Planning commission denies variance to reduce rear setback at 210 Nunn Street

The White House Planning and Zoning Commission on April 15, 2025 denied a variance request to reduce the rear setback from 20 feet to 15 feet at 210 Nunn Street, a corner lot where the applicant proposes a duplex.

A planning staff member told commissioners the property is zoned Residential Medium (RM) and that the applicant, property owner Robert Schultz, sought the reduced rear setback to build a duplex. The staff member said the lot is about 69 feet deep and noted the lot previously contained a dilapidated mobile home that sat roughly 7 1/2 feet from the rear setback line.

The matter drew public comment from a nearby resident, Judah Santana of 208 Nunn Street, who said safety and visibility near the intersection concerned him and his wife. "These codes are set for reasons," Santana said, adding that his primary worry was traffic visibility at the corner. The commission clarified the requested variance was for the rear setback and not the street frontage and noted the proposed front setback would still have to meet code.

Commissioners discussed lot depth relative to surrounding properties, traffic and whether the proposed building would move closer to Willingham Road. A neighbor said Willingham Road carries faster traffic and that side setbacks on the Willingham frontage will need close monitoring. Commissioners also noted the previous mobile home had been "grandfathered in" and that replacing it with a duplex would still alter the lot configuration.

The property owner did not appear at the meeting. The commission recessed briefly to attempt contact; staff later reported Robert Schultz texted an apology and said a family matter kept him from attending.

After discussion, a motion to deny the variance — to keep the rear setback at 20 feet rather than reduce it to 15 feet — passed. The meeting record shows the motion carried by a count of four in favor; no opposing votes were recorded. The commission instructed staff to notify the applicant of the decision the following day. A planning staff member also noted the applicant has the right to appeal the commission's decision to the City Council; if he chooses to appeal, the item would appear on the next Tuesday City Council agenda at 6 p.m.

The decision preserves the existing setback requirement for 210 Nunn Street; any future request by the applicant for the reduced setback would require repeating the variance process or pursuing an appeal to City Council.