERY IMPORTANT AS A PART OF THE ARRAY THAT WE WANT PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT FACES SOUTH AND WOULD GET SUN THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE WEST SIDE THERE, THOUGH IT DOES, IT IS, IS ABOVE THERE.

YOU CAN SEE THE WALL THERE ON THE LEFT CLOSEST TO THE SIDEWALK.

IT WOULD BE INSIDE OF THAT. SO IT WOULD NOT OBSTRUCT THE SIDEWALK BY ANY MEANS.

IT WOULD BE ALSO IF WE WENT WITH THAT. IT ALSO IS ONLY ONE PANEL HIGH INSTEAD OF TWO PANELS HIGH, WHICH WE WERE LOOKING FOR IN THE SOUTH SOUTH END.

SO IT WOULD ONLY STICK UP ABOUT, I THINK SEVEN.

I THINK IT WAS MAYBE I THINK IT WAS SEVEN FEET, 6 OR 7FT, SO WOULD NOT BE UP NEAR AS HIGH EITHER.

SO IT WOULD NOT BE QUITE AS VISIBLE. COULD I ASK AS A VISUAL, WHERE IT SAYS OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH ON THAT KIND OF BRICK RETAINING WALL? YEAH. IS THAT THEN GOING.

YES. OKAY. THAT HELPS. YES. IS ANYBODY FAMILIAR WITH THE KIND OF.

OKAY. MAYBE. YEAH. SO YEAH, I TOOK SOME PICTURES, BUT I THINK WE CAN BE PRETTY CLEAR FROM THE SATELLITE.

YEAH. IT'S ABOVE THE RETAINING WALL. AND SO, LIKE, OKAY, NOBODY'S WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND IT'S GOING TO GO UP THERE.

YEAH, THAT HELPS. I WILL ADD ONE OTHER, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AS A COMMITTEE AND SO FORTH AND HOW MUCH WE FEEL PREPARED TO INVEST THAT THAT WEST SIDE, IF WE GOT THE VARIANCE, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A PHASE TWO AT A LATER TIME.

WE'RE MOST INTERESTED IN THE SOUTH LAWN AND DOING THE SANCTUARY ROOF, THOSE TWO TOGETHER.

AND AS I SAY, THAT WILL GIVE US AT LEAST A LITTLE OVER 50% OF WHAT WE REQUIRE FOR ELECTRICAL USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. SO YOU ARE PLANNING ON PUTTING THE ROOF MOUNTED ON THE SANCTUARY? YES. OKAY. SO THIS WOULD BE AN ADDITION. THIS WOULD BE AN ADDITION TO THAT.

YES. YEAH. OKAY. MEMBER KOENIG. GO AHEAD. TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

YES. ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THERE'S POWER LINES DOWN THERE.

AND IF I READ THAT CORRECTLY ON THE SITE PLAN, IT LOOKS LIKE THE ARRAY ON THE SOUTH WILL BE ABOUT NINE FEET HIGH.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO INTRUDE OR ANYTHING.

YEAH. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU. OH. YOU'RE GOOD. WE WE HAVE CONSULTED WITH THREE DIFFERENT SOLAR COMPANIES.

AND AS WE ARE LOOKING TO WHO WE WERE GOING TO WORK WITH AND ALL THREE OF US INDICATED IT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM.

PERFECT. OKAY. AND THEN ANSWERING MY SECOND QUESTION AND ANSWERING OUR CRITERIA ON THE SECOND CRITERIA TALKS ABOUT STRICT INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF CODE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. PART OF THE RESPONSE, I'M NOT SURE IF, AS YOU PUT THIS TOGETHER OR NOT, IT SAYS THE USE OF OUR PARKING AREAS PRESENTS OTHER PROBLEMS, INCLUDING INSTALLATION COSTS AND THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE ISSUES.

COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? LIKE, WHY.

WHY WOULD THEY NOT BE ABLE TO PUT BE PUT IN THE PARKING LOT AT.

CURRENTLY OUR PARKING LOT WAS PAVED QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO.

IT IS REACHING A POINT WHERE PROBABLY IN THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS, WE'LL NEED TO REPAVE IT.

AND JUST THAT WOULD ADD SOME REAL PROBLEMS TRYING TO MOVE THE SOLAR, IF WE WERE TO PUT IT THERE.

NOW, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE MIGHT COME BACK AND ASK YOU IF WE CAN DO THAT.

BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO REPAVE IT BEFORE WE EVER DID ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HOLDING OFF FROM DOING THAT.

DOES YOUR PARKING LOT FILL UP PRETTY WELL? YES.

YEAH. AND I THINK ON A SUNDAY, IF YOU WENT BY THERE, YOU'D SEE IT A FAIRLY FULL PARKING LOT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. MEMBER TREZISE.

ALONG WITH MR. KENNY'S QUESTIONS, BASED ON THE OUTLINE OF YOUR LOT, YOU DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLACE SOLAR PANELS IF YOU REMOVE SOME OF THE FOREST THAT ARE TREED AREA ON THE NORTH END OF THE LOT.

IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE, THAT DROPS OFF SHARPLY AT THAT POINT.

SO. YEAH, WE'D HAVE TO ACTUALLY DO LANDFILL TO RAISE IT UP HIGH ENOUGH SO THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET THE SUN BECAUSE IT DROPS OFF SO QUICKLY, IT WOULD BE SHADING ANY SOLAR WE TRIED TO PUT THERE.

WELL, I'M NOT SURE HOW FAR BACK YOU'D NEED TO GO, BUT SOLAR IN THERE.

I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT AND IT'S PROBABLY. NO, I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S A YOU KNOW, WE QUESTION WE WONDERED ABOUT THAT TOO.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT LOOK AT TWO IN THE FUTURE TO INCREASE YOUR SOLAR.

I'M A BIG BACKER OF SOLAR IN GENERAL, SO. BUT I JUST SAW THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT AND MAYBE THE SHADE FROM THE CHURCH AS HIGH AS IT IS

[00:15:09]

BUT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND IT'S JUST IS NOT VERY PRACTICAL AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. I HAVE A COUNTERPOINT TO THAT.

MEMBER NAHUM. I DON'T KNOW IF REMOVING TREES IS LIKE THE.

IT'S NOT AN IDEAL. IT'S KIND OF COUNTERINTUITIVE TO THE IDEA OF WHAT IS TRYING TO BE PROPOSED HERE, WHICH IS THAT IN IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO GO FOR IT, MIGHT AS WELL PUT IT IN AN AREA WHERE IT ALREADY DOESN'T HAVE TREES OR IT'S OVER A PARKING LOT. INSTEAD OF AXING DOWN MORE OF WHAT WE ALREADY STILL NEED.

THANK YOU. PRETTY SCRUB STUFF BACK THERE, BUT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW DEEP IT'D HAVE TO GO, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING I LOOKED AT THE OUTLINE OF THE LINE.

AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO EXPLORE.

REMEMBER, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR PLANNER CHAPMAN.

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ACCESSORY BUILDINGS AND THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING, IS THAT FOR FIRE SAFETY? ARE THERE OTHER THINGS WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING BEYOND LIKE JUST LIKE ESTHETICS? YEAH. SO THE MAIN IS FIRE CODE. THAT I THINK THAT WHEN THEY IMPLEMENTED THAT, THAT WAS MOST OF THE CONVERSATION AROUND IT.

AND DOES THE TOWNSHIP HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT IF WE'RE LIMITING TO JUST FOUR FEET? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE EVALUATED AT A DIFFERENT STAGE OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING HERE? I MEAN, THERE'S NO HAZARD THAT I'M AWARE OF IN TERMS OF A SOLAR PANEL.

YEAH. I THINK IT'S MOSTLY FOR LIKE SHEDS WHEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE STORE THEIR LAWNMOWERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND THEY DON'T WANT IT TO CATCH FIRE AND THEN JUMP OVER TO, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER BUILDING.

SO GREAT. THAT MAKES SENSE. ONE QUESTION. YEAH, THIS REALLY ISN'T RELEVANT, BUT I FIGURED I'D ASK SINCE I'M.

BEING THAT I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE WEST SIDE.

THE WEST AREA THAT YOU HAVE, ARE YOU STILL GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO GET LIKE A LAWN MOWER IN THERE AND BE ABLE TO MOW AROUND? YES.

YEAH. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR AT LEAST FOUR FEET. AT LEAST FOUR FEET. OKAY.

AND THE WAY THEY ANGLE YOU, THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE ROOM UNDERNEATH THAN THAT.

BUT THE ACTUAL TOP OF THE OF IT FROM THE ANGLE WOULD BE FOUR FEET FROM THE WALL.

I KNOW I'VE SEEN SOME THAT ARE INSTALLED AND YOU'RE LIKE, MAN, HOW DO THEY GET UNDERNEATH THAT? RIGHT. CUT THE GRASS. AND I JUST WOULDN'T WANT THE GRASS TO GET TOO HIGH. THAT WAS AGAIN ANOTHER ANOTHER CONCERN WE HAD. YEAH.

YOU HAVE ANOTHER NOTIFICATIONS FROM THE TOWNSHIP SAYING THE GRASS IS A PROBLEM.

OKAY. GOOD ENOUGH. ABSOLUTELY. GREAT QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT. I THINK MAYBE WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE CRITERIA BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THIS.

ALL RIGHT. OUR FIRST CRITERIA IS UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST THAT ARE PECULIAR TO THE LATTER STRUCTURE, THAT ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO OTHER LAND OR STRUCTURES IN THE SAME ZONING DISTRICT, AND THESE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NOT SELF-CREATED.

MEMBER TREZISE. IT'S ALREADY IN NON-CONFORMING USE AND HAS BEEN FOR 60 YEARS AT LEAST.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULES MIGHT HAVE BEEN WHEN THEY BUILT THE CHURCH 100 YEARS AGO WHEN THAT STRUCTURE WAS PUT UP.

BUT YEAH, I COULD GET RELIGIOUS AND JUST SAY, I THINK GOD WANTS US TO BE NON-CONFORMING.

WELL, WE HAVE TO BE CONFORMING, RIGHT? SO I THINK THE FACT THAT THE CHURCH IS SITUATED WHERE IT IS, THE NEED FOR THE PARKING LOT, THE FACT THAT THESE TWO INSTALLATIONS DO NOT APPEAR TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT TRANSPORTATION IN ANY MEANS SIDEWALK ACCESS TO THE BUILDING. I THINK IT MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT.

YEAH. I COULD MEET THAT CRITERIA FOR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES, ESPECIALLY JUST BASED ON JUST BASED ON THAT BUILDING ALONE AND WHERE IT IS AND WHERE IT SITS ON THE CORNER OF THOSE TWO ROADS. SO I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE ALL KIND OF THERE FOR THAT.

CRITERIA TWO IS 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 THE PERMITTED PURPOSE.

YES. SO I SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THAT CRITERIA. IT LOOKS LIKE THE PLACEMENT OF THE SOLAR PANELS, IT DOES INTERFERE WITH THE DISTANCE FROM THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE MANY.

THAT'S NOT A LARGE CONCERN GIVEN THAT IT'S SOLAR PANELS AS OPPOSED TO VULNERABLE SHEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE GIVEN ONCE AGAIN, THE PLACEMENT OF THE SOLAR PANELS IS KIND OF NECESSARY AS I SAID.

SO YEAH, I WOULD SAY IT LOOKS LIKE OUR CURRENT ORDINANCES WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

[00:20:06]

AND IN ORDER FOR THEM TO PROBABLY ABIDE BY THE 100 FOOT, THE ARRAY WOULD HAVE TO BE PRETTY SMALL, AND IT WOULD PROBABLY BE WORTH THEIR TIME OR EFFORT OR MONEY TO INSTALL IT, BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T GET MUCH ENERGY OUT OF IT. RIGHT? NOT WORTH THE INVESTMENT.

SO IN ORDER TO HAVE A BIG ENOUGH ARRAY, ESPECIALLY ON THAT SOUTH SIDE IT WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY CAUSE THEM TO NEED TO ASK FOR THE VARIANCE WITHIN THAT 100FT, WHICH THEY ARE. YEAH, I WOULD AGREE. I THINK THAT ANYWHERE ELSE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IT, YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME KIND OF VARIANCE BEING NEEDED, ESPECIALLY WITH WHERE THE CHURCH IS TO, TO ALLOW FOR, I MEAN, IF THE PERMITTED PURPOSE IS TO ALLOW FOR WORSHIP HERE AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO PARK AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, COME IN EASILY. AND ALSO THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT THEY HOST.

I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY ACTIVITIES THAT YOU HOST IN THIS BUILDING THAT ARE COMMUNITY CENTERED, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU TAKE OUT ANY MORE OF THAT PARKING AREA OR ANY, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT WILL NOT SERVE THE PURPOSE OF THE BUILDING. SO I CAN MEET CRITERIA TOO. I THINK THAT THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES ARE THERE.

CRITERIA THREE. GRANTING THE VARIANCE OF THE MINIMUM ACTION NECESSARY, WHICH WOULD CARRY OUT THE SPIRIT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE, SECURE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL JUSTICE. I THINK WE'VE TALKED AGAIN.

MEMBER BENOIT. YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, CHURCH HAS BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.

AND I THINK AS TIME EVOLVES, YOU NEED TO CHANGE AND THEY WANT TO CHANGE AND, YOU KNOW, UPDATE SO THAT THEY CAN MAYBE SURVIVE FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS AND HAVE ENERGY FOR THAT YOU KNOW, THAT BUILDING AND MAYBE MAYBE SURROUNDING.

RIGHT. LIKE IF THEY PAWN IT OFF A LITTLE BIT.

BUT I THINK, YEAH, JUST NATURALLY AS TIME GOES ON, YOU NEED TO EVOLVE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS LIKE TRY TO HELP CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY TO EVOLVE WITH THEIR PROPERTY AND CONTINUE GETTING BETTER. YEAH. AND I THINK MEMBER NAHUM'S QUESTION ABOUT FIRE SAFETY.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT FITS WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A MINIMUM ACTION OF BEING ABLE TO STILL HAVE A SAFE, STILL HAVE A SAFE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO ALLOW FOR THAT ADDITIONAL BUILD.

YES. MEMBER KOENIG. NOT MUCH TO DO WITH THE WEST, BUT AGAIN, THE SOUTH SIDE ARRAY, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, IN ORDER TO BE THE SIZE THAT IT IS TO GET THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OUT OF IT FOR THEM.

IT LOOKS LIKE ACCORDING TO THE SITE PLAN, IF THIS IS A SITE PLAN FOR IT IT'S PUSHED PRETTY FAR, ABOUT AS FAR AS WAY TO THE SOUTH EAST AS IT PROBABLY CAN NEAR.

SO THAT'S ON THE GRASS, WHICH TO ME THAT REPRESENTS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE HOW FAR THIS.

OR I WON'T SAY HOW FAR, BUT HOW CLOSE THIS THING IS TO OKEMOS.

FURTHERMORE TO OKEMOS, THE FARTHER THE VARIANCE THAT WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST. SO I COULD SEE THAT AS BEING A MINIMUM VARIANCE IS THAT THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING, YOU KNOW, 90FT BECAUSE THEY'RE TEN FEET AWAY.

THEY'RE REQUESTING THE 49 OR 59.1 OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE THEY HAD TO MOVE IT SO FAR AWAY IN ORDER TO BE STILL WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE PROPERTY. SO I COULD SEE THAT AS A MINIMUM ACTION THAT THEY'RE DOING TO SATISFY.

YEAH. MEMBER TREZISE. QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. CHAPMAN.

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE SETBACK OFF OF OAKLANDS ROAD.

DOES THAT ONLY APPLY TO THE WEST ARRAY, OR WOULD IT ALSO SUPPOSEDLY HAVE TO BE 100FT OFF CENTER LINE OF OKEMOS ROAD OR THE SOUTH? I'M SORRY. SO YOU'RE TALKING THE SOUTHERN ONE HAS TO BE OUT OF THE OKEMOS SETBACK.

YEAH. CORRECT. BOTH OF THEM HAVE ARE SUPPOSED.

I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'VE ASKED FOR A VARIANCE FOR THE SOUTH FROM OKEMOS ROAD.

WELL, I MEAN, YOU'RE GRANTING A VARIANCE CLOSER ALREADY.

OKAY. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT? I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING.

NO, NO, YOU'RE NOT MISSING IT. YOU'RE ALREADY GRANTING IT.

STILL WOULD BE. IT WOULD FALL WITHIN. OKAY. OKAY.

GOOD POINT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. LET ME MOVE ON THEN TO CRITERIA FOUR, WHICH IS GRANTING THE VARIANCE WILL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ADJACENT LAND OR THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTER IN THE VICINITY OF THE PROPERTY.

I THINK SEVERAL OF US HAVE SAID, AND I KNOW MEMBERS TREZISE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE SOLAR AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK SEEING IT AND AS MR. BARNHART POINTED OUT, SEEING IT IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN INVESTMENT IN NOT ONLY THE CHURCH BUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK I CAN MEET THAT CRITERIA. I THINK WE CAN TOO, BUT IT CLEARLY IS NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTING ANY NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.

ABSOLUTELY. PIECE OF THAT. THE WAY IT'S DESIGNED, IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE ROADWAY, THE SIDEWALK, OR ANY OF THE BUILDINGS IN THE AREA. SO THIS IS NOT IMPEDE ANY OF THOSE.

[00:25:03]

AND THEN CRITERIA FIVE IS GRANTING THE VARIANCE WILL BE GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND THE PURPOSES AND INTENT OF THIS CHAPTER. AND I THINK THAT WE CAN SATISFY THAT CRITERIA AS WELL. SO THAT SAID, IS THERE A MOTION.

I THINK EVERYBODY GET TO THE TOP OF THE PACKET.

ALL RIGHT. MEMBER TREZISE WINS. I MOVE THAT THE ZBA APPROVE THE VARIANCE REQUESTED AS LISTED IN THE MEMO FROM MR. CHAPMAN FOR CASE NUMBER 26-07 AT 4734 OKEMOS ROAD, THE OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH AT 4734 OKEMOS ROAD, OKEMOS, MICHIGAN. OKAY. SUPPORT.

SUPPORTED BY MEMBER NAHUM. ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE MOTION TO APPROVE? MY ONLY THOUGHT IS THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

I THINK IT'S AN ADDITION THAT IS WELCOME IN THE COMMUNITY.

YOU'RE WELCOME. GREAT COMMENT. YEAH. I THINK ONCE WE PUT THE SOLAR PANELS OUT HERE IN FRONT OF TOWNSHIP HALL HERE, KIND OF IT WAS LIKE AN INVITATION. SO IT'S NICE TO SEE SOMEBODY ACCEPTED THAT INVITATION AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MOVED IT FORWARD. AND WE ALSO PUT THEM ON A COUPLE OF FIRE STATIONS.

YEAH, YEAH. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. IT'S NICE TO. IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT LEVEL OF PROGRESS.

AND HOPEFULLY WE KNOW SOLAR'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE REGARDLESS OF THE TAX.

IT'S YEAH. IT'S GOING TO SAVE SAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MONEY AND ENERGY FOR YOU GUYS.

SO THAT HELPS. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT'S MY COMMENTARY ON THAT ONE.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, CONCERNS. THIS IS A MOTION TO APPROVE ZBA CASE NUMBER 266-07.

MEMBER BENOIT. YES. MEMBER KOENIG. YES. MEMBER NAHUM.

YES. MEMBER TREZISE. AND THE CHAIR'S YES. SO YOUR VARIANCE HAS BEEN APPROVED.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BUILD. WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST WITH IT. AND THANKS FOR COMING IN TONIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE BOARD. THANK YOU, MR. CHAPMAN, FOR ALL YOUR HELP AS WELL. YOU'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL. ALL RIGHT. HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU. YOU AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WITH THAT WE HAVE NO. LET'S SEE. LET ME GO BACK TO MY AGENDA. THERE WE GO.

NO OTHER BUSINESS. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO PUBLIC REMARKS.

IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? IF NOT, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

OPEN IT FOR BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. GOOD JOB GUYS.

[9. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. LOOK AT THAT. BEFORE 7 P.M.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.