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BZA grants front‑setback and parking relief for hillside lot at 495 Falling Run Road
Summary
The board approved an 8‑foot front‑setback variance and relief from the two‑space off‑street parking requirement for a steep, constrained lot at 495 Falling Run Road, allowing the applicant to place a modest single‑family home near the footprint of a prior structure.
The Board of Zoning Appeals granted two variances for a steep, irregular lot at 495 Falling Run Road: an eight‑foot increase to the maximum front setback and relief from the requirement to provide two off‑street parking spaces.
Applicant representative Todd Moores described a parcel bisected by a section of Falling Run Road with steep grades that constrain where a house can be placed and where parking can be constructed. Moores told the board the proposed home would sit roughly in the footprint of a previous dwelling and that the topography leaves only a small buildable area. “There is a rather steep grade here…so there on that block there is a small area to build a house,” Moores said.
Planning staff supported the variances, citing the parcel's unusual topography and existing lot configuration. The applicant explained that while one off‑street parking area might be possible near the end of the dead‑end road, two full parking spaces meeting the ordinance dimensions would be difficult without unacceptable additional grading or impact to the trail/green space at the road’s end.
The board accepted staff findings and voted to grant the variances with the standard condition that any future site‑plan changes comply with the planning and zoning code or return to the BZA. The board flagged the parking relief as the more consequential of the two requests but ultimately found the parcel's characteristics supported the relief. As with other cases, the board noted the decision is appealable and that any work during the 30‑day appeal period is at the applicant's financial risk.
