WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — It was a marvelous speed bump in the move of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum from Farmington Hills to West Bloomfield Township. The wacky wonderland ran into zoning issues after already signing the lease to their new location.
However, the West Bloomfield Township Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved two variances required for the business to still open as scheduled.
The owner of Marvin’s, Jeremy Yagoda, was prepared to fight for the two variances to be able to open on Orchard Lake Road at the Orchard Mall.
The old location, just a mile down the road at a strip mall in Farmington Hills, closed two weeks ago after city council there made the decision to tear it down and make room for a new Meijer.
“We found an amazing place in West Bloomfield and we're gonna start the move and hopefully build it bigger and better," Yagoda said.
Previous coverage: 'We're going a lot bigger.' Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum finds new digs, moving to West Bloomfield
Yagoda leased the new location not knowing it would be classified as an entertainment venue in the township, which came with some rules.
First, it needed to be 100 feet away from a residential plot line, and it sits 80 feet away. It also required a main entrance through the main mall doors, which would require a ramp from the inside due to a hill. The ramp would be an expenditure Yagoda and his team were not planning for.
"We’re gonna be building some private party rooms and it’s a big, blank space, so we have to do the flooring, bunch of the walls need to be fixed, it’s a process," Yagoda said about the new space.
This was what Yagoda and his attorney were ready to contest on Tuesday, however, he was met with nothing but support from the board.
“I'm very happy that your family business has found a new home in West Bloomfield," Zoning Board of Appeals Chair David Barash said at the meeting.
Support from the community about Yagoda's father, Marvin Yagoda, who opened the original location also poured in during the meeting.
“He was just a dreamer and a lovely person, and I'm sorry I'm getting emotional, but I'm so glad the board supports this," West Bloomfield resident Wendy Case said.
Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is looking at a tentative opening date for their new location sometime early summer.
