Board approves variance for unpermitted gazebo at 1197 Maplestone Drive despite staff objection

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance on June 9, 2025 for a gazebo constructed without permits at 1197 Maplestone Drive, despite a staff recommendation against the request. The board voted 3-0 to approve the petition (filed as BCA2024-062) and directed corporation counsel to draft findings of fact for formal adoption at the next meeting.

Petitioner Avtar Singh, represented in English by translator Mandeep Singh, told the board the gazebo was installed on the only relatively flat area of a steep, triangular 0.33-acre lot and said the family had relied on contractor guidance when they built it. “This is just a humble request. That's all. It's a family of 4 ... we have invested the money in it,” the translator told the board on the family’s…