Dexter's North Lake Methodist Church Petitions For Smaller Fees to Restore Steeple

Arguments over whether or not a Dexter Township ordinance governing ornamental additions to buildings in the township applies to North Lake United Methodist Church dominated the Board of Trustees regular meeting on Monday.

According to parishioner Merritt Honbaum, at issue is the $5,250 in administrative fees associated with restoring the church's original steeple to the building in honor of the church's 175th anniversary this year.

"We're here tonight to ask for some relief of expenses we might incur with this project," Honbaum said.

The cost includes a $2,500 flat fee to cover a petition to the Planning Commission and expenses incurred by the township's zoning director and engineer as well as $400 for a Zoning Board of Appeals application. Depending on the amount of hours spent reviewing site plans, the church could incur an additional $1,200 from the zoning director and $1,150 from the township engineer.

Stu Rabinowitz of Dexter said the fees are astronomical and should be waived.

"I have many friends at the church and I consider it to be a real asset to the community," he said. "If anything, the community should be paying the church to do this restoration. To ask this type of money from a nonprofit is not fair. You're asking the church to do a major fundraiser to come up with this kind of money just to start the application process, nevermind the cost associated of actually restoring the steeple."

Patrick Sloan, director of planning and zoning for the township, said because of the township's ordinance and the building's "non-conforming" status due to the township's setback requirements on North Territorial Road, the church has to go through the application process.

"Because a structural alteration is happening in the 150-foot setback from North Territorial Road, it requires a variance," he said.

Township Trustee Carl Lesser said he would like to see the ordinance changed to make the application process easier for historic buildings in the township.

"We should get that ordinance changed just as quick as we can. This is not an alteration. They are just trying to restore something that was once there. We've got a problem created by the township that needs fixing," he said.

However Sloan said because the steeple was removed over 40 years ago, it is considered an abandoned structure according to the ordinance and is not a restoration.

Township Supervisor Pat Kelly said she was sympathetic toward the church's petition and expressed interest in alleviating some of the fees.

"I would encourage you to go through the process," she said. "I don't think there's anyone in this room that doesn't want this project to be as least burdensome as possible for the church. At the end of the process, if it looks like the cost is out of sync, we can address that. But to just say 'you don't have to follow the rules,' we can't do that."

The board set a special meeting with an undetermined date in two weeks to reexamine the issue again.