Grand Island board approves 2805 Fix Road addition, grants conditional approval for pole barn pending variance

At its May meeting the Grand Island Board of Architecture approved a house addition at 2805 Fix Road and gave conceptual approval for a separate pole barn contingent on obtaining a variance.

The board approved the house addition “as submitted” and then voted to grant conceptual approval for the detached pole barn with the condition that the applicants secure any required variances and supply revised drawings. Board Member 1, Board member, said during the hearing, “The pole barn puts you over the allowable square footage for accessory structures,” explaining why the separate building could not be treated the same as the house addition.

Why it matters: board members said the property’s existing garage space plus the proposed accessory structure would exceed the town’s allowance for accessory buildings, triggering the need for a variance before the pole barn can move forward. That means the pole barn may be delayed even though the board provided conceptual support so the applicant can proceed quickly if the variance is approved.

Details from the meeting: applicants and board members described the pole barn as being sited roughly 10 to 15 feet behind the end of the new addition. One participant provided an approximate size for the pole barn and related structures, saying in the record that the accessory area would be “another 1,400” square feet and at one point referring to “1,500 square feet” when discussing both sides. Board members and staff discussed garage counts and how attached or detached garage space is counted toward the accessory-square-footage cap.

Board procedure and next steps: the board treated the house addition and the pole barn as two separate agenda items so the addition could be approved without delaying construction. The board’s approval of the pole barn was explicitly conditional: it was a conceptual approval “pending variance” and revised drawings. Board Member 1 made the motion to accept the house addition as submitted; Board Member 4 seconded it. Later, Board Member 5 moved conceptual approval of the pole barn conditioned on other reviews and any required variance; Board Member 2 seconded that motion. The board recorded the approvals as unanimous.

The board noted the applicant will submit revised drawings to the building department; staff said a follow-up letter would recap the board’s guidance. The board also discussed technical details raised by the applicants, including overhead-door orientation (doors to face west), door heights (participants cited 12-foot doors and an 18-foot wall/peak height in places), and intended uses for the pole barn (tractor, boat and other private storage). The board reiterated that full kitchens are not allowed in separate accessory structures and summarized limits on secondary kitchens under the zoning for single-family parcels.

The board closed the item after the motions; staff said they would follow up with the building department and the applicant about revised drawings and variance timelines.