How many officials does it take to grant a variance from the zoning ordinance?

Don’t answer yet. Save it for the hearing.

The Oxford Village Planning Commission scheduled a public hearing for its 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21 meeting to receive input regarding the possibility of reducing the size of the zoning board of appeals (ZBA).

Officials are considering amending the village zoning ordinance to set ZBA membership at no more than five, but not less than three.

The ordinance currently states the ZBA “shall consist of six (6) members.”

In reality, the ZBA presently has five members and it’s been difficult finding volunteers to make it six.

“I don’t believe we’ve had a full zoning board of appeals for some time,” said village planner Chris Khorey, of the Northville-based McKenna Associates.

Given “the inability to fill that sixth seat” and “the fact that six is an even number,” which creates the possibility of tie votes, Khorey said the village is looking to reduce the size of the ZBA to an odd number. To him, five would be “more logical.”

The proposed ordinance amendment is designed to comply with the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.

Based on state law, if a local unit of government has a population of 5,000 or more, its ZBA “shall be composed of not fewer than 5 members.” If the local unit has a population of less than 5,000, the ZBA must “not (have) fewer than 3 members.”

The 2010 U.S. Census counted 3,436 people in the village.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) estimated the village’s population to be 3,050 as of July 2017.