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Bexley ARB delays decision on covered walkway that would connect house and detached garage
Summary
The Bexley Architectural Review Board on Feb. 13 tabled an application to build a gabled covered walkway between a house and a detached garage at 811 South Roosevelt after staff said an attached roof would likely be treated as a single primary structure and require a variance.
The Bexley Architectural Review Board on Feb. 13 tabled an application for 811 South Roosevelt after extensive design discussion and staff advice that the proposed gabled covered walkway, as drawn, could be treated as a single primary structure and would likely need a variance from the Board of Zoning and Planning.
The applicant, identified in the record as Eric Kramer, said the homeowner’s goal was “to have a covered walkway from the home to the garage, so that when it’s raining, snowing, that she can get out to her car, and not slip and fall.” Kramer described a raised deck and a plan to align a new rectangular deck with the proposed walkway.
Karen, the city staff reviewer, told the board: “I as staff ... can’t recommend a covered gable roof that connects these two because it creates one big primary structure,” and said the connection would likely prompt a rear-yard setback variance. She recommended alternatives, including a covered deck that stops at the house, or a more permeable trellis between the two structures, and said zoning would be difficult to obtain for the proposed connection.
Board members critiqued the application’s site drawings and construction details and suggested design alternatives. Board member Scott said the plans did not reflect the actual elevations and asked for clearer elevations and construction details: “I think there’s plenty of options. I think the the other thing that I would would want to see more detail on is use your elevations and the details of your columns ... the drawings are fairly basic.” Other members recommended pulling the porch roof to the deck edge, building a freestanding pergola or trellis between the two structures, and revising the site plan so steps and door locations align.
The board voted to table the application to the March 13, 2025 ARB meeting so the applicant can revise the design and provide clearer site and elevation drawings. The motion to table was made and seconded; roll-call votes in the record show yes votes from members Hall, Calhoun, Scott, Hyer and Chairwoman Tony. No formal permit decision was made at the meeting.
The board’s guidance emphasized three points for the next submission: accurate site and elevation drawings showing jogs and grade differences, refined column and roof details that match the existing house, and exploration of nonattached solutions (pergola/trellis or separate small roofs) that avoid triggering a zoning variance.
If the applicant wishes to pursue an attached roof spanning both buildings despite staff caution, board members said staff can advise whether the proposal should proceed directly to the Board of Zoning and Planning for variance review. For now, the application remains tabled with instructions to revise and resubmit for the March meeting.
The board’s file identifies the application as ARB25-4, address 811 South Roosevelt; the owner is listed as Katie Sells.
