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Board approves variance for detached garage at 1792 Banbury on narrow corner lot
Summary
The Board approved a variance allowing a detached two-car garage to sit closer to the side property line than the ordinance allows, citing the lot’s wedge shape and limited options for vehicle access.
The Board of Zoning Appeals granted a variance (appeal 25-08) for a new detached two-car garage at 1792 Banbury, allowing the accessory structure to sit 8.17 feet from the side property line where a 15-foot setback is required for corner-lot accessory structures.
City staff said the irregular, tapering corner lot and the proposed vehicle access configuration make a conforming detached garage infeasible; an attached garage or alternate layout would either block yard area or still likely require variances. The applicant’s architect said the lot’s narrow rear width and a short back dimension (about 19.8 feet at one point) limit garage placement and turning radius, and the submitted design was the product of city coordination and neighbor review.
Board rationale and outcome: Board members reviewed alternate options (attachment, relocated doors, narrower garage). A motion to approve the variance, tied to the submitted drawings, passed after members said the lot demonstrated unusual site constraints that would unreasonably prevent the owner from using the property.
Practical effect: The variance permits the detached garage to be built with the garage door facing the house (no curbside access from the side street). The approval was tied to the submitted design; standard permit review remains required.
