Zoning Board of Appeals rules deck permit is illegal

Photo by Linda Gallagher
In a statement to the Torch Lake Township Zoning Board of Appeals during a special hearing last week, Grand Traverse Bay riparian shoreline resident R. Bruce Laidlaw – who is also an attorney – provided a history of the issue regarding a shed and deck built in 2014 by his nearby neighbors Jeff and Amy Bucklew that Laidlaw claimed now blocks public access due to high water levels. The ZBA later ruled that the zoning permit issued after the fact for the structures is illegal, as the structures extend more than 30 feet into the beach's legal setback area.
TORCH LAKE - In what many hope is the end to a long standing issue dating back to 2014, the Torch Lake Township Zoning Board of Appeals ruled during a special hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 29 that a zoning permit issued after the fact was illegal because it violates the township's zoning ordinance setback.
In a statement to the Board of Appeals, Grand Traverse Bay riparian shoreline resident R. Bruce Laidlaw – who is also an attorney – provided a history of the issue regarding a shed and deck built in 2014 by his nearby neighbors Jeff and Amy Bucklew.
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