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BZA defers garage-location variance at 254 Giles Lane pending DHEC septic documentation
Summary
The Board deferred a request to allow a garage in front of a house on a 1.11-acre Giles Lane parcel, requiring submission of septic/DHEC documentation before the March 4, 2025 hearing.
The Lancaster County Board of Zoning Appeals on March 4 deferred action on a variance request from Harold Bass on behalf of property owners Evaristo Falcon Reyes and Karina Guerrero Hernandez to allow a garage in a nonstandard location at 254 Giles Lane.
April Williams, planning director for Lancaster County, said the request is for relief from Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) section 1.4.0.7(b), which requires accessory structures on parcels under 2 acres to be located to the side or rear of the main dwelling. Williams explained the parcel is approximately 1.11 acres and staff cannot approve a location that contradicts the UDO.
Harold Bass, representing the property owner and working for F and G Construction, described the site constraints, noting power lines, topography and the septic system location limit side and rear placement. He said the proposed garage footprint would be about 40 by 30 feet and that “Without the variance, my clients would not be able to build and enjoy the use of a garage for the property.” Bass said the upstairs of a two-story design would not be finished for occupancy because of cost, and the intended use would be storage.
Board members and staff discussed whether Giles Lane is a private drive or a roadway and whether future road extension could affect orientation. Several commissioners asked for confirmation of the septic tank and drain field location; board members expressed interest in a DHEC permit or survey showing the septic layout before voting on the variance. Allison Harden, development services director, and other staff confirmed the county requires any septic approvals from state environmental authorities prior to occupancy.
A motion to defer the application was made and seconded; the board voted unanimously to defer the variance hearing to the March 4, 2025 meeting and to require submission of septic-permit documentation (DHEC) showing the location/approval of the septic system. The board instructed staff and the applicant to bring the DHEC-permitted septic documentation to the next hearing.
