The Warren City Zoning Board of Appeals on June 4 approved a package of variances that will allow developer Faye Baker to build single-family detached homes on a group of lots on the city’s south end.

Faye Baker, representative of Baker and Associates Realty Group Lehi, asked the board for reduced rear setbacks, higher lot coverage and waivers of a two-foot front-building-line staggering requirement so modular ranch and colonial models can be placed on existing 40-foot-wide lots.

Baker said the variances will let her build homes “that appeal to the modern home buyer,” including a ranch model with an attached one-car garage and a footprint she described as larger than older homes on the block. She told the board the company is working with Champion Homes, that floor plans have been submitted to the state for approval and that she expects permitting and construction to allow occupancy “by October.” Baker also said five homes are already sold and that the project is aimed at owner-occupants, not investors; she said state funding tied to some units requires owners to occupy the home for at least five years.

The board considered three grouped agenda items. Items 6–9 covered four lots (addresses beginning with 7567 and 7575 Packard; 7568 and 7576 Hupp) asking permission to construct single-family residences with a 30-foot rear setback and 35 percent lot coverage. Items 10–11 covered two corner lots (7504 Hupp and 7503 Packard) adding a requested 15-foot side setback abutting a street and an explicit waiver of the two-foot front-building-line staggering requirement. Items 12–24 covered the remaining parcels in the application (a set of lots on Hupp and Packard) asking similar relief, including 30-foot rear setbacks, waiver of the two-foot staggering, and 35 percent lot coverage.

Planning staff read the department’s impact statement and reported “no issues were found to impact the abutting local or general public” for the items under consideration.

Board discussion included a question about which zoning districts the lots fall in and whether the two-foot staggering requirement applies. Board member Michael Cliff read the municipal code aloud and said the R1P district language requires a 25-foot front yard but does not mention the two-foot staggering; he noted the R1C district language differs. The board and staff discussed that distinction and whether the waiver had been posted for every parcel; staff said they would verify the public notice and follow up with the applicant if posting omitted any requested relief.

Board members asked Baker about price points and timeline. Baker described three models and quoted target price figures in the record (she said “around 2.24,” “no more than 2.70,” and “close to 2.95” when discussing the three models; units were not specified in the transcript). She explained her firm’s nonprofit work on homebuyer education, down-payment assistance and post-purchase coaching and said the project is intended for first-time homebuyers and families.

A board member asked what happens to variances if a project stalls. A speaker identified in the meeting as Mister Murphy said the city’s rule is that if a permit is not applied for within one year the variance is automatically rescinded.

Motions to grant the variances passed for each grouped item. For items 6–9, a motion by Secretary Jersey with support from Mister Clift approved the requested 30-foot rear setback and 35 percent lot coverage. For items 10–11, a motion by Mister Clift with support from Secretary Jersey approved the 30-foot rear setback, 15-foot side setback abutting a street, waiver of the two-foot staggering and 35 percent lot coverage. For items 12–24, a motion by Secretary Jersey with support by Mister Assessor approved the same relief as presented for that group. The chair announced approval for each item group after roll-call votes; individual board members recorded votes in the public record as “yes for the reason stated in the motion.”

The board did not adopt conditions in the motions limiting sales to owner-occupants; Baker told the board she expects state funding for part of the project that requires owner-occupancy for at least five years. The board recorded that permitting and state approvals remain prerequisites to construction and that any omission in public notice for a requested waiver would be clarified by staff.

The meeting closed after routine new-business items and an adjournment vote at 7:58 p.m.