Board approves access‑drive variance to allow interior drive at Holy Cross Village townhome site

The Area Board of Zoning Appeals on Aug. 13 granted a variance allowing an interior access drive to be located within the minimum front yard for a proposed townhome expansion at Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame.

Staff member Fariel Sharif of the Area Planning Commission explained the request applies to the portion of a roughly 22.58‑acre parcel where Holy Cross Village seeks to replace several existing villas with paired townhomes and create an internal access drive. Sharif said the drive would run parallel to East Village Drive and would not provide direct access to State Road 933; the applicant proposes to maintain or replace an opaque fence along 933 to screen the drive from the highway.

Jeff Ballard, the petitioner’s engineer with Danch Harn and Associates, said the design places garages and access drives to the rear of the townhomes and that the drive and new plantings would be heavily screened from 933. He said the project aims to preserve front porches on the townhomes and retain frontage green space.

Staff concluded the drive would create no public‑safety concerns because it would not access State Road 933 directly, the townhome use is permitted in the R‑2 district, and interior drives of this type are allowed in adjacent zoning on the larger parcel. Based on those findings, the board approved the variance.

Why it matters: the variance allows Holy Cross Village to reconfigure the site to place garages and access behind townhomes, creating a design that emphasizes porches and street frontage while maintaining screening from the state highway.

What’s next: the applicant will proceed with detailed site plans and required permits; screening and landscaping will be part of project review and building‑permit review.