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Brookhaven planning staff recommends approval or conditional approval for several variances; one stream-buffer request faces denial
Summary
At its work session the Brookhaven planning staff recommended approval or conditional approval for multiple variances — including a rear-setback and impervious-coverage request on Apalachee Drive — while recommending denial of a stream-buffer variance requested to install a residential putting green on Redding Road.
Brookhaven planning staff briefed board members on a slate of zoning-variance requests the board will consider at its hearing, recommending approval or approval-with-conditions for several and opposing one.
The most detailed was VAR2531 at 2485 Apalachee Drive, where staff recommended allowing a rear-setback reduction from 30 feet to 20 feet and increasing impervious coverage from 35% to 43% so an existing deck can be enclosed and a small front-porch expansion can proceed. "This block... have 6 total RSA 8 lots, and all of them are close to 50%" in coverage, Speaker 7 said in support of the impervious-coverage request. Board members discussed the prevalence of nonconforming building patterns in the neighborhood and urged staff to consider transparency and fairness in repeated approvals.
Staff recommended denial for VAR2532 (2853 Redding Road), a request to reduce the 75-foot stream buffer to 53 feet to install a putting green. "The reason we're recommending denial is because they have this giant backyard, and they're not utilizing any of it," Speaker 7 said, noting that staff saw sufficient room on the lot and neighboring properties without encroachment. Board members cited the "no special privileges" criterion in their discussion.
Other items: VAR25-00029 (1762 Remington Road) — a side-setback reduction to 1.3 feet — drew staff support based on a letter of support from the most-affected neighbor and constrained alternative options. Staff recommended approval of VAR at 1160 Wild Creek for a stream-buffer variance to allow a rear addition because the work is farther from the creek, would yield more stormwater controls, and demolition-and-rebuild would create greater impacts. VAR25-00035 (1315 Rackley Hall Road) sought a modest average front-yard setback reduction (net 3.6 feet) tied to a covered porch; staff recommended conditional approval, noting the proposed work preserves the home’s footprint and fits neighborhood character.
No final votes were recorded during the work session; staff presented recommendations and board members raised questions for the formal hearing.
What happens next: the board will hear these cases in the upcoming meeting; staff will provide supplemental materials where necessary.
