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Augusta BZA approves 2-foot side-setback variance for William Street property
Summary
The Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance to reduce the eastern side-yard setback from 7 feet to 5 feet at 2345 William Street to allow construction of a new house and rear two-car garage; approval requires a Historic Preservation Commission certificate of appropriateness before construction.
The Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals on Oct. 20 approved a variance to reduce a required side-yard setback from 7 feet to 5 feet for property at 2345 William Street to permit construction of a new residence with a two-car rear garage.
The variance was requested by the property owner to allow the proposed home to move parking to the rear of the lot and reduce on-street parking on William Street, staff said. Ashley Catterton, Development Services administrator, told the board the lot is approximately 0.28 acre, is zoned R-1A and lies inside the Somerville Historic District. Catterton said approval would not exceed the 30% maximum lot coverage allowed by the ordinance and that three letters of support had been received by staff.
The applicant’s representative, identified in the record as Ms. Howard, told the board that many lots on that block are about 60 feet wide with no front-to-rear driveways and that their “main goal is to get the cars off the street.” She also said an existing rear structure currently sits two feet from the property line and would be removed if the new construction proceeds, which she described as an improvement.
Staff recommended denial because the request did not meet all variance criteria in section 33 of the comprehensive zoning ordinance, but included alternate conditions should the board approve. Those conditions readmitted by staff and accepted by the applicant included allowing a minimum five-foot side-yard setback and requiring approval of a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before construction.
Board member Turner moved to approve the variance subject to the staff conditions; the motion received a second and passed by unanimous show-of-hands vote.
The approval does not authorize construction work; the applicant must obtain the certificate of appropriateness and all required building permits before beginning construction.
Copies of the staff report cited section 8-8(b)(2) of the comprehensive zoning ordinance and reminded the public that appellate review is available in Superior Court within 30 days of the board’s decision.
