November 12, 2026 Zoning Board of Appeals

The City of Kalamazoo Zoning Board of Appeals met on November 12, 2026. It approved the previous meeting’s minutes and considered two site-specific variance applications; no procurement, contract awards, spending decisions, or budget allocations were identified. For 1827 Sheffield Road, the board approved 4–2 a variance allowing 28.5 feet of opaque fencing in the Benjamin Avenue front yard, citing the lot’s double frontage, steep slope, erosion concerns, safety, and privacy. It denied 6–0 the companion request to allow the fence to be seven feet high rather than the four-foot limit.

For 1123 East Vine Street, the board approved 6–0 a use variance allowing an existing 12-by-24-foot garage on a vacant residentially zoned lot, where an accessory building ordinarily requires a dwelling on the lot. Staff noted the property’s elongated shape and mixed residential and manufacturing surroundings, and that the garage meets building setbacks; required permits and building-code compliance, including completing the structure, remain subject to the city’s normal review. These were individual zoning decisions and did not change zoning classifications or establish a broader policy change.