Hamel To Chair City Zoning Board
Soblaskey Granted Garage Variance on Medora

Jamin Soblaskey has been granted a variance for a garage on his corner lot on Medora and Hamlin streets by the St. Ignace Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The board granted the variance based on the large 100-foot rightof way. The city's standard rightof way is 66 feet. During the Monday, May 5 meeting, the board also rescinded a variance it approved last August for a fence, because the owner has moved from the area. During its first meeting in six months, the board also elected Tom Hamel as chair and Fred Strich as vice-chair.

Mr. Soblaskey, who attended the meeting, sought the variance to construct an attached garage to his home as he plans to convert his existing garage into living space. The garage, which would be placed on an angle from the house, would have a side setback of 16.5 feet, said building inspector Paul Sved, and would not meet the city setback requirement for corner lots, which is 20 feet. With a back yard setback of 21 feet, the structure also would fall short of a zoning requirement for 25 feet.

Mr. Sved advised the board that Hamlin Street has the widest right-of-way on any street in the city at 100 feet. Even with the new 24-foot-wide by 28-foot-deep garage, said Mr. Sved, the structure would be more than 48 feet from the edge to the blacktop.

Lacking any documents to explain the unusually wide rightof way, the board surmised it might have had something to do with old railroad tracks in the area.

In August, the board had granted a variance for a six-foot-high fence to Gia Lopez for her Truckey Street home. The city limits fences to four-feet in height.

Mrs. Lopez requested the safety fence for her autistic daughter. During Monday's meeting, the ZBA noted that Mrs. Lopez had moved from the area. The board decided to rescind the variance, which would prevent it from being transferred to the next property owner.