Berkley Zoning Board Approves Four Home-Addition Variances and Two Downtown Murals

BERKLEY — July 8, 2024 — Berkley Zoning Board of Appeals cleared six applications without a single variance denial at its July 8 meeting. The board approved dimensional variances for straight second-story additions at 3072 Robina, 1992 Gardener, and 3600 Kenmore Road, each involving pre-existing non-conformities created before current zoning codes took effect, and voted 7-0 on all three. Two DDA mural-program applications were approved as works of art containing no commercial message: Reware Vintage's mural at 2985 12 Mile Road passed 7-0 with the condition the business not become exclusively a record seller, while Time Travelers' pop-culture mural at 3116 12 Mile Road passed 6-1, with Member Allen dissenting over recognizable copyrighted characters in the design. In other business, Chair McAlpine and Vice Chair Allen were reelected, rules of procedure were adopted, and attending Councilman Henan urged staff to explore allowing additions within existing non-conforming envelopes by right — a change he said would "save the applicants, the city, everyone" from the current hearing process.