Board of Adjustments approves after‑the‑fact variance for Marina Front Drive gazebo

The Saint Tammany Parish Board of Adjustments approved an after‑the‑fact variance July 1 to reduce the front‑yard setback from 25 feet to 10 feet so a property owner can construct a 768‑square‑foot accessory gazebo on two combined lots in a multifamily residential district.

The applicant, Steve Hubert of 434 Marina Front Drive, told the board he bought one lot, built a home in late 2024 and later purchased the adjacent lot to create a usable yard. “The lot's too small to shift it,” Hubert said, adding that shifting the structure to meet the 25‑foot setback would place the gazebo “all the way back almost to the river.” He said a landscape architect designed the structure and that the homeowners association has approved the request.

The variance applies to a combined property of 11,021 square feet made from two lots (about 5,400 and 5,500 square feet). Board members noted the lots are shallow — roughly 70 feet deep — and that the development’s character and narrow lots have led the board to approve similar requests. Board member Swindell said he frequently passes the site by boat and called the lots “super narrow.” Board member Daly said, “We’ve consistently approved these because of the way these lots are on that peninsula,” and did not oppose the request.

The motion to approve was moved by Mr. Wagner and seconded by Mr. Walsh. The chair called for a vote and the motion carried.

The board had no recorded conditions beyond the standard permitting process. The applicant was congratulated and thanked the board before leaving the meeting.