Board continues controversial ECO1 slope encroachment case to Dec. 3 for detailed site drawings and impervious limits

The Board continued VAR‑25‑71, a petition for an ECO1 12% slope encroachment to permit construction of a new residence on a ridge, to its Dec. 3 meeting to allow the petitioner time to submit more precise plans. Planning staff recommended denial, arguing the petitioner could redesign within the existing buildable area. Petitioners explained the proposal would "shave" a small portion of the ridge top to create a flat building pad and argued this reduces the risk of slope failure versus hillside construction. They also submitted grading and stormwater materials and said they’d relocated septic fields to the ridge to avoid discharging toward the lake.

Board members asked for a more detailed, dimensioned footprint and an explicit cap on permanent impervious surfaces surrounding the house; one member declined to vote in favor without those specifics. The Board approved a continuance to Dec. 3 to receive a revised site plan showing the exact house footprint, the intended grading and permanent pad details, and the maximum impervious surface the applicant will accept. The packets and revised drawings will be reviewed by planning staff and the stormwater manager before the continuance hearing.