Jonesboro BZA declines variance to split 1306 Charles Drive into two lots

Jonesboro — The Board of Zoning Adjustment on an undisclosed October date voted against a variance request that would have allowed a property owner to replat 1306 Charles Drive into two single-family lots with frontages of about 52 feet each, short of the 60-foot minimum in the city’s zoning rules.

Weston Wagner, the property owner and applicant, told the board the parcel is “right at a half acre” and that dividing it would produce two lots with roughly 55 feet of effective frontage where the houses would sit but about 52 and 52.78 feet at the street. “I am here looking for a variance at 1306 Charles Drive,” Wagner said, adding the homes he plans would be about 1,400–1,500 square feet, three bedrooms and two baths, and built of brick.

The board’s discussion centered on whether the situation presented a legal hardship that typically justifies a variance. A member of the board (identified in the record as the chair for the hearing) said, “I’m trying to find the hardship,” and noted that the owner’s plan to split the lot and build two homes appeared to create the condition that necessitated the variance. The chair also said he supported more single-family construction in Jonesboro, telling the applicant, “I want you to build a million houses in Jonesboro,” while urging caution about lot sizes and square footage.

City staff and board members acknowledged that the neighborhood was originally platted with larger lots because septic systems were required before city sewer existed on Charles Drive. Board members noted that the lots on Charles now have sewer and that the remainder of the rights and setbacks generally meet zoning requirements: side setbacks are shown at 7.5 feet, rear setbacks were acceptable and the front setback would be 20 feet under the proposed replat. The narrowness at the curbline, however, conflicts with the 60-foot lot width standard the board enforces.

During the meeting a motion was made to place the variance request on the floor for a vote. The roll-call vote recorded a single named yes vote from “Miles” and a named no vote from “Bailey.” Additional no votes were recorded but the transcript does not attach them to full names; the motion failed by a majority of no votes. The board did not approve the variance; no other formal direction or staff assignment was recorded on the record.

Wagner said he had submitted notification materials for required notices. He said he prefers to proceed with a variance because rezoning would require separate planning and city council hearings and would take an estimated six to eight weeks, while a granted variance could allow construction to start immediately. A board member pointed out that rezoning remained an available option for the applicant.

The board adjourned after the vote. The transcript contains no further formal actions tied to 1306 Charles Drive.