Board hears variance request after survey shows less than required frontage for McCullough parcel
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Summary
A parcel tied to the McCullough estate lacks the 50‑foot public‑street frontage required by the zoning resolution; staff said the lot’s shape and historical creation may qualify as unique hardship and asked the board to allow a variance pending historical documentation, and the applicant’s realtor asked for certainty for a potential buyer.
The Sumner County Board of Zoning Appeals considered a variance request tied to a parcel associated with the McCullough estate after staff said survey data shows about 40.15 feet of frontage on South Tunnel Road, narrowing to roughly 35 feet at the smallest point.
Planning staff reviewed the zoning resolution requirement that subdivided lots have a minimum public‑street strip width of 50 feet and told the board the Board of Zoning Appeals may grant variances when unique physical conditions create undue hardship. Staff said the lot’s configuration, probate history and how the parcel was created could constitute such a hardship and indicated the conditions may not be general across the Rural Preservation zoning district.
A Realtor representing Mr. McCullough told the board the property was attractive to buyers but needed assurance a buyer could build; the representative said the property was inherited and that improvements and a former microwave tower were on adjoining parcels. The realtor asked the board to consider a variance to enable a buyer to proceed.
Board members asked staff to research the parcel’s creation, including probate or chancery‑court records, and signaled it would be appropriate to defer the matter to allow a surveyor and historical research to be brought back. The transcript shows the board planned to re‑notice the item to be heard in January after staff and the applicant provide additional documentation.