Smyrna public hearing approves several residential variances; one item tabled
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Summary
City staff recommended and the hearing body approved multiple residential variances — allowing a second accessory structure, a reduced side setback, a second kitchen, and accessory-structure work on Roswell Street — and tabled one item (v25-100). Conditions and perpetual deed restrictions were attached to several approvals.
At a Smyrna public hearing staff presented and the hearing body moved on multiple residential variance requests covering accessory structures, setbacks and an additional kitchen.
Caitlin Crowe, land development services coordinator, described a series of items the city supports with conditions: v25-095 would allow a second accessory structure on a double-frontage lot at 1431 Belmont Avenue where a 1954 house and an existing detached in‑law suite already sit; v25-096 would reduce a southern side setback from 10 feet to 3.8 feet at 3035 Lee Street to allow a replacement deck and screened porch while bringing the house into compliance; and v25-099 would allow a second kitchen in an upstairs in‑law suite at 461 Avalon Way so a parent can age in place (staff noted building permits had been issued and attached perpetual conditions prohibiting rental for gain except as allowed under chapter 22).
Crowe also presented v25-101 and v25-102 for a property on Roswell Street to increase accessory-structure height (from 15 feet to about 20.2 feet) and reduce the western side setback to 4.4 feet; staff said the accessory structure will be remodeled to consolidate uses, noted fire-code measures (one-hour rated wall or equivalent) where portions encroach within five feet of the property line, and included standard site-plan compliance and stormwater controls among six stipulations.
Procedural note: item v25-100 was moved and tabled during the hearing.
Votes at a glance
- v25-095 (second accessory structure at 1431 Belmont Ave, applicant Chris Argyle): motion carried unanimously (transcript: "Motion carries unanimously"). - v25-096 (reduce southern side setback to 3.8 ft at 3035 Lee St, applicant Charles Miller): motion and second recorded in the transcript; explicit vote text not printed in the provided segment. - v25-097/v25-098 (stream-buffer encroachment and impervious-setback encroachment at 3393 Lee St, applicant Ashley Stover): motion carried unanimously for v25-097; v25-098 considered and included in staff recommendation (see separate article for details). - v25-099 (second kitchen at 461 Avalon Way, applicant Katie Melcher): motion carried unanimously (transcript: "Carries unanimously"). - v25-100: motion to table recorded. - v25-101/v25-102 (Roswell Street accessory-structure height and side-setback reductions, applicant Thomas Treves): motions moved and seconded; the transcript includes the motions and seconds in the provided segments, but a separate 'carries' line is not present in the excerpt.
Staff attached standard conditions across approvals including substantial compliance with site plans, recording plats and stormwater agreements where required, limitations on renting accessory structures for gain except as allowed by chapter 22, and perpetual deed‑run conditions applying to future homeowners. Several items invoked prior zoning or buffer ordinances (city zoning ordinance adopted 1974; stream-buffer ordinance 2005) and referenced compliance steps with Cobb County recording requirements.
The hearing also approved minutes from Oct. 22. Several applicants thanked the board and confirmed understanding of conditions as the items moved forward.