The Planning and Architectural Review Board recommended approval Sept. 2 of a variance request that would allow Legacy Pointe Cottages, a proposed multifamily project at 2401 Leslie Street, to use a 40-foot platted right-of-way rather than the city's standard 50-foot requirement. A board member moved to recommend approval; the motion passed on a roll call vote by the members present.

The developer's representative, Katie, told the board the project's cottages are about 800 square feet each, two-bedroom/one-bath units intended for long-term rental. City staff and an engineering reviewer said Leslie Street is already improved and that Joyce Street, which is currently unimproved, would be improved as part of the project. An engineer who spoke at the meeting said the proposed improvements and required work fit within the existing 40-foot right-of-way and that staff recommended approval.

The variance matters because the city's standard construction details call for a 50-foot right-of-way for improved roads; several older plats in the area were recorded with 40-foot rights-of-way. The applicant said it had tried to acquire an additional 10 feet from adjacent property owners for about a year but was unsuccessful.

During public comment, two members of the Parker family, Karen Parker Bradley and Brandy Parker, said they opposed granting an easement that would encroach on their property because a drain field and recently installed septic system are in the front yard; they said heavy equipment could damage the drain field. Karen Parker Bradley said the family installed a new septic system and drain field in 2021 and asked the board to respect that constraint. The speakers also said they had no objection to the development proceeding with the 40-foot right-of-way so long as their property and drain field were not impaired.

The board's recommendation does not itself authorize construction; it sends the application forward for final administrative or permitting steps required by the city. Board members emphasized that the developer will perform the Joyce Street improvements as part of the project and that staff found no technical impediment to fitting the necessary improvements within the existing 40-foot right-of-way.

No additional conditions or amendments to the variance motion were recorded in the meeting minutes. The applicant and the project remain responsible for meeting all technical, permitting and inspection requirements before work can begin.