The Wayland City Planning Commission Tuesday night gave a thumbs up, one with conditions, to two requests that were presented.
Getting the green light entirely was a request for an ordinance amendment to allow Gavin and Curtis Klaver to permit contractors’ yards as a permitted use in an I-2 (industrial) district on 133rd Avenue across the street from Woodhams.
Curtis Klaver said his brother intends to construct a 36-by-42-foot barn at the 2.69-acre site to store equipment from his landscaping business in Wayland Township.
The recommendation will go to the City Council later this month.
The other request, from Leo Wiseman, met some resistance because it exceeded height specifications for accessory buildings in the residential area at 504 Church St.
Wiseman was asking for a special use permit to construct an accessory building that is larger than what is permitted in the residential neighborhood. His biggest stumbling block was that he was seeking a 12-foot-high wall in order to be able to back in and store his pontoon boat.
Neighboring resident Christine Stora said, “That’s a pretty big pole barn, even for Wayland.”
She insisted that most pontoons can fit inside a garage that’s 10 feet high, which is the prescribed maximum height.
“A pontoon and a car don’t need a 12-foot wall,” she added.
The commission, after reviewing its checklist of findings of fact, determined the request and project, met all conditions except for the height.
“The height does bother me,” acknowledged Chairman J.D. Gonzales, who voted against the request.
But newest member Steve Stepek made the motion to approve with the condition that the garage be only 10 feet because all other requirements were being met. His suggestion was met by a vote of 5-1.