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Applicant asks to shrink front setback to preserve trees; board defers decision
Summary
Detweiler Contracting LLC requested a variance to reduce the required 100-foot front setback to 50 feet for a new home on Cow Road to avoid removing mature trees and to avoid building on a slope; the board voted to defer the application and asked the applicant to refile at a larger setback.
An application from Detweiler Contracting LLC asking to reduce the required 100-foot front setback to 50 feet for a proposed new home on Cow Road in Mecklenburg County was presented to the zoning panel on May 27, 2025, and the panel voted to defer the request so the applicant can refile with a smaller reduction.
The request matters because the applicant said complying with the 100-foot setback would require removing mature Leyland cypress and pine trees and place the house on a slope; the applicant asked the board to allow a 50-foot setback to keep the house clear of the trees and preserve a rear buffer between the new dwelling and existing houses behind the property.
John Detweiler, representing Detweiler Contracting LLC, told the board the lot is “a nice clear lot” and that the 100-foot setback would put the proposed 32-foot-wide house plus an 8-foot front porch into the tree line. He said, “We'd like to stay outside of it.” Robert, a county staff member who inspected the site, confirmed field measurements and discussed options with the applicant.
Board members discussed alternatives, including moving porch steps to the side (which the applicant said would gain only “maybe 3 or 4 feet”) and reducing the requested variance amount. A member suggested tabling the application and having the applicant submit a new variance for a 70- to 75-foot setback rather than the 50 feet originally requested. That member said the board “usually grant[s] these if somebody has a really steep slope on the property” or a demonstrated hardship; otherwise the board prefers smaller adjustments.
A motion to defer the Detweiler application was made and seconded; the chair called for a show of hands and the board deferred the matter, directing the applicant to refile with a revised setback request.
The application referenced the parcel by county tax number 124C00-01-025 and parcel record number 37735 and cited zoning yard regulations under Article 3, Section 3-3, paragraph a. The property is zoned agricultural and is located on the east side of Route 722 (Cow Road) at its intersection with Heron Drive.
Next steps: the applicant was advised to submit a new variance application (the board recommended aiming for 70–75 feet) and return to a future meeting for consideration.
