The City of Rome Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 Oct. 1 to approve an area variance allowing a paved driveway to be located 1 foot from the eastern lot line at 744 West Dominic Street.

Under Rome zoning code section 80-14.7 (driveway design), residential driveways are typically required to be 3 feet from any interior side or corner side lot line. The applicant, Nick Tataro, asked to reduce that required setback to 1 foot to accommodate paving a portion of the lot between the garage and the eastern lot line.

Tataro told the board he plans to replace a worn lawn area beside his garage with blacktop to eliminate a recurring maintenance issue and to reduce on-lot snowbanks that build up when plowing. “Most of it. It keeps the snow banks down,” Tataro said, explaining that the paved surface will extend to the back of the garage and will use the existing driveway alignment.

The United County Department of Planning provided no recommendation in a Sept. 4 memo signed by James J. Genovese. No members of the public spoke on the item during the board’s public-comment period.

During the board discussion members asked about the scope and extent of paving; Tataro confirmed the pavement will run to the rear of the garage and that existing concrete at the garage door will remain. The board approved the variance and reminded the applicant to coordinate permits and any required inspections with Mark Domenico in the codes enforcement office before construction.

The approval applies only to the zoning setback variance; any necessary permits, tapering, drainage, or other specifications remain subject to review by codes enforcement and other applicable local standards.