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Board approves ADU variance at 2500 Dewitt Avenue to accommodate accessibility
Summary
The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance allowing a first-floor ADU larger than 500 sq ft at 2500 Dewitt Avenue (98 sq ft relief) to accommodate an elderly relative who needs accessible, single-level living; staff recommended approval citing variance standards and disability accommodations.
The Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals voted Nov. 10 to approve a variance allowing a larger-than-standard single-story accessory dwelling unit at 2500 Dewitt Avenue to accommodate a resident with a disability.
Sean Killian, an urban planner with the Department of Planning and Zoning, said the property is an R-25 corner lot with an existing one-story garage the owners plan to demolish. Staff described the requested variance as 98 square feet of relief beyond the 500-square-foot first-floor limit for ADUs; staff recommended approval because the proposal otherwise meets ADU requirements and the expanded footprint is needed to provide accessible circulation and turning radii for a person who uses a wheelchair.
Owner Andrea de Fritos Kick said the ADU is intended for her 80-year-old mother-in-law so she can "age in place" with independent, single-level living without stairs. The applicants said they designed the single-story unit to preserve a large cedar tree on the site and to avoid a two-level ADU that would require stairs. A design representative told the board the 500-square-foot layout could not comfortably accommodate wheelchair turning radii and other accessibility features without undue difficulty.
During deliberations, board members referenced a 2017 state change (adopted into the local zoning code) allowing reasonable modifications to accommodate persons with disabilities and focused on the case’s accessibility rationale. Several members said the application set a favorable precedent for aging-in-place accommodations when hardship stems from specific accessibility needs. A motion to approve the staff recommendation was made, seconded and passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
The board approved the variance and moved on to approve meeting minutes and other administrative items.
