Speedway BZA tables variance request for oversized accessory building on Carlton Way
Loading...
Summary
The Speedway Board of Zoning Appeals on Oct. 1 tabled a petition seeking variances to build a 30-by-40-foot (1,200 sq. ft.) accessory structure at a Carlton Way residence after neighbors raised concerns about size, height and drainage and staff advised against approval.
The Speedway Board of Zoning Appeals on Oct. 1 agreed to table a request for variances to allow an accessory building larger and taller than the primary residence at a home on Carlton Way and will reconvene to reconsider the petition on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.
The petitioner’s representative, Vince Braun of Coach House, told the board the proposed building was 30 by 40 feet (1,200 square feet) — smaller than an earlier drawing that listed 35 by 45 feet — and said the owner’s main need was indoor storage for an RV. Braun said the walls would be 15 feet tall and that engineered trusses would add roughly 4 to 5 feet; after reviewing the truss drawings he acknowledged the building would exceed 20 feet in overall height by about a foot.
Mitchell “Mitch” Rechter of Etika Group, who delivered the staff report to the board, said he was not recommending approval. Rechter said the consolidated zoning ordinance prohibits an accessory building whose footprint is larger than the primary building and prohibits accessory-building height that exceeds the primary building. He told the board the proposed accessory structure would be larger than the primary dwelling on the lot and would also be larger than one adjacent primary structure. Rechter noted the lot’s width (about 75 feet) is smaller than the 90-foot minimum listed for the neighborhood’s NAD-1 zone and flagged an existing overhead power line that may conflict with the proposed location.
Neighbor Pam Roseanne, who said she owns parcels at 5312 and 5360 Carlton Way and that the petition site sits between her properties, urged the BZA to deny the petition. Roseanne said the proposed garage would be “a huge looking” structure visible from her property, that Speedway already has flooding issues, and that runoff from a large pole-barn-style building could worsen drainage. She recommended gutters, downspouts and on-site retention or rain gardens if the board approved the variance, and said the owner should add screening and remove invasive plants around the property.
Braun said the contractor plans to install gutters and that Coach House typically backfills and grades sites so they drain. He also said the owner could work with the utility company if the proposed location conflicts with power lines. Braun said he usually represents property owners at variance hearings and that owners are not always present.
During deliberations, Vice Chairman Curtis Miller said the primary concern was neighborhood character — a predominance of one- to one-and-a-half–story houses — and whether approving a larger, taller accessory building would be consistent with that character. Miller also said drainage appeared manageable if gutters and setbacks were provided. Because board members and staff indicated a smaller structure would be more compatible, the BZA voted to table the petition and asked the petitioner to provide revised drawings and to consult with the owner about reducing the building footprint and height.
The board set a reconvened hearing for Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. to consider updated plans. No formal vote on the variance was taken at the Oct. 1 meeting.
Votes at a glance
- Action: Petition 2025-DVS-0055318 (variance for accessory building at Carlton Way). - Outcome at this hearing: Tabled for reconsideration on Oct. 9, 2025, at 7 p.m. - Vote details: No roll-call vote recorded; the board agreed to table and reconvene (consensus recorded in meeting).
