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Planning board approves variance to enclose patio at 205 Alcazar Street with reduced setback and small lot-coverage increase
Summary
The board granted a variance to allow a screened enclosure and small roofed addition at 205 Alcazar Street, reducing the front-yard setback and raising lot coverage by about one percentage point; the motion included an explicit 3-foot setback limit where the structure approaches a public right-of-way.
The Planning and Zoning Board approved a variance at 205 Alcazar Street that lets the homeowner enclose an existing patio with a screen enclosure and add a 150-square-foot roofed portion. The board authorized two dimensional variances: a reduced front-yard setback (the applicant had requested zero feet; the board approved a 3-foot setback for the new enclosure where it approaches the lot line) and a small increase in maximum lot coverage from 35% to 36%.
Why it matters: The variance resolves a common retrofit question for older lots in Davis Shores where existing patios and irregular lot geometry can create conflicts between the desired screening/roofing and strict setback or lot-coverage standards.
What the application proposed and what the board approved
- Proposal: Enclose an existing concrete patio with a screened structure; add a 150-square-foot roofed portion so the screened area will have a consistent roofline. The roofed portion caused the lot-coverage calculation to exceed the 35% limit by roughly 1%. - Board action: Approved the lot-coverage variance and modified the requested front-yard setback reduction so the enclosure is held back 3 feet from the applicable property line rather than to 0 feet. The board noted the property’s corner lot geometry and the existing impervious surfaces in its discussion.
Board concerns and conditions: Several members said they were uncomfortable granting a zero-foot setback because a variance runs with the land and can be used later in ways the board cannot control. The board therefore imposed the 3-foot limit on the reduced setback and discussed that any conversion of the screened area to a fully roofed habitable room would require compliance with lot coverage rules and likely return to the board or to staff for further approvals.
Vote and next steps: The motion to approve the modified variance passed on a roll call vote (yes: Matthew Schafer, Ashley Barnes, Susan Johns, Charles Pappas, Christina Tucker). The applicant will proceed with building permit review, and the city’s building and planning staff will check the impervious/ISR calculations as part of the permit package.
