A Plymouth Township homeowner who has spent six months trying to build on an oddly shaped cul-de-sac lot will ask the Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday, Sept. 3, for permission to place his home 15 feet from the road instead of the required 35 feet.

Sean Newell owns a 0.74-acre lot at 13881 Emrick Drive in the gated Emrick Orchards subdivision. Less than 17% of the parcel is buildable, according to the Sept. 3 ZBA packet, because the cul-de-sac curves into the front yard, stone retaining walls hem in the rear and the lot's irregular shape squeezes what's left.

The board already gave Newell partial relief. At its July 9 meeting, members voted 5-0 to allow a 25-foot front setback and a 40-foot rear setback, each a 10-foot variance from code. But Newell had asked for 20 feet of front-yard relief, and he's coming back for the remaining 10.

Vice Chairman Joe Reilly said at the July 9 hearing that the board worried a 15-foot setback would place the house corner too close to the road and a neighbor's property line.

What's different this time? The HOA has flipped.

At the April 2 hearing, HOA president Ishvar Sutariya and four other neighbors opposed the project, citing concerns about proximity to property lines, retaining wall integrity, water runoff and parking. The board tabled the case 5-0. Sutariya also spoke against the variance at the July 9 hearing.

Ahead of the Sept. 3 hearing, Sutariya submitted a letter backing the full 15-foot request. In the letter, included in the Sept. 3 packet, the HOA president wrote that the association considers the variance "a one-time variance approval due to the irregular lot shape and cul-de-sac impingement on 13881 Emrick Drive" that does not set a precedent for other requests in the neighborhood.

Newell told the board at the July 9 hearing that he had been working with the HOA for more than six months and had yet to break ground. The subdivision's HOA requires homes of at least 3,500 square feet; Newell's proposed house is roughly 3,800 square feet. The previous owners of the lot also struggled to design a home that met setback requirements and ultimately sold the property, according to the Newells' hardship letter filed March 3.

Emrick Orchards is a private, gated, 12-parcel subdivision with no sidewalks and minimal vehicle traffic. Ten homes already stand there, ranging from about 4,000 to 9,000 square feet, with two vacant lots remaining.

The hearing begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Plymouth Township Hall, 9955 N. Haggerty Road. Residents who want to comment may attend in person. Those needing disability accommodations should call the Supervisor's Office at (734) 354-3211 at least two weeks in advance.