Fairhope Board of Adjustments tables variance request for 50 Fells Avenue to allow more time for final site plans and tree protections

The City of Fairhope Board of Adjustments on Feb. 17 voted to table BOA 24.11, the variance application for 50 Fells Avenue, after staff and board members said they need a finalized site plan and clearer tree-protection details before granting the requested setbacks.

The request, filed by property owner Jason Lasource, seeks variances related to a proposed new house and accessory structure on a roughly 0.22-acre R-2 lot. The application as advertised asks for a 20-foot front-setback variance (which would yield a 15-foot setback from the street), a 5-foot side-setback variance, and a 10.5-foot variance to allow an accessory structure to be located forward of the rear building line. Mike Jeffries, City of Fairhope staff, told the board that staff could not support the full 20-foot front variance as requested but could potentially support a smaller 12-foot front variance tied to a site plan that would require removing an 8-foot front porch.

Why it matters: The site contains multiple trees classified as heritage trees, including a large live oak the applicant and an…