Berkley Zoning Board Approves Duplex on 12 Mile, Rejects 11 Mile Live-Work Bid

BERKLEY -- July 11, 2022, Berkley's Zoning Board of Appeals split its two July 11 decisions, approving one use variance and unanimously denying another. The board voted 7-0 to grant a use variance allowing Gary Foster to operate 3376 12 Mile Road, long known as Jerry's TV, as a two-unit residential duplex, citing the property's unique structural history, limited five-space parking count, and the physical impossibility of achieving the fire separation required to add a required third unit. In a second 7-0 vote, the board denied a use variance for 3910 11 Mile Road, where owner George Bernat had sought permission for a live-work unit in a building vacant since 2018; board members cited the lapsed nonconforming status as the result of Bernat's own inaction, and noted that Bernat did not appear at the hearing, leaving his realtor Vince Cipriano of Keller Williams unable to commit to conditions of approval. The meeting also marked the formal introduction of incoming Community Development Director Kirsten Kapalanski, who replaced Megan Monaco as the board's primary staff liaison.