BZA grants variance for Olive Street home addition after neighbor support and staff conditions

The Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals on March 6 granted a variance to permit a side-yard addition at 725 Olive Street, allowing the homeowner to continue an existing wall line that sits roughly 2.5 feet from the property line.

Andrew Hook, the applicant, said the house sits close to the lot line and is in the Oakwood Court Historic District, which constrains visible alterations. Hook told the board the proposed addition would continue the current wall line and “we are asking to be able to continue that, so that we don't have to move … further off to the side where it's more visible from the public right away.” He said the adjacent neighbor provided a letter of support and the proposed change would not increase visibility from the neighbor due to existing outbuildings between the properties.

A member announced on the record that board member Davis Whittle would recuse himself from this case. Staff and board members noted that building-code requirements—separate from zoning—will require fire-rating for any construction within 5 feet of a property line and that DDRC (design review) may impose additional requirements for what is visible from the street. Staff indicated the lot coverage limit in the district is 40 percent and said the property is well under that threshold.

Board members who discussed the record observed the hardship from the existing lot configuration and cited the applicants’ written neighbor support. A motion to approve the variance “subject to staff comments” passed by voice vote. The approval is conditioned on meeting building-code and DDRC requirements during permitting and construction review.