Board of Adjustment grants reduced rear setback for Forest Valley house at 2233 E. 5950 N.

The Weber County Board of Adjustment voted to grant a setback variance for a proposed home at 2233 East 5950 North in the Forest Valley 3 zone after hearing that steep slopes and site constraints limit where a house can sit.

Planning staff told the board the request concerns a rear-yard setback and that the property contains steep slopes and an intermittent stream at the front of the lot. Staff said the footprint the applicant proposes is roughly 5,200 square feet and underscored that the “self-imposed” hardship question — whether the applicant created the need by choosing a large plan — would be for the board to evaluate.

Troy Harris, representing the applicant, said moving the house upslope to respect the full 30-foot rear-yard standard would require removing about 1,500 square feet of forest and additional earthwork that could add tens of thousands of dollars to site preparation costs. “By moving it that 20 feet, makes them have to remove about an additional 1,500 square feet of forest,” Harris said during his presentation.

Board members asked whether drainage would be affected for the vacant lot behind the subject parcel and whether any adjacent owner had plans to develop. Staff said the neighbor, Lee Fortin, owns the adjacent lot and has discussed a garage but no definite plan; staff also pointed to a 40-foot natural drain easement that runs through a nearby lot.

Members debated whether the hardship was partly self-imposed by the size and design of the proposed house, and several commissioners suggested a middle ground narrower than the applicant’s original drawing. A motion was offered and the board voted in favor of the motion as stated on the record; the chair announced the motion passed and the variance was approved.

Next steps: the applicant will proceed with building-permit work subject to any conditions in the formal permit and any required septic or drainage approvals noted by staff.