Wildwood board approves pool and decking variance, denies pool cabana

The City of Wildwood Board of Adjustment on Tuesday approved a variance allowing the existing in-ground pool and concrete decking at 2311 Dartmouth Bend Drive to remain closer to property lines than the zoning code permits, but denied a request to allow a 100-square-foot pool cabana that had been installed without permits.

Planner Robin Keith and Director of Planning Joe Vunich told the board the property is in a Dartmouth subdivision lot subject to R-3 (10,000-square-foot) district setbacks under the city's regulations. The petitioner sought a six-foot side-yard setback in lieu of 10 feet and a seven-foot rear-yard setback in lieu of 30 feet for the constructed improvements. The department's presentation noted the city now enforces larger rear-yard setbacks than the old county code and that staff received nine written comments opposing the request.

Owner Carrie Edwards, who was sworn and identified herself at the hearing, said the pool and fence were permitted and that she believed the plot plan did not disclose a 30-foot rear-yard requirement. "We obtained all building and zoning approvals for our pool, and our fence installations," Edwards said. She asked the board to approve the adjustments, saying the improvements were intended to be an "improvement to Wildwood."

Planning staff recommended approval of the pool and decking because those features were permitted and functionally interdependent, but recommended denial of the cabana. "We could not identify a unique hardship or practical difficulty related to the property that would justify the cabana," Director Vunich explained during the presentation.

After board discussion and a motion to adopt the department's recommendation, the board voted to approve the variance for the pool and decking and denied the variance for the cabana. The board's action left in place the condition that, if a variance is approved, the petitioner has six months to obtain necessary permits before the approval expires, and that any denial could be appealed to the Saint Louis County Circuit Court within 30 days.

The decision required four affirmative votes for approval. The record includes the planning report, the filed application, photographs and the petitioner's sworn testimony. The department will issue a written decision outlining conditions and next steps.