Hardeeville board tables variance request for concrete patio at Magnolia Walk

Hardeeville — The Hardeeville Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to table a variance request for a concrete patio at 239 Garden Gate Circle East in the Magnolia Walk area until a future meeting on March 4 so staff can obtain engineering information about drainage.

The request would allow a 7-by-17-foot concrete patio to remain 16 inches from the side property line — a 3.6-foot encroachment into the five-foot side setback required by the West Argent Planned Development District and the City of Hardeeville zoning and development ordinance (MZDO). City staff warned the board that the slab currently routes roof runoff into a shared swell and said a civil-engineering evaluation would be needed if the board considers approval.

City planner Chris (staff) described the parcel as a narrow, developed lot in Magnolia Walk and said the patio was poured without city permits after the homeowners received approval from their homeowners association ARB. "Because the lots are very narrow, a concrete patio will not be able to be poured anywhere except the side of the home within the side…