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Glynn County board grants front‑yard setback variance for Sea Island rebuild
Summary
The Board approved a variance to allow a new house on Sea Island to replicate an existing 15.1‑foot front‑yard encroachment rather than meet the required 20‑foot setback; staff had recommended denial because the change accompanies new construction.
Glynn County’s Board of Appeals voted to grant a front‑yard setback variance for a proposed rebuild at 104 East Thirteenth Street on Sea Island, allowing a portion of the new home to continue an existing encroachment measured at about 15.1 feet from Thirteenth Street rather than the standard 20 feet.
Stephanie Leaf of Glynn County planning and zoning told the board the property is oceanfront and that the applicants plan to demolish the existing house and rebuild. She said staff recommended not approving the variance because the request was tied to new construction and therefore could be considered self‑imposed, although the proposed design reduces the degree of nonconformity compared with the current structure.
An applicant representative (S8) described the proposal as a preservationist effort: the owner seeks to replicate a room that has existed in that footprint for 93 years but to rebuild it using current hurricane‑resistant construction methods. The representative said the intent is to preserve a remaining historic home form on the oceanfront.
Members asked whether Sea Island’s local approval was required; staff said Sea Island also must approve the project under its requirements. After discussion Member (S3) moved to approve ZV24‑21; the motion was seconded and the board adopted the variance.
The board’s action permits limited continuation of an existing encroachment for the purposes of rebuilding but does not substitute for any Sea Island approvals the applicant still must obtain. The decision was characterized in the record as a reduction in nonconformity compared with the existing structure, even though the underlying decision involves new construction.
