The Kalamazoo Zoning Board of Appeals allowed a solid front-yard fence but kept the city’s 4-foot height limit.
The fence request
A homeowner on a lot that fronts two streets asked for two dimensional variances for 28.5 feet of fence along the Benjamin Avenue side. The fence would be 100% solid where the ordinance caps front-yard fences at 75% opacity. It would also be 7 feet tall where the limit is 4 feet. The board approved the opacity variance and denied the height variance. The result is that a solid fence can be built, but not at the requested height.
The applicant said the property slopes steeply and has retaining walls. She said a solid fence would deflect runoff from the base of a wall, keep children from climbing it and provide privacy. Staff supported the request. They said the ordinance treats a lot that fronts two streets as having two front yards, so front-yard fence standards apply to both sides. They also said the neighborhood has many double-frontage lots and some existing fences that do not meet current rules. Staff estimated a drop of about 14 feet from the house to the road level. The board received three letters of support and two of opposition.
What staff said about older fences
Staff explained that the city’s fence rules were first adopted in 2004. Fences installed before then, or when they were allowed, are legal nonconforming and can stay. If more than 50% of a nonconforming fence is removed, the whole fence must be brought into line with current rules. Staff said owners should be careful when repairing or replacing one.
The garage request
The board granted a use variance for a 12-by-24-foot garage on a vacant lot on East Vine Street. In the residential multi-dwelling district, garages and similar buildings are not allowed on a lot until a dwelling is built. The garage was built without a permit. Staff said the owner came to the city after a stop-work order and applied for approval after the fact.
Staff supported the request. The lot is mostly in the RM-36 district, with part in the M-1 manufacturing district. Staff said the district covering the majority of a split lot governs the whole property, so residential rules applied. The nearby stretch of Skinner Drive is mostly in M-1, with auto repair and scrap businesses. Staff also said the garage meets the setbacks and leaves room for a house to be built beside it. They cited a 2015 approval of a stand-alone garage on a vacant lot in the Millwood neighborhood.
The structure is unfinished. Staff said the next step is a building permit, and a building inspector will follow up through completion.
How the board decides
The Zoning Board of Appeals is a volunteer board appointed by the City Commission. It hears requests for variances from the Zoning Ordinance, provides interpretations of the ordinance and hears appeals of administrative decisions.
For each case, staff reads the request into the record, and the applicant has up to 10 minutes to present. Staff comment follows, then a public hearing. Speakers get three minutes, with those in favor first, and callers can comment by phone. The board then adopts findings of fact, which are a statement of the facts it relies on and not a vote on the decision. After discussion, it votes.
The full November 1, 2026 meeting is available to watch on Public Media Network.
