TRAVERSE CITY —
Many residents of two local historic districts could no longer build attached garages under a proposal being reviewed by Traverse City's planning commission.
Property owners with alley access in the designated historic districts of Boardman and Central neighborhoods would be prohibited from building attached garages if a proposed zoning amendment is approved. The planning commission will consider the idea at a Wednesday meeting at 7 p.m. at the Governmental Center.
City Planner Russ Soyring recommended the planning group move slowly, by first sending the proposal to the two neighborhood associations for review. Then, the planning commission could schedule a public hearing and recommend the change to the city commission.
"This impacts a lot of properties, and it's a big change. I want to find out how the neighborhoods feel about this restriction — if they are supportive or not," Soyring said.
The idea stemmed from the city's historic districts commission. Members of that group want to preserve the neighborhoods' character and that extends to the "historical pattern of how development has occurred," Soyring said. That pattern, repeated block-after-block in the city's older areas, is house, followed by backyard, capped by a garage or carriage house.
Architect Suzannah Tobin lives in the Central neighborhood and is the historic commission co-chairwoman. She said the change would help maintain the historic neighborhood as a "complete picture" and keep the "integrity of the backyard" intact.
"Most people feel that it protects their property values. It's not a restriction, it's more a protection," Tobin said.
Soyring said not too many home owners have built attached garages, and a couple even voluntarily detached garages to fit with the historic neighborhood.
The proposed change would require a distance of at least 30 feet between a house and an accessory building sized greater than 200-square feet. The city planner would be granted some flexibility to reduce that distance in some instances.
Region
Related Photos
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Garages line an alley north of West Eighth Street along the 500 block on Monday as a bicyclist travels by in Traverse City. The city planning commission is considering a zoning change that would prohibit attached garages in two designated historic districts with alley access. Record-Eagle/Keith King
Proposal would prohibit attached garages
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