Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Variances topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington County zoning board approves three variances for Magnolia, Gilmore and Harmon Estates
Summary
The Washington County Zoning Board of Adjustments approved three variances June 9 to allow two lot splits and a reduced setback for a metal storage building.
The Washington County Zoning Board of Adjustments on June 9 approved three variance requests that will allow two lot splits and a reduced setback for a residential property.
Planning staff described each request at the meeting. The Magnolia Acres item sought a variance to split a 6.03-acre parcel into a 5.63-acre tract and a 0.40-acre tract, deviating from the countys 1-acre minimum. The Gilmore request asked to split a 1.96-acre parent tract into 1.0 acre and 0.96 acre tracts; staff said the hardship followed Arkansas State Highway 59 right-of-way acquisition in 2024 that reduced the parent parcels size. The Harmon Estates item requested a variance to place a personal-use metal storage building within an access/utility easement and to encroach upon a 25-foot building setback, leaving 5 feet between the building and the east property line.
The board took no public comment on the three items. Applicants or representatives explained the proposals: Alan Reed said the Magnolia replat would create a narrow nonbuildable strip to secure legal driveway access for a neighbor; James Gilmore confirmed his split followed the highway right-of-way loss; and Gene McCartney spoke for applicant Tyler McCartney on the Harmon Estates request and described the applicants need for an RV cover and site constraints including an existing septic and utility locations.
Board members moved and voted to approve each variance. The meeting record shows the motion for the Magnolia Acres variance was approved by voice vote, as were the Gilmore and Harmon Estates variances.
The approvals mean applicants may proceed with the next administrative steps: a replat/subdivision filing for the two lot splits and permitting for the accessory building in Harmon Estates. Planning staff recorded that, for the three items, it had received no complaints for the two replat requests and three comments not in favor for the Harmon Estates storage building prior to the meeting.
The Zoning Board adjourned and the Planning Board convened immediately afterward.
Details recorded in the public record and in Planning staff reports will govern the next steps for recording parcels and building permits.
