Wilson County Board of Zoning Appeals approves most variances, limits some business uses and denies one tall garage

Lebanon, Tenn. — The Wilson County Board of Zoning Appeals on its July meeting approved a series of variances for property owners across the county, including conditional approvals for two business uses and a denial of one accessory-structure height variance.

Board members approved variances that will allow homeowners to replace or expand existing structures on several lots, and granted conditional permission for two nonresidential uses in the a-1 agricultural zone: a stone fabrication shop that will operate as a discreet home-based business and a firearms gunsmithing/manufacturing operation that the board approved for a three-year term. The board denied a request for an accessory structure that would exceed the 22-foot height limit in a residential zone.

The approvals largely reflected staff findings that many affected properties were older tracts of record or nonconforming lots, which limited the county’s ability to enforce current lot-size and setback standards without a variance. For business uses, the board added conditions intended to limit impacts on neighbors and to align operations with county expectations.

Discussion and key decisions

- Fabrication business (case 4306): The board approved use of an existing accessory building for a stone fabrication business on property at 5785 Bridal of Ferry Pike, with conditions. Planner testimony said the applicant told staff the shop would not be open to the public, would not employ non-resident employees and would not store materials outdoors; deliveries would be limited and scheduled to avoid school traffic. The board’s motion imposed stipulations including that the shop be used only for custom stone fabrication, not open to the public, have no additional employees, have no outdoor material storage and be limited to four pickup/delivery trips per week; the board also included the applicant’s business plan and listed quiet hours as part of the approval.

- Gunsmithing / manufacturing (case 4307): The board approved a request from an applicant seeking an ATF type-7 manufacturing Federal Firearms License at a residence on Beasley’s Bend Road, with a three-year time limit on the zoning approval. Applicant Andrew Lamasney told the board the practical difference between gunsmithing and manufacturing, in ATF terms, is whether the business sources parts itself; he said his intent is to produce custom, one-off bench rifles rather than mass production. The board noted the zoning ordinance’s home-occupation language allows firearms repair and repair-related activity but does not specifically reference ATF manufacturing licenses; to bridge that gap the board approved the request on the record for three years so staff and the board can revisit the use if needed.

- Agricultural accessory structure height (case 4304): The board granted a five-foot height variance for an accessory structure proposed at 1074 Burnhouse Road after the applicant testified the building would store hay, feed and farming equipment and had no commercial customers or outside storage. Staff had recommended denial under a strict reading of the ordinance, but the board moved to approve based on the applicant’s testimony that the structure is an agricultural-use pole barn.

- Denied accessory structure height (case 4308): The board denied a request to increase an accessory building height to 24.5 feet in an R-1 residential zone at 1027 Vanderbilt Road. Staff recommended denial and the board voted to deny the variance.

Votes at a glance

- Case 4303 (Lisa Mattern, 5885 Franklin Road) — Variance for lot width and west-side setback to replace an existing mobile home; APPROVED (motion and second recorded; ayes prevailing). - Case 4304 (George Chica, 1074 Burnhouse Road) — Height variance for accessory structure (agricultural pole barn); APPROVED (board relied on applicant testimony of agricultural use). - Case 4305 (Heidi Johnson, 20 Lake Drive) — Rear setback and lot-size variance to replace/expand a deck; APPROVED (staff recommended approval). - Case 4306 (Thomas/Tomas Sanchez, 5785 Bridal of Ferry Pike) — Use of accessory structure for stone fabrication; APPROVED with conditions: not open to the public, no additional employees, no outdoor storage, up to four pickup/deliveries per week, include business plan and quiet-hours limit. - Case 4307 (Andrew Lamasney, 4050 Beasley’s Bend Road) — Request to use 264 sq. ft. for gunsmithing and to support an ATF manufacturing license; APPROVED with a 3-year time limit and requirement to comply with the submitted business plan and stated conditions. - Case 4308 (Ron Caudle/Cottle, 1027 Vanderbilt Road) — Accessory-structure height variance (to 24.5 ft); DENIED. - Case 4309 (Rebecca Schaeffer on behalf of Caitlin and Ethan Oakley, 460B Bettis Road) — Three-foot side-yard variance for addition; APPROVED (staff amended recommendation to approve, noting prior 2021 variance and lot-of-record history). - Case 4310 (Steven Holly, 1070 Misty Lake Drive) — Multiple small-lot variances to allow a pool and maintain separations; APPROVED with amended separation between structures set to 6 feet. - Case 4311 (Michael and Julie Hamlin, 8640 Central Pike) — Seven-foot variance for separation between structures to allow a proposed accessory building; APPROVED.

What the board emphasized

Board members and staff repeatedly noted that many variances were tied to older tracts of record, lots created before current zoning standards, or prior board actions. Planner Joseph Lawless told the board that some accessory-structure rules were amended in February 2015 and October 2020 and that staff often recommends approval when lots predate the ordinance or when applicants are combining lots or recording plats to cure nonconformities. Lawless also summarized that, since January of the calendar year, the county has seen a number of height-variance requests and offered to draft a tiered approach to height allowances based on parcel size and distance from property lines.

Selected quotes

"I'm just requesting to build a shop for my property to protect my feed and hay and all my equipment," said George Chica of 1074 Burnhouse Road, explaining the intended agricultural use that the board accepted as a basis for a height variance.

"This is not going to be a retail showroom situation," Nayeli Valdez told the board for the applicant seeking to use an accessory structure for stone fabrication; she said the owner will work from home and not have customers visiting a showroom.

"If you bring me parts to assemble a firearm, that's gunsmithing in the eyes of the ATF," applicant Andrew Lamasney told the board, adding that sourcing parts himself and branding assembled firearms would be treated as manufacturing by the ATF. The board approved his zoning request for three years to align local zoning with the ATF licensing reality.

Next steps and notes

Several approvals included a requirement that applicants work with county staff on recorded plats or follow the recorded business plan and the attendant quiet-hours and delivery limits. The board also asked staff to consider whether a tiered, size-based approach to height allowances would reduce the number of high-variance cases coming before the board.

The board adjourned after completing the advertised agenda.