Trophy Club Zoning Board of Adjustment members on Thursday approved a variance that will allow an attached, street-facing garage at 213 Inverness Drive to accommodate mobility needs for the homeownersMike and Tanya Goh. The vote was 4-1.

The variance reverses the boards December 2024 denial of a similar request and follows an amendment to the towns ordinance waiting period (Ordinance 2025-25) that shortened the time before a reapplication could be heard. Matt Cox, director of community development, told the board the applicants had revised plans since the earlier denial and that staff recommended approval.

Why it matters: the R-11 single-family zoning district and related accessory-structure rules in the town code generally prohibit attached garages that face a public right-of-way. Approval of this variance drew opposition from residents who said allowing the change could create a precedent affecting many older homes in Trophy Clubs R-11 and similar zones, while supporters said the change is an accessibility improvement for aging residents.

Matt Cox, director of community development, summarized the code language the board relied on during deliberations and explained staffs prior approvals. Cox said a detached garage facing a street must be set back a minimum of 45 feet from the front property line and that the applicants' current plan places the garage about 75 feet from the front property line. Cox said staff previously approved a detached garage plan under those standards and that the revised attached design met the submitted plan requirements.

Pat Kiefer, a Fresh Meadows resident who spoke in opposition, urged the board to "uphold the zoning and deny the 3 zoning change requests as the board did last December," arguing the request could affect roughly 1,700 homes across 18 R-11 and AR-zoned areas shown in the town's zoning diagram. Kiefer also told the board the applicants had not shown the "unique conditions or circumstances" required by the variance application, and she outlined alternative options such as building the detached garage already approved by staff or restoring the removed garage and adding first-floor living accommodations.

Mike Goh, one of the applicants, said the attached garage would improve accessibility for his 85-year-old father and allow easier movement when using walkers or wheelchairs. "It makes it so much easier for us to maneuver with walkers or or get someone into a wheelchair," Goh said during his presentation. He and his wife said they had gathered signed letters of support from immediate neighbors.

Board members discussed possible design changes to reduce visual impact, including narrowing the garage or rotating it, and asked staff and the applicants about dimensions. The applicants said they need the extra interior width to accommodate two vehicles plus space for mobility equipment; Cox noted the town's minimum interior garage dimension is 21 by 22 feet and that the proposed garage increases the width from about 22.5 feet to about 27 feet, providing roughly an additional 4 to 4.5 feet of usable space on each side.

After public comment and board discussion, a board member identified as Bob moved to approve the zoning case (ZBA-25-004) "as presented," and another board member seconded. The motion carried 4-1. The boards recorded outcome was "approved." The applicants previously had a staff-approved detached garage plan; Cox and the applicants confirmed that, if the variance had been denied, the detached plan would proceed under the earlier staff approval.

The board also approved routine meeting minutes later in the session. No permit issuance date or construction timeline was provided in the hearing record; the transcript shows the applicants have already begun site work consistent with the previously approved detached plan.

What happens next: the variance approval allows the applicants to build the attached, street-facing garage per the submitted plans. Any final building permits, inspections and compliance checks will be processed by town staff under existing permitting rules.