From: Bill & Bonnie Prestin (bprestin@chartermi.net)
Date: Fri Dec 12 2003 - 17:20:04 PST
I live on Main street, in a small town (Village) just off I75 in
Michigan. My lot size is 75 ft. wide by 160 ft deep. I own a 2 1/2 ton 1952
Studebaker(M342) and a 5 ton 1953 Diamont T(M51)
I built a very large garage to house my trucks. In fact it approached
the maximum height allowed for "accessory structures" in our town which was
25 ft tall. My garage is 24 ft. eight inches tall.
I also maxed out the square feet of coverage rule on my lot which
allows for 25% coverage. I have 24.98% coverage. My garage is 34 ft. wide
by 46 ft long.
My neighbor is one of the 5 council members in our town. Her brother,
who also lives on main street, is another of the five council members. My
neighbor was not happy at all about the size of my garage. So they made an
amendment to the allowed height of accessory structures. The new maximum
height allowed is 17 ft. six inches tall. luckily my garage was already
done.
I recently saw in the paper (you have to read the fine print) that there
was a proposed ordinance to restrict all vehicles with more than two axles
from driving on any street in town (excepting main street) lucky me, I live
on main street. But the ordinance also restricts vehicles with more than two
axles from parking on all streets in town including main street.
Now, my trucks are stored in my garage at all times. In fact I only get
one of them out, about 10-12 times a year. They are also licensed and
insured as "historic" vehicles.
Now occasionally, when family comes up to visit, I will get one out
and give the kids rides around the block, stopping in the parallel parking
in front of my house to let the kids swap out & take turns. I also use my
trucks in the local 4th of July parade. This new ordinance would prevent me
from doing both of these things.
So I thought I would go to the meeting and talk to them about it. To say
anything at our towns council meetings you have to get on the agenda. So I
filled out the form the required week ahead of time. At the meeting, I ask
If they could make an exclusion to the ordinance for licensed "historic
vehicles". They said "we can't make an exclusion for just one person." I
said " No I don't mean just me, it would be anyone with a historic vehicle
with more than two axles." They said "that could be thousand of vehicles"
"Doing that would defeat the purpose of the ordinance"
Then they told me that they don't think I should be allowed to keep
trucks of that size on residential property in the village, and they were
going to approach the zoning board to ask If they could make me remove them.
I am not really sure what action I should take? Should I wait until
I get a letter saying I have to get rid of my trucks? Or is there something
I could do pro-actively. It makes me wonder what is becoming of "The land of
the free"
Bill
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat May 07 2005 - 20:26:57 PDT