By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


The Fenton Township Board of Trustees has declined a rezoning request that would allow several garages to be built adjacent to residential property.

At their latest meeting, the Board voted 5-0 against rezoning a vacant parcel south of the Gables of North Shore Condominium development on Bowles Road. The land had been targeted by seven people who agreed to purchase it to build garages because they wanted more storage space, according to the Tri-County Times. The group had been working with a civil engineer to develop plans for the units that would have fit the design standards of the condos. Their request was to rezone the parcel, which is R-5 Single Family Residential, to the existing condominium Planned Unit Development.

Two members of the Board of Trustees abstained from the vote, including Trustee Christine Reid. Reid lives in a home that is adjacent to the parcel and reportedly spoke against the project at a previously meeting. She said her family bought their property there knowing that it was zoned single family residential. Reid said she also felt adding 7 garages to one lot was inconsistent with the general zoning of the entire township. Clerk Robert Krug agreed with Reid, saying he felt it was inappropriate for that location. Treasurer John Tucker was the other Board member to abstain. Tucker, being an attorney whom the applicant is a client of, cited a conflict-of-interest and recused himself from the vote.