Council Denies Variance for Rental Building
By Karen Gould

City Council members voted Wednesday, August 17, against a zoning variance request that would have provided rented storage for lawn mowers, snowmobiles, and other implements.

Richard Coates asked that his property on Greenshed Lane, zoned hotel/boarding house, be granted a variance for commercial use. He planned to convert the existing building on the property into rental storage space with an attached apartment. His plans included creating 10 storage bays, 12 feet by 14 feet.

Aldermen Frank Bloswick and Jason St. Onge voted for the variance, while Mike Hart, Smi Horn, and Armin Porter voted against. Alderman Dan Wightman was absent.

“I don’t deny the need for storage on Mackinac Island,” said Mr. Hart. “I think we need to do it in a manner that controls growth.”

His concerns were the same as the other aldermen in that approving this variance would allow all businesses zoned hotel/boarding house on the Island with storage buildings to request a variance change and the precedent would have been set by approving Mr. Coates’ request. The building for which Mr. Coates was seeking a variance change used to be a storage building for Stonecliff hotel.

“It’s a needed project, there are just so many ifs right now,” said Mr. Horn.

Conditions on which Council can grant a zoning variance are spelled out in the city ordinance.

City Attorney Tom Evashevski said Council should consider whether conditions on the parcel are unique or distinct from other properties in the zoning district and whether not granting the variance would pose a significant hardship on the owner. If that is not the case, then this variance change, if granted, would make it difficult to say no to similar requests in the future, he said.

Mr. Porter agreed. “It’s not a bad plan, but if we grant it to Dick, then anyone zoned hotel/boarding house could make the same request, and we would have a tough time not granting them.”

Mr. Bloswick, who supported the project, said, “There is a need for storage. We just have to try to figure out how to meet it. This issue will be revisited, I’m sure of it.”