[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6188892,"mediaKeyId","5061644-3a8c2d0cad8e1bad2aa04210bcfab078","parentId",5061644,"title","Decatur zoning board allows accessory storage building now, conditions primary residence within 30 months","audioSeconds",393,"startMs",1991000,"endMs",2384000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5061644-3a8c2d0cad8e1bad2aa04210bcfab078&start=1991&end=2384","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5061644-3a8c2d0cad8e1bad2aa04210bcfab078/thumbnail_1991000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6188892/Decatur-City/Morgan-County/Alabama/Decatur-zoning-board-allows-accessory-storage-building-now-conditions-primary-residence-within-30-months","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188892-1e3232b83596a1191ac56a822f59d9c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450816&Signature=A1ivi6cpxjFVJRV~eBExqk0KXFZm8nHTpqEE8sC6bLy5aIosvewuemzOBXJHvERB3Pwfx3Z1~cb-2F7y3XO3lv7nHgftNONNTS83TI9YboKV2Oe9zXVST3l3Od2u-PphDjr0fIlQOAT8M1JnYjSrCRO~ylit-HoJPotT-s8m5JCu8GRwVtjdRR2gz5Mj1Ho6kkkFwngIz6aNgw0lCtyvxmK9vy-x~OJaokTnrGb~b3lDujBCBog29NAsjXZcTjjS9nYE~ynb84R3gPrgQlq9rovaSItYvkBOIJCnOrDw-EdSwlGFreNA-qu85vAtbs~Vgx1zP6sapfkEqi2z-T4GYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Decatur City, AL","date","2025-06-25T09:35:45Z","article","The Board of Zoning and Adjustments approved an applicant’s request to construct an accessory storage building at 3705 Montclair Road before the primary residence is built, but the approval includes a condition that the primary residence be completed within 30 months of the decision.

Applicant Francisco Hernandez told the board the storage building would be for personal storage while he plans to build the primary residence after his current home is sold. Planning staff and board members discussed enforcement and the difficulty of removing a structure if the primary residence is never built. A board member recommended tying the condition to sale of the existing residence; the board ultimately approved the requested accessory structure with a condition that the principal dwelling be built within two and a half years (30 months) from the date of approval.

The applicant told the board the structure would be for personal storage, not a business or equipment yard. The board emphasized the accessory building cannot be used as an entertainment or commercial space and must be shown on the lot plan when the residence is proposed. The motion to approve included the 30-month condition; roll-call responses in the record show multiple members voting “yes” and the board announced the request was approved.

Discussion versus decision: the hearing record contains substantive discussion about enforcement risk and time limits; the formal action was approval with a time-bound condition tied to the applicant’s stated timeline for building the primary dwelling.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Zoning Adjustment Meeting 06:24:25","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved Francisco Hernandez’s request to build an accessory storage building before the primary residence is constructed, conditioned on building the primary home within 30 months or earlier if his current residence sells.","taxTitle","Decatur City, Morgan County, Alabama","taxId",5148,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6188897,"Decatur zoning board approves 6-space parking variance for River City Pentecostal Church",265,1818000,2083000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5061644-3a8c2d0cad8e1bad2aa04210bcfab078&start=1818&end=2083","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5061644-3a8c2d0cad8e1bad2aa04210bcfab078/thumbnail_1818000.jpg","/articles/6188897/Decatur-City/Morgan-County/Alabama/Decatur-zoning-board-approves-6-space-parking-variance-for-River-City-Pentecostal-Church","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188897-7448cc649e3124afc0b6b1f3ecbbe08a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450816&Signature=T1gMR8bCdDxJzyb-KfrExihS0PemxaGqoF0kX1vCWnUrpVnVbnd3BerfyFJeEKM9V038Hch00eWA2LMqtU9-cRBUmMOl47HMbik9aQW4nMW0ZoW3JSKrL4IXWjiUnVTelh4Ze8BD4A5lzhB3ztjBanHHbQlfUdRLM3sN0cIQ-ky-ptRfYUpUVF26nVA1KV-PFRsUcd6ij-vUSMxmQq8kUz9pmGkMAZcX1nYBlpBm0-XgE~-bheAWJL~B3Alf46wqinDSFNzBLiXXHX4imj8EfEyIq5~5Ljbi4fbHbkolBKhrbtdq5cnoOXMNnrY-90k3G~N4pc5Jn6beCroG~adWSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Zoning and Adjustments approved a six-space parking variance for River City Pentecostal Church’s proposed building at the corner of Pitt Street and 14th Avenue, reducing the required 20 parking spaces to 14.

Jackson McNally, an engineer with Pew Wright McNally representing the church, told the board the proposed sanctuary will seat about 100 people with movable seats and that the site could provide 8 to 10 spaces alongside the frontage and additional on-street parking. “A 100 is the proposed seating in the church,” McNally said.

Board members questioned where congregants would park if every seat were filled. McNally said the frontage and street parking would be sufficient. No members of the public registered opposition and both the building and planning departments offered no substantive comments during the hearing.

The board took a motion to vote; roll-call responses in the record show multiple members voting “yes.” The board approved the parking variance and closed public testimony. The approval is specific to the site and the proposed seating and parking configurations discussed at the hearing; any future change in use or seating could require a new review.

Discussion versus decision: discussion focused on parking count and seating arrangements, while the formal action was an approval by roll-call vote. No conditions were recorded in the transcript beyond the variance approval.","The Board approved a request to reduce required parking from 20 to 14 spaces for a proposed River City Pentecostal Church; the applicant said seating would be about 100 with movable chairs and that frontage and on-street parking would cover peak demand.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6188902,"Decatur zoning board denies variance for Church Street lot after neighbors raise nuisance concerns",1090,754000,1844000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5061644-3a8c2d0cad8e1bad2aa04210bcfab078&start=754&end=1844","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5061644-3a8c2d0cad8e1bad2aa04210bcfab078/thumbnail_754000.jpg","/articles/6188902/Decatur-City/Morgan-County/Alabama/Decatur-zoning-board-denies-variance-for-Church-Street-lot-after-neighbors-raise-nuisance-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188902-cfc7067232695f1528e18bfe01254a65/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450816&Signature=EGvKYykpOxL~JiobiPRsxOj6RCgnV3IjTSpBO5XwB0IWQzyWhSz9xtmsWaNt5mDgeNOjNHyQXBbdtWDRvw4Md7DifkXa1RiNm52I-9udxjAcBF85l4ZFAb1WgvPKu9eopt4gCTX9PvZ9UoEXsc0FxI9kOnuI7Z2bFUOkNOWooY2zSgoIbVaa0HPqi~6ZRh349GxZGv5~BJ-HBbVlC1Smh09H2K93xG0nH~5cTXYNBkk~Rza~ow4VOWd0WvZozWAh6PyDvUw5Q0qTFGDYIRq4tt5xaYbKnJkjS9z95z1upGUFME5IqJDJUI5BGUFV3h81P5zhw5G2duk6eHCRRPqlUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Zoning and Adjustments to the City of Decatur on a vote of 4-1 denied a variance request from Donald Garner to build a single-family home on a lot on Church Street NW after board members said the applicant had not submitted a survey showing the proposed house placement and the lot is currently not in compliance with city rules.

The decision matters to neighbors and developers because the block is near multiple public investments and planned improvements; several residents told the board they feared approving a variance now would worsen ongoing nuisance problems. “My home was vandalized,” neighbor Franzetta Jones said, and she described repeated loud music, people sitting on her porch and open containers on nearby lots.

Garner told the board he is a veteran and said he wants to build a roughly 1,000-square-foot home for his 10-year-old daughter and has a builder ready, Builders R Us. He said he learned the lot contained accessory structures and that he moved to act after receiving violation notices. Board members repeatedly told Garner the board could not evaluate setback and other variance needs without a survey that shows the house footprint. “Without the lines of the house, we don't know what those variances would be,” one board member said.

Neighbors gave specific examples of police contacts and outreach. Savoria Cannon said she and family members had met city staff and law enforcement and asked the board to deny the request because “if this is allowed, it's gonna only get worse.” Francis Tate, representing a nonprofit involved in development in the area, outlined investments planned for the nearby Old Town area and urged the board to deny the request and hold to enforcement of accessory-structure rules.

Public testimony closed and the board took a roll-call vote. The record shows four board members voting “no” and one voting “yes”; the board chair announced that the request was not approved and advised Garner he could return with a survey and a new application.

Discussion versus decision: the record shows both public comment and planning/building department input during the hearing. Board discussion focused on procedural and evidentiary gaps (missing survey, unknown setbacks) rather than a determination on nuisance allegations, which the board noted are not directly within its variance review authority. The board directed the applicant to submit a survey with the proposed house sited and noted the board holds hearings the last Tuesday of each month and that application deadlines apply.

Garner was told he may reapply after submitting the survey and house plans; the board did not grant any variances at this meeting.","The Board of Zoning and Adjustments denied Donald Garner’s request to build a single-family home on a Church Street lot because he did not provide a survey showing the house placement and the lot is out of compliance; neighbors told the board they already experience vandalism and loud noise at the site.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Decatur zoning board allows accessory storage building now, conditions primary residence within 30 months

Decatur zoning board approves 6-space parking variance for River City Pentecostal Church

Decatur zoning board denies variance for Church Street lot after neighbors raise nuisance concerns