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Grove City board approves variance for oversized detached garage at Cassidy Drive
Summary
The Grove City Board of Zoning Appeals granted an appeal to allow a detached 676-square-foot accessory building at 3732 Cassidy Drive that exceeds local limits on garage area and height, with a 12-month construction expectation and a 21-day City Council appeal period.
The Grove City Board of Zoning Appeals approved an appeal to allow a detached accessory garage at 3732 Cassidy Drive despite exceeding the municipal limits on combined garage area and on wall and overall heights.
The board voted unanimously to grant the appeal by Matt Mutschler, an architect with F5 Design, who represented property owners David and Julie Logston. The motion included a condition that construction of the detached garage commence within 12 months of the board’s approval.
The variance request sought permission to construct a 676-square-foot detached accessory building on a lot that already has an attached 638-square-foot garage, producing a combined 1,314 square feet of garage area. The requested total exceeds the 900-square-foot maximum by 414 square feet. The appeal also asked to exceed the maximum wall height of 8 feet and the maximum overall garage height set in the Grove City zoning code: the packet and testimony described a requested wall height of 13 feet 3-3/4 inches and an overall garage height of 20 feet.
"We have an existing home that is in construction with a attached 2-car garage ... We're seeking approval for a detached garage, of very similar proportions, about 40 feet away on the existing lot," Mutschler told the board. He said the detached building was designed to align eave lines and roof pitch with the existing garage "which is why we're asking for the wall height variance and then, the roof pitch and slope is the same which is, why we're requesting the overall height variance." (Matt Mutschler, architect, F5 Design)
Board members asked about lot size, use and neighborhood impacts. Mutschler testified the lot is "very close to about 1 acre" with an overall lot depth of roughly 229 feet and that the detached structure would sit near an alley on a corner lot. He said the second garage would include an overhead door and could be used to store cars but that the property owner — an engineer — plans to use it as an office/ shop. "No second story," Mutschler said when asked about an upper floor.
Staff said neighbors were notified and one adjacent property owner, Connor Johnson of Lot 49, responded in support after reviewing the proposal. Board members noted the detached garage would help screen the alley and provide privacy for the neighborhood.
Chair Hellinga opened and closed the motion to approve the appeal; the motion passed 3-0 with Mr. Brandt, Chair Hellinga and Mr. Hahn voting in favor. Chair Hellinga cautioned the applicants that the City Council could reverse the Board’s decision during the statutory 21-day appeal period, a rare but possible step.
The board recorded the action as an approved variance; the packet notes construction is expected to begin within 12 months. No additional conditions (for example, landscaping or alternative screening) were imposed during the hearing.
