The Florence City Board of Zoning Appeals on a motion approved a variance allowing a detached garage at 1774 Bellevue Drive to be placed 4 feet from the side property line, instead of the 8 feet required by the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

Patty Falcone, a planner with the city’s planning department, presented the staff report and said the applicant proposes a one-story, 10-foot-tall garage to align with an existing driveway. "The existence of a driveway in the side yard impacts the location of the detached garage," Falcone said, describing why the applicant requested the setback reduction.

Crystal Fuentes, the property owner and applicant, was sworn in and told the board, "We just wanna add a garage in the back, and we have the opportunity now to do that. It doesn't fit with the 8 feet." Fuentes said the contractor’s proposal with measurements was submitted to staff and that the foundation will be a concrete slab.

Board members asked staff and the applicant about aerial-photo dates and nearby accessory structures. Staff said aerials may be older than recent side photos and pointed out that the neighbor at 1778 Bellevue Drive has a small accessory structure close to its fence. Falcone told the board a neighbor had contacted staff after seeing an earlier notice that mistakenly listed a 20-foot height; once Falcone clarified the garage would be one story and 10 feet tall, the neighbor said they had no objection.

During deliberations, board member Mister Poston moved to approve the variance and read findings addressing unnecessary hardship in this individual case, consistency with the spirit of the UDO, the influence of the side driveway as an extraordinary condition, and minimal impact on adjacent properties. Miss Singley seconded the motion. The chair called for the ayes; the chair announced the motion carried and declared the variance approved.

At the meeting the board also approved the prior meeting minutes and adopted the board’s 2026 calendar. The meeting adjourned with staff and the chair offering holiday greetings.

The variance approval will be processed by city staff under the terms discussed; the applicant indicated she will complete any required survey or final submittals as part of the final permitting process.