Grand Prairie Zoning Board approves four variances, denies one and tables another on May 19

The City of Grand Prairie Zoning Board of Adjustments on May 19, 2025, approved four variance requests, denied a special-exception for a side-yard carport at 3659 Forest Trail Drive and tabled one item to the next monthly meeting.

Why it matters: The board’s decisions affect property owners’ ability to build or enlarge accessory structures (carports/garages) and set precedents that residents and developers said could influence neighborhood character and permitting practice in Grand Prairie.

The board, chaired by Barry Sanders, heard six cases during the public-hearing portion of a meeting that began at 6:04 p.m. Staff presentations noted that building permits and specific construction requirements (including paving under carports) remain required even where variances are granted.

Key votes and actions - ZBA25030016 (1834 Crooks Court): The board approved variances to construct a rear carport sized to hold an RV. The approved requests increased a single-carport area from the 500-square-foot limit to 700 square feet (a 40% increase) and raised the total allowed accessory-structure area from 968.5 to 1,298 square feet (a 34% increase). Motion to close and approve carried 9–0. Applicant Paul Levy spoke at the hearing and said he has submitted drawings for the concrete approach and that the new carport will replace an existing awning.

- ZBA25040026 (3659 Forest Trail Drive): The board denied a request for a special exception and a variance to allow a side-yard carport to abut a property line (reducing a required 3-foot setback to 0). Staff reported one notice in favor and one in opposition and that the structure currently stores a boat without concrete beneath it. The meeting record includes a written letter of opposition from Michael Curtis, a Forest Trail Drive resident, who wrote: “I strongly oppose the granting for this zoning exception … it would negatively impact the property value of my house and every other house” in the Arbor Creek Addition. The motion to close and approve was defeated by a 5–4 vote.

- ZBA25040027 (517 Northeast 18th Street): The board approved a variance for the total square footage of accessory structures to allow a detached garage plus a rear carport totaling about 700 square feet (a roughly 2% increase over the listed limit). Staff noted an existing building permit and existing concrete on site; the motion passed 9–0. Mario Gomez, the applicant, told the board he supported staff’s presentation.

- ZBA25040028: The applicant requested this item be tabled to the next meeting. The board voted to table the case 9–0.

- ZVA25040029 (2418 Ryze Ridge) and ZVA25040030 (2417 Ascent Lane): These two requests, from the same developer, sought a half-inch encroachment on the minimum side-yard setback for new single-family homes (reducing the required 15-foot side-yard to 14 feet with a half-inch encroachment on the site plan). Representatives from D.R. Horton described the encroachment as a design outcome of the architect’s plans; the board approved each variance by 9–0. Staff noted no homeowners association and minimal public notices returned.

Discussion highlights and conditions - Permitting and paving: For several approved variances staff and the board emphasized that a building-permit review remains required and that any area under a proposed or existing carport must be paved as part of that process. Staff also said engineering reviewers will assess drainage during permit review and that paving/impervious-area requirements will be enforced through the building permit.

- Neighborhood character and precedent: The most contested case (3659 Forest Trail Drive) drew a written opposition arguing the carport would clash with neighborhood curb appeal and reduce property values. Board members asked whether there are permitted carports within 300 feet; staff said none were apparent in the record and that undocumented or older unpermitted structures could exist. Several members discussed the possibility that allowing one carport could set a neighborhood precedent.

What’s next: The item tabled by the applicant (case ending in 28) will return at next month’s ZBA meeting. Approved projects still require building permits; the board’s approvals do not waive building-permit review, paving, or engineering requirements.

Meeting logistics: The Zoning Board voted with a full nine-member board during the public hearing portion; the ZBA meets monthly and follows the City of Grand Prairie Unified Development Code and the Texas Local Government Code provisions referenced during the hearing.