Bowling Green zoning board approves driveway variance at 887 W. Wooster for safety and turning space

The Bowling Green Zoning Board of Appeals on Nov. 12 approved a variance for 887 W. Wooster to expand an existing legal nonconforming front parking area by 13 feet by 21 feet.

Brandon Flick, the applicant, told the board he and his family have lived at the address for several years and need additional on-site parking and turnaround space because a 16-year-old driver will soon operate a Ram 1500 and another driver is expected next year. "It's difficult to back out of our driveway," Flick said, adding that a stone wall and frequent ambulance and fire traffic near the nearby hospital make exiting the driveway hazardous. Flick said neighbors across the street signed in support.

City planning staff reviewed applicable code and images, noting off-street parking is not permitted in a front yard under section 150.72 and that extensions of nonconforming uses are governed by section 150.86; staff identified the requested relief as limited to the paved area labeled "f" on the site plan and confirmed the proposed pavement would be three feet from the property line.

Board members asked about the distance to the adjacent house and whether a side-yard pad could meet the applicant's needs; members repeatedly raised sightline and neighborhood-character concerns but several said the modest variance was justified on safety grounds. A motion to approve the variance passed on roll call. The Chair told the applicant to check in with the planning department about permit requirements the following day.

The action authorizes only the specific expansion presented to the board; any permit work must follow planning-department instructions and applicable inspection and permit timelines.