By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Big changes in how the city of Zeeland addresses requests to tear down buildings within the city are moving closer to reality.
The city’s Planning Commission last Thursday gave initial approval to a new demolition ordinance that would replace a 25-year-old city ordinance regulating demolition of residential homes.
Commissioners approved the new ordinance language by an 8-0 vote. They must vote on a resolution ratifying the change next month before sending it on to City Council for final action.
The biggest change with the new ordinance is that the city’s zoning administrator will now review and approve future demolition requests. Up until now, the Planning Commission was required to hold a public hearing on all demolition applications and approve them.
“We tried to make the criteria very objective, so it’s essentially a checklist – are they doing this, do they comply with this or not,” said Paul LeBlanc, a consultant who worked with the Planning Commission over the last several months on the new ordinance.
The ordinance that the city passed in 2000 was created in response to several demolition requests from churches and schools that had bought neighboring homes and asked the city to have them torn down so they could expand their footprint. At the time, the ordinance’s goal was “preservation of homes within residential districts,” the original ordinance language said.
However, LeBlanc says, the new language assures that in most instances, any homes that are torn down are replaced by new homes. The ordinance will require all activity related to demolition or moving, including site restoration, be completed within 30 days of the permit being issued.
“We’ve specifically said that within a specified period of time following the demolition, there needs to be new construction, and the new construction must be for the use that’s permitted in that zoning district,” LeBlanc said. “If the future land use map and the master plan shows something other than how the property is currently zoned, the owner can apply for a rezoning, but the … demolition application will not be approved until action is taken on the rezoning.”
The new ordinance gives the zoning administrator flexibility to allow more time to finish restoration of a demolition site in certain situations, such as seasonal weather conditions.
Community Development Director Tim Maday said the city had received several requests for home demolition over the past year. One couple, Andrew Blesch and Nancy Geurink Blesch, want to tear down their 140-year-old, two-story home at 310 E. Lincoln Ave. and build a single-story residence on the site that is more in fitting with their needs as they age.
“When we reviewed our ordinance, we had a provision that … the Planning Commission can’t approve the demolition of the dwelling unless it can’t be reasonably used by anybody,” Maday said. “That’s what kind of started this conversation about what’s appropriate in terms of replacement, what is reasonable use, concerns about possible non-residential intrusion into residential neighborhoods.”
While the original ordinance was meant to address demolition of residential homes, the new ordinance goes on to include buildings in most other zoning districts as well. However, it wouldn’t apply to any building within an industrial zone district or an accessory building of less than 800 square feet anywhere, LeBlanc said.
Other requirements under the new ordinance include applicants having all work done by a licensed contractor, have proof of liability insurance and have the replacement building be similar to the structure that is being torn down, LeBlanc said.
Zeeland Record
Big changes in how the city of Zeeland addresses requests to tear down buildings within the city are moving closer to reality.
The city’s Planning Commission last Thursday gave initial approval to a new demolition ordinance that would replace a 25-year-old city ordinance regulating demolition of residential homes.
Commissioners approved the new ordinance language by an 8-0 vote. They must vote on a resolution ratifying the change next month before sending it on to City Council for final action.
The biggest change with the new ordinance is that the city’s zoning administrator will now review and approve future demolition requests. Up until now, the Planning Commission was required to hold a public hearing on all demolition applications and approve them.
“We tried to make the criteria very objective, so it’s essentially a checklist – are they doing this, do they comply with this or not,” said Paul LeBlanc, a consultant who worked with the Planning Commission over the last several months on the new ordinance.
The ordinance that the city passed in 2000 was created in response to several demolition requests from churches and schools that had bought neighboring homes and asked the city to have them torn down so they could expand their footprint. At the time, the ordinance’s goal was “preservation of homes within residential districts,” the original ordinance language said.
However, LeBlanc says, the new language assures that in most instances, any homes that are torn down are replaced by new homes. The ordinance will require all activity related to demolition or moving, including site restoration, be completed within 30 days of the permit being issued.
“We’ve specifically said that within a specified period of time following the demolition, there needs to be new construction, and the new construction must be for the use that’s permitted in that zoning district,” LeBlanc said. “If the future land use map and the master plan shows something other than how the property is currently zoned, the owner can apply for a rezoning, but the … demolition application will not be approved until action is taken on the rezoning.”
The new ordinance gives the zoning administrator flexibility to allow more time to finish restoration of a demolition site in certain situations, such as seasonal weather conditions.
Community Development Director Tim Maday said the city had received several requests for home demolition over the past year. One couple, Andrew Blesch and Nancy Geurink Blesch, want to tear down their 140-year-old, two-story home at 310 E. Lincoln Ave. and build a single-story residence on the site that is more in fitting with their needs as they age.
“When we reviewed our ordinance, we had a provision that … the Planning Commission can’t approve the demolition of the dwelling unless it can’t be reasonably used by anybody,” Maday said. “That’s what kind of started this conversation about what’s appropriate in terms of replacement, what is reasonable use, concerns about possible non-residential intrusion into residential neighborhoods.”
While the original ordinance was meant to address demolition of residential homes, the new ordinance goes on to include buildings in most other zoning districts as well. However, it wouldn’t apply to any building within an industrial zone district or an accessory building of less than 800 square feet anywhere, LeBlanc said.
Other requirements under the new ordinance include applicants having all work done by a licensed contractor, have proof of liability insurance and have the replacement building be similar to the structure that is being torn down, LeBlanc said.
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