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Board approves variance to enclose dance floor at Charles Hammond House barn
Summary
The North Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals granted a variance to allow an enlarged barn at the Charles Hammond House to enclose a dance floor, rescinding a prior condition that permitted an outdoor dance floor; the change is intended to reduce noise for neighbors and includes conditions limiting the footprint and applicability to the current site.
The North Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals on March 4 voted to grant application ZV25-001, allowing an enlarged barn at the Charles Hammond House, 908 West Martintown Road, so that an event dance floor would be located inside an enclosed structure instead of outdoors.
The variance, filed by property owner James O'Neil, was approved with conditions that restrict the building footprint to the concept shown in the submitted exhibits and state that the variance applies only to the present property and does not vest future development rights. The board also rescinded the earlier special-exception language that allowed an outdoor dance floor and specified that any dance floor must be located inside the barn.
Planning staff opened the public hearing by identifying the site as the Charles Hammond House (sometimes called the Hammond House) and saying the property previously had a special exception permitting bed-and-breakfast and event uses. Staff told the board that the applicant sought the variance because the barn shown on the site plan is larger than the existing structure and exceeds the size limits in the development code. Staff described the change as intended to move event activities indoors to reduce sound transmission to adjacent houses.
James O'Neil, the applicant and property owner, told the board the enclosed barn would allow planned events to proceed during inclement weather, provide additional storage for donated historic artifacts, and improve accessibility and restroom/warming-kitchen facilities. "The space will allow us to not only have enclosed event[s] ... and especially if someone has planned something for outside and we have inclement weather ... I can actually move them inside and plans not be canceled," O'Neil said.
One nearby resident, Eddie Hipp, spoke in favor of the plan and said the barn renovation would improve the property's appearance. No speakers opposed the variance during the public comment period; staff noted the board had received e-mailed comments and hard copies for the record.
During deliberations the board worked through the required ten variance criteria in the North Augusta Development Code, finding in the affirmative that an unnecessary hardship existed and that the requested change would not substantially harm adjacent property or the public good if built and conditioned as proposed. The board's motion to grant the variance was made on the findings presented, seconded, and approved by the members present.
The approved conditions require construction to match the conceptual footprint on the exhibits and limit the variance to the current property and the current construction; the existing special-exception provision permitting an outdoor dance floor was rescinded and any dance-floor activity must take place inside the barn. The applicant did not request an increase in the previously set maximum event attendance (200 people).
