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Board approves four variances for Lady family home in Old Town Carmel with stormwater, landscaping conditions
Summary
The Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals granted four variances for a proposed single‑family home in Old Town Carmel — including height, roof pitch, lot coverage and roof materials — and required on‑site stormwater detention or payment and a landscape plan with at least one medium or large native shade tree.
The Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals on Jan. 27 approved four variances requested by Todd Lady to replace an existing two‑family rental with a new single‑family home in Old Town Carmel.
Petitioners sought variances to increase the maximum building height from 30 feet to 36 feet for a portion of the house, reduce a roof pitch from 8/12 to 6/12 in one location and allow a flat roof on another portion to accommodate a rooftop terrace, increase maximum lot coverage above the Old Town standard, and allow metal roofing and rubber membrane for the flat roof area. The petitioner said the design is a craftsman‑inspired home and that a portion of the property backs up to commercial uses.
Andy Word, a land use professional representing the applicant, said the height increase applies only to the rear (south) portion of the house and that the property adjoins commercial buildings to the south. He told the board the team reduced the originally filed lot coverage from 54% to 52.1% during review but that the figure remains above the Old Town Overlay District standard of 45%.
Planning staff expressed support for all four variance requests and recommended conditions if the board approved them. Staff and engineering required either on‑site stormwater detention or payment into the city stormwater fund to address the increase in impervious surface, and asked that the petitioner provide a landscape plan that includes at least one medium or large native shade tree in the front yard.
Board members asked about materials, setbacks and how the proposed height compares with nearby commercial buildings; the petitioner said adjacent buildings include a multi‑use building and a recently built law office that exceed the proposed height, and that similar metal roofing has been used elsewhere in the neighborhood. Todd Lady said the lot has been in his family for 30 years and that the family intends to continue living there: "This property has been in our family for 30 years. I've had family members reside there. I've eaten dinner there a 100 times," he said in support of the application.
A single motion to approve all four dockets carried. The board approved the variances with the conditions that the petitioner work with city engineering on stormwater detention or payment into the stormwater fund, provide a landscape plan including the required tree(s) to the urban forester, and that findings of fact be adopted by the BZA attorney.
The approvals clear the way for demolition of the existing two‑family rental and construction of the new home, subject to compliance with the engineering and landscape conditions.
