The Board of Appeals on Oct. 20 approved a variance requested by Emily and Andrew Johnson for a shore-yard setback measured from a meander line rather than the ordinary high-water mark. The Johnsons said the meander line reduces their narrow, irregular lot's buildable area and that alternatives would push the house far behind adjacent homes.
Applicant Emily Johnson described a 1958 house the family has been trying to update for three years and said the meander line intrudes more than 20 feet into their yard. She told the board the proposed design would keep the new home aligned with neighboring houses and would actually locate the structure farther from the water than the existing house; "we'd still be 60 feet from that ordinary high water line," she said.
Local resident Bridal Reynolds, who lives across the street, told the board that in this part of the city the meander line sometimes cuts 14 to 21 feet into lots and that the meander-line rule creates an undue hardship compared with measuring from the ordinary high-water mark. The Johnsons also presented signed statements from nine surrounding neighbors, which staff noted were included in the application package.
Doug, city zoning staff, said the request is limited to the shore-yard/meander-line setback and that all other dimensional standards in the application comply with the code. Board members praised the application as well-prepared, noted the limited alternatives for a modern build on a narrow lot and voted to approve the variance.