Lakewood Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting - October 19, 2026

The Lakewood Board of Zoning Appeals met on October 19, 2026, with three members present (Mr. Piggett, Ms. Bellino, Mr. Markling) and two members excused (Ms. Hare, Mr. Santiago). The board approved a variance application for 1441 Robinwood Avenue and deferred a proposed garage rebuild for 1320 Bunts Road. The raw transcript gives the meeting date as October 15, 2026; this summary uses the supplied meeting date of October 19, 2026.

Consent Calendar / Procedural Actions

• Absences of Ms. Hare and Mr. Santiago were excused by unanimous motion.
• The board approved the minutes of the September 17, 2026 meeting by unanimous vote.
• Ms. Ellis read the board's standard opening remarks, including the practical difficulty test and the requirement that submitted plans conform to approved plans.

Public Comments

• No members of the public spoke, and city staff confirmed that no written public comments had been submitted for either case.

Case 1: 1441 Robinwood Avenue (Docket 09-14-26) - Deck and Rear-Yard Coverage Variances

• The applicant had appeared at the previous month's meeting and returned with additional paperwork and revised calculations. The requested variances concerned replacement of an unroofed patio deck and rear-yard lot coverage.
• The board clarified that the rear yard runs from the rear wall of the principal structure to the rear lot line. A 140 sq ft deck on the side of the house, plus driveway and green space, was excluded from rear-yard coverage.
• Based on that clarification, the board amended variance three to 312 sq ft of deck in the rear yard. With the existing 400 sq ft garage, total rear-yard coverage was 712 sq ft out of a 2,360 sq ft rear yard, equal to 30.2% (rounded to 30%) - a 5% variance above the 25% maximum and a 122 sq ft variance request.
• City staff said similar proposals had been approved with no negative outcomes observed or reported; a second-story uncovered deck rebuilt with a roof would be permitted; and two other properties between Franklin and Detroit have structures extending 30 feet or more into the rear yard.
• Mr. Fleck noted that, with only three board members present, approval required all three votes, and denial would prohibit a similar application for six months.
• Vote: The board voted 3-0 (Mr. Piggett, Ms. Bellino, Mr. Markling) to approve variances one and two as proposed. The transcribed motion does not expressly name amended variance three, although earlier discussion and the amendment indicated it was part of the approved docket; no separate recorded vote on variance three appears in the transcript.

Case 2: 1320 Bunts Road (Docket 10-15-26) - Garage Rebuild Variances

• David Minet of Monet Architects, representing the homeowner and also a neighbor, presented a proposal to rebuild the rear garage. The requested variances were: a height increase of about 4 feet 9 inches; a side-yard setback of 12 inches instead of 18 inches; and rear-yard lot coverage above the 25% maximum, discussed as about 32% coverage.
• The proposed garage was described as about 24 feet by 34 feet 8 inches, with roughly 832 sq ft per floor and about 1,664 sq ft total. The applicant said the larger size was needed for the owner's truck/snow plow, storage, and a usable second-floor space, and that the design matched the house and had already been approved by the Architecture Review Board.
• The applicant also referenced a nearby gambrel-roof garage that achieved comparable second-floor space without a height variance, arguing that his design was forced by community design guidelines.
• Board members expressed significant concern. Mr. Markling questioned whether the practical difficulty test had been met, and Ms. Bellino objected to what she described as a 'garage-house' massing. A board member said she did not see a scenario in which she would approve the 4 ft 9 in height variance as proposed, though she was not an immediate no on the entire project; another member said the height was the greater concern and that height and area had to be considered together.
• City staff noted that the property is across from a power substation, that no similar garage variances have been granted in the immediate area, and that the lot has the largest rear yard of any property on the west side of Bunts between Clifton and Merrill.
• The applicant requested a deferral to gather more information, including written code citations for minimum ceiling and garage-door heights, and to possibly adjust the design. The board unanimously granted the deferral (3-0), so the case will return at a future meeting without being denied.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the September 17, 2026 meeting minutes.
• Approved docket 09-14-26 (1441 Robinwood Avenue) by a 3-0 vote, including the amended rear-yard coverage calculation described above.
• Deferred docket 10-15-26 (1320 Bunts Road) by a 3-0 vote at the applicant's request.