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Prince George's County board approves driveway variance for Beltsville homeowner
Summary
The Prince George's County Board of Appeals on Jan. 14 approved a variance allowing a 34-by-8-foot driveway extension at 4614 Greenwood Road in Beltsville, concluding the statutory criteria were met and advising the petitioner to obtain required building permits.
Jan. 14, 2026 — The Prince George's County Board of Appeals voted 3-0 to approve a variance for Janette Tesma to expand a driveway at 4614 Greenwood Road in Beltsville.
The board approved variances to validate existing conditions and allow a proposed 34-by-8-foot driveway extension. On the record, the petitioner sought relief related to net lot area (11,563 square feet), a lot width of 26.7 feet, 13.72 feet of lot frontage at the front street line, 2% lot coverage, and a waiver of the parking-area requirement for the driveway.
The petitioner, Janette Tesma, told the board she wanted to enlarge the driveway "so it can accommodate our cars" and explained that the lot shape is irregular with a driveway in front of the house rather than to the side. Vice Chair Johnston moved to approve v34-25, saying the requirements had been met; Member Zanten seconded the motion. After a roll call, the motion carried 3-0.
The board chair noted at the hearing that approval of a variance does not substitute for required permits and instructed Tesma to follow up with board staff to obtain a building permit and provide the board's written order to the county permits office before permits would be processed.
The board emphasized that, in general, all six variance criteria under council bill CB 16-2021 and section 27-36-13(d) of the zoning ordinance must be satisfied for relief to be granted. The approval was conditioned on compliance with the board's approved site and elevation plans and any further review required by other government authorities.
The petitioner was excused after the board's action. Next steps for the petitioner include securing the building permit and following directions from board staff.
