Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Development Permits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Norton BZA approves 30-by-48-foot garage addition at 3997 Bushey Avenue
Summary
The Norton Board of Zoning and Building Appeals on Aug. 19 approved a variance allowing a 30-by-48-foot addition to an existing garage at 3997 Bushey Avenue. The applicant, James V. Hart, holds a home-occupancy permit for automotive work; board members discussed runoff and drainage but approved the variance unanimously.
The Norton Board of Zoning and Building Appeals on Aug. 19 approved a variance for a 30-by-48-foot addition to an existing garage at 3997 Bushey Avenue, granting the applicant permission to extend the structure to the right of the existing building.
The variance (BZA A-10-2025) was sought by James V. Hart, who told the board he has held a home-occupancy permit to perform automotive work at the address since February 2011 and said the addition is needed for storage and to allow his wife to park inside the garage. "I've been working out of my garage since 02/2011... I have no complaints from my neighbors since 02/2011," Hart said.
Zoning administrator Bill Grama told the board the property sits in an R-3 district and that the addition would amount to roughly an additional 170 square feet beyond the existing garage footprint; Grama said GIS indicates a 10-foot rear setback would remain. Edward Beeman, a neighbor at 3987 Bushey Avenue, spoke in support of Hart, saying the Harts are "pleasant neighbors." "I have no complaints," Beeman said.
Board members asked about stormwater management. One commissioner raised concerns about water runoff and whether the addition could worsen drainage issues in the neighborhood; Grama and the applicant replied that roof runoff must tie into downspouts under the building code and that Hart intends to connect to an existing drainage ditch and may install a French drain. The board discussed including a drainage expectation during the permitting process but did not record a separate formal condition in the motion minutes.
A motion to approve BZA A-10-2025 as requested — a 30-foot-by-48-foot addition extending to the right of the existing garage — passed on a roll-call vote with all voting members in favor. The board advised Hart to contact city staff the following day to complete paperwork.
The approval authorizes the specific addition described in the application; further changes or additional permits would require separate review under the city code.
