Board denies three variances for 417 Forest Street, citing self‑created violations and neighborhood impacts

Summary

The Board denied three variance requests for 417 Forest Street — side‑setback encroachments for the principal building and an accessory appurtenance, and a reduced landscape surface area — after staff concluded the violations were self‑created and could harm neighboring properties and drainage.

The Franklin City Board of Zoning Appeals on July 3 denied three variance requests for the property at 417 Forest Street, rejecting requests to allow (1) a 2-foot-6-inch encroachment into a required seven-foot side setback for the principal building, (2) a 2-foot-6-inch encroachment into a required five-foot side setback for an appurtenance on an accessory structure, and (3) a reduction of the lot’s required Landscape Surface Area (LSA) to 26 percent from the R4 requirement of 40 percent.

Staff described a complicated compliance history in which the house, accessory structure and paved areas built in 2022 did not match the building permit approved in November 2022. Inspections followed, a red sign was posted in September 2024 noting no certificate of occupancy, and the property later entered foreclosure. The bank sold the property; the current owner, Brian Biglin, purchased it in March 2025 and later asked for variances to address the zoning discrepancies.

Staff told the board the principal house sits about 4 feet 8 inches from the…

Board denies three variances for 417 Forest Street, citing self‑created violations and neighborhood impacts

Summary

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