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Bellbrook board approves variance for 25½-foot landscape steps at 3868 West Franklin Street
Summary
The Board approved a variance Aug. 19 to Zoning Code section 18.11 allowing homeowners at 3868 West Franklin Street to construct concrete landscape steps that extend 25½ feet from the driveway to the curb, exceeding the 10-foot projection normally permitted for porches and steps.
On Aug. 19, 2025, the City of Bellbrook Board of Zoning Appeals and Property Review Commission approved a variance to Zoning Code section 18.11 that allows concrete landscape steps extending from the existing driveway at 3868 West Franklin Street to exceed the ordinary 10-foot maximum projection for porches and steps.
Property owners Pat and Sylvia Shevyak presented the application, describing the parcel’s steep driveway slope and narrow frontage as safety and accessibility concerns. Pat Shevyak told the board the proposed run of steps would be about 25½ feet long, 36 inches wide and 18 inches deep per step; he said the design aims to make the entry less treacherous in winter and to blend with the neighborhood’s covenants.
The Shevyaks said they had engaged a contractor with previous work in the area and had surveyed their lot; the homeowners told the board the subdivision’s original street and drainage layout contributed to the practical problem they seek to address. The applicant also said the front porch currently has a 22-inch drop to grade and lacks a railing because it falls short of the 24-inch threshold that would have required a railing under code.
Board members and the applicant discussed whether adding a railing would be necessary for safety or would trigger an additional variance. The applicants said railing was under consideration but that they were seeking the stairs as a “90% solution” — a substantial safety and aesthetic improvement short of additional structural work that could require another variance.
A motion to approve the variance (BZA25-03) carried unanimously. The vote recorded all board members voting yes. The board noted the applicants had checked with their homeowners association and planned to relocate an existing lamppost to align with neighborhood covenants; the applicants also said they intend to replace the aging lamppost with a new unit.
The board did not add additional written conditions to the motion as recorded in the meeting transcript. The variance allows the homeowners to proceed with construction consistent with the plans described at the hearing; any future structural changes such as adding a railing may require separate review if they would be considered a structure under the zoning code.
The meeting closed after both variance requests were decided.
