Water Street building hearing Thursday

By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Should Saugatuck’s former River Market/Gleason’s store and current Big Lake Outfitters buildings at 650 and 640 Water Street, sold together Oct. 15 for $1.75 million, be razed and replaced by a 20,327-square-foot, 3-story mixed-use building?
A Saugatuck Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing Thursday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. in city hall will consider variance requests by Integrated Architecture representative D.J. VanderSlik to allow it.
The two parcels as stand boast 165 feet of downtown Kalamazoo River front, nine docks and two commercial storefronts plus two rental units sitting on one half acre adjacent to and south of the Spear Street launch ramp. If redeveloped, they will need to be combined or the building will span over the shared property line.
Existing structures of 10,429 and 7,003 square feet respectively are in the WSN-Water N C1 zoning district and encroach into required setbacks and the city right of way. Grand Rapids-based Integrated seeks a non-use variance for the required waterfront setback and a use variance for a first-floor residential unit.
The proposed new building’s first floor is labeled commercial, lobby, a small apartment and dock support assumed to be a laundry, shower, bathroom and kitchen area.
The commercial end-user is not known, and the applicant should address future use during the meeting, now former city zoning and planning administrator Cindy Osman advised the ZBA in her application review. The second and third floors are proposed for residential dwelling units.
This application is also subject to Historic District Commission review and site plan review by the Planning Commission. If a future commercial use is classified as a special land use, another public hearing must occur. Condominium approval will be needed if the units are intended to be sold, Osman said.
The application and ZA review for Thursday’s hearing can be found on the saugatuckcity.com website. Scroll down to Boards & Committees and click Zoning Board of Appeals. Under Next Meeting/Aug. 11, 2022 at 7 p.m., click Agenda & Packet. A meeting video will be available later.