Accessory Buildings

(a) Attached Garages.

(1)    General Requirements.

a.                Attached garages are permitted in any zone district. A garage shall be considered an “attached garage” when it is connected to the principal building with a roof structure.

b.               Attached garages shall meet the setback and yard requirements for a principal building of the zone district in which it is located.

c.                The footprint of an attached garage must not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the footprint of the usable floor area of the dwelling unit to which it is attached.

(b) Detached Accessory Buildings.

   (1)  General Requirements.

a.                No accessory building shall be allowed on any lot that does not have a principal structure located on the lot.

b.               Except as provided below, only one accessory building will be allowed on any lot, provided that the accessory building does not exceed the greater of 200 square feet or 2.0% of the calculated lot size, up to a maximum accessory building size of 2,500 square feet.

                                                              i.      On lots equal to or greater than two (2) acres, the total allowable accessory building square footage may be split into two accessory buildings.

                                                            ii.      One additional accessory building used exclusively as a pool storage building (i.e., to house equipment and supplies necessary to operate and maintain an onsite swimming pool and for a toilet and/or shower) is permitted, provided the pool storage building has a maximum height of sixteen (16) feet, and a maximum area of one hundred (100) square feet for lots equal to one (1) acre or less in size and two hundred (200) square feet for lots exceeding one (1) acre in size.

                                                          iii.      One additional accessory building used exclusively as a pump house (i.e., to house a pump and    related equipment for sprinkling purposes) is permitted, provided the pump house has a maximum height of four (4) feet, and a maximum area of sixteen (16) square feet for lots equal to one (1) acre or less in size and thirty-six (36) square feet for lots exceeding one (1) acre in size.

                                                          iv.      One additional accessory building used exclusively as a decorative gazebo is permitted, provided the gazebo has a maximum area of one hundred forty-four (144) square feet and a maximum height of twelve (12) feet.  For purposes of this subsection, an accessory building will be deemed a gazebo only if a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of each sidewall is left open, and/or is covered only with either a screen or transparent glass.

                                                            v.      One additional accessory building up to 484 square feet is permitted on a lot when there is not an attached garage on the principal building.

c.                No accessory building or structure shall include residential or living quarters for human beings.

(2)     Location and Height Limitations.

a.                Accessory buildings shall not exceed one (1) story in height.

b.               The height of an accessory building shall not exceed those listed in table 4.11.2(g) and be subject to the following roof design limitations:

c.                The roof pitch of an accessory building shall not be greater than 10/12 or less than 3/12.

d.               An accessory building shall have no more than two (2) gables and no more than three (3) dormers.  Dormers shall not exceed eight feet (8’) in width.

e.                An accessory building must be at least ten feet (10’) away from any other building.

f.                An accessory building shall meet the setback requirements listed in table 4.11.2(g).

g.               TABLE

h.               On lots abutting Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa, no accessory building shall be placed between the principal building and the water’s edge.

                                                                    i.                        The Zoning Board of Appeals may authorize a lesser front, rear, or side yard setbacks or the placement of an accessory building between the principal building and the waters edge as a special use on lots abutting Lake Michigan or Lake Macatawa. In establishing such yard requirements, the Board of Appeals shall consider the following standards:

1.      the location of buildings on the lot or adjoining properties,

2.      the effect of the proposed accessory building on adjoining properties in relation to view, light and air circulation, noise, etc., and

3.      The character of the proposed accessory building and the effect on the surrounding neighborhood.

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