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Board grants setback variance for detached two‑family dwelling at Granny White Pike with condition to preserve stone wall
Summary
Board approved a variance allowing a detached two‑family dwelling to be built with a reduced Biltmore Street setback at 4518 Granny White Pike; approval was conditional on preserving an on-site stone wall and passed unanimously 5-0.
On April 17 the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance for a detached two‑family dwelling at 4518 Granny White Pike, permitting a reduced street setback along Biltmore Drive. The approval passed 5‑0 with one explicit condition: the applicant must preserve the existing stone wall on the site.
Applicant Blake Lee told the board he intends to retain the existing house and add a second detached dwelling on the lot; he said the lot is irregularly shaped and contains a stream in the northwest corner that constrains buildable area. Staff explained the Metro zoning update requires a contextual street setback for detached two‑family dwellings; staff’s calculation of surrounding setbacks produced an average street-line setback near 60.6 feet, which would push buildable area into neighboring yards and render the lot impractical for the proposed two‑unit plan.
Opponent Christina Lines, a nearby resident, said she understood the hardship claim but asked the board to attach conditions in case the existing house is later removed; she also asked that the stone wall remain. The applicant responded that he intends to keep the existing house and volunteered to preserve the stone wall.
The board found the lot’s irregular shape, the presence of a stream and the applicant’s stated intent to retain the existing house created a practical difficulty that met the variance standard. The board voted 5‑0 to grant the variance, and members made preservation of the stone wall a condition of approval.
Staff will record the condition in the permit record and notify the applicant of the requirement.
