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Spring Hill resident urges code change after citation for front-yard carport
Summary
At the Oct. 9 meeting, resident Mark Jenkins asked the council to consider revising the city's development code or permitting exceptions after receiving a citation over a front-yard carport he said is not permanently attached; he said compliance would cost far more than the structure's value and that his neighbor supports leaving it in place.
Mark Jenkins, a Spring Hill resident, told the City Council on Oct. 9 he was cited for placing a carport in front of his house without a permit and asked council to consider revising the wording of the applicable development code or allowing case‑by‑case exceptions.
"How is a carport considered a permanent structure, if it is not attached to the house, nor is it cemented to the ground," Jenkins said, describing the carport as held down by pegs and intended only to protect his vehicle.
Jenkins said he had not known a permit was required, began the variance process after being cited and paid $1,700 for tree removal to try to comply. He said turning the carport into a code‑compliant structure would cost between "$5,000 to $6,000" or as much as about $7,500, an expense he said is not justified for a $1,500 structure. Jenkins also said he had paid $400 to begin a variance application and that a municipal court date was scheduled in November and had been continued several times.
Jenkins read a written statement from his next‑door neighbor, Todd Bowman of 121 East Nichols, who said he has "no concerns with the location of your carport on your property" and would prefer Jenkins be allowed to keep it where it sits because moving it could change runoff toward foundations.
City staff and council said the matter involves an active municipal court proceeding and cannot be discussed further at the meeting, and they did not take action on Mr. Jenkins' request. The council did not indicate any immediate change to the code.
