Copperas Cove council keeps current accessory-structure rules; staff will support variance application for one homeowner

Copperas Cove — Nov. 4, 2025 — Development Services Director Bobby Lewis told the City Council on Tuesday that the city—s zoning code allows accessory structures within specified buildable areas but that exceptions require approval by the Board of Adjustment. "Staff could support a variance request if he made application to the Board of Adjustment," Lewis said of a homeowner seeking a front-yard carport.

Why it matters: The council—s decision preserves a process that requires a formal variance application and public notifications rather than a broad ordinance change. That means individual homeowners can seek relief through the Board of Adjustment, but the council will not change the ordinance to guarantee approvals in similar cases.

What Lewis presented: Lewis reviewed Chapter 20, section 20-1-10, showing how rear-yard area is calculated and how accessory-structure allowances work. As an example, a 60-by-40-foot rear yard (2,400 square feet) allows 25 percent of that area (600 square feet) for an accessory building. He reiterated standard setbacks: a three-foot side-yard setback, a six-foot separation required between the accessory structure and the main residence, and that the 2023 zoning ordinance allows certain structures to encroach into the front-yard setback in limited situations.

Noncompliant examples: Lewis displayed photographs of several nonpermitted or noncompliant carports and shade structures, including examples cited at addresses such as 1307 Robinson Avenue and 2703 Live Oak, that either lacked the required six-foot separation, were unpermitted, or appeared structurally unsound. He said code enforcement would pursue citations and require permits or removal when code is violated.

The Huddleston request: The homeowner, Mr. Huddleston, asked to place a 17-by-22-foot gabled metal carport three feet from his front property line at 2118 Eubankie, citing site constraints (a steep slope on one side and no room on the other). Lewis told the council staff—s review showed physical constraints that could support a variance application to the Board of Adjustment but emphasized the BOA—s decision is discretionary.

Cost and process: Lewis said an application for a variance would be "around $500 with all the notification requirements," and that some notifications are state-required. He and other staff members told the council the Board of Adjustment exists to consider special circumstances and that staff recommendations do not guarantee board approval.

Council response: Council members repeatedly noted the city completed a comprehensive zoning revision about 18 months earlier with community input and said the ordinance was tailored to Copperas Cove. Several members said the existing processes are appropriate and that the Board of Adjustment is the correct venue for exceptional variance requests; the council directed staff to keep the ordinance as written rather than pursue a code change.

What happens next: Mr. Huddleston may file a variance application with the Board of Adjustment and pay the application fee; staff said it would support a defensible application based on the property constraints but cannot promise the board—s outcome. The workshop adjourned at 5:33 p.m.; no ordinance change was initiated at the meeting.