Council approves Minutes — August 5, 2026

Approval of Minutes — August 5, 2026

0 yes, 0 no

Approval of Minutes — October 7, 2026

0 yes, 0 no

Variance J26-2891 — 2421 Witters Street

3 yes, 0 no

Variance J26-2892 — 1427 Brown Street

3 yes, 0 no

Variance J26-2893 — 203 S Michigan Avenue

3 yes, 0 no

Variance J26-2896 — 805 N Hamilton (Pitt & Balcony Theatre)

3 yes, 0 no

Minutes from October 7, 2026

0 yes, 0 no

Variance at 805 N Hamilton

805 N Hamilton

Contractor Jacob Dalton, on behalf of the owner, sought a variance to rebuild the theater's back employee entrance to Michigan building code, extending the structure three feet so the setback becomes 7 feet instead of the required 10.

approved (3-0) · still approved

J26-2892 — Variance Application, 1427 Brown Street

1427 Brown Street

Variances to split the back of the property off and combine it with 23 and 817 East Holland Avenue, formalizing a fence-line split already in place and curing the undersized lot width.

approved (3-0) · still approved

J26-2858 — Variances, 1924 Maine Street

1924 Maine Street, Saginaw, MI

Informational update: the applicant, who won a variance in June 2026 for a 24x50-foot pole barn, has downsized his plans by dropping a second story, remains within the approved variance, and is now building.

approved · still approved

J26-2893 — Variance Application, 203 S Michigan Avenue

203 S Michigan Avenue

A renovated 1909 church gets variances to rebuild its sign about three feet taller and closer to the road on the existing footprint and utilities, making it visible over on-street parking and conforming with current ordinance.

approved (3-0) · still approved

J26-2891 — Accessory Building Separation Variance

2421 Witters Street

A homeowner wants to build a 120- or 200-square-foot shed on a concrete slab closer to her garage than the ordinance allows, keeping more distance from the neighbors' property line.

approved (3-0) · still approved

Variance applications at four Saginaw properties

The zoning board was set to hear four variance requests, covering addresses on Witters Street, Brown Street, South Michigan Avenue, and North Hamilton. These decisions shape what property owners can build on their lots.

What it means: The applicants seeking variances, and potentially neighbors if the projects improve their properties.

Community Center Sign Replacement Variance

A church built in 1909 can replace its undersized, nonconforming sign with a taller one closer to the road, reusing the old sign's footprint and utilities so it's visible over on-street parking. The board saw it as bringing the property back into conformity.

What it means: The congregation and passersby who will actually be able to find and read the church sign.

Pitt & Balcony Theatre back entrance safety

The five-year-old art theater's back door has been a decade-long headache — a security risk that once forced the managing director to spend a night in the basement running space heaters to keep pipes from freezing. The variance lets contractors rebuild it to Michigan building code, three feet closer to the property line than normally allowed.

What it means: The theater's staff, performers, and building — plus anyone walking past a secure back door.

Property split at 1427 Brown Street / 817 East Holland

Neighbors have informally split a Brown Street lot with a fence for years; the variance lets the split be made legal, combining the back portion with two Holland Avenue parcels and curing an undersized-lot nonconformity.

What it means: The property owners on Brown Street and Holland Avenue who gain a legal, conforming lot configuration.