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Board grants after-the-fact carport variance in Lacombe, amends setback to 18 feet 1 inch
Summary
Pamela Friedman received an after-the-fact variance allowing a carport to remain in the front yard at 61724 Glenwood Street, Lacombe; staff measured the structure at 18 feet (stated precisely in hearing as 18'1") and neighbors submitted letters of no objection.
The St. Tammany Parish Board of Adjustments approved an after-the-fact front-yard setback variance for a carport at 61724 Glenwood Street in Lacombe on Feb. 3, amending the requested relief to an exact setback of 18 feet 1 inch from the property line.
Planning staff told the board the accessory building was approximately 18 feet from the front property line and that letters of no objection from adjoining property owners were included in the record. "The objective of the request is to allow for an accessory building carport to remain within the front yard at a distance of 17 feet from the front property line," the staff presenter said, then corrected that later measurements show it to be 18 feet (later stated precisely as 18'1").
Applicant Pamela Friedman said she did not obtain a permit before the contractor built the carport and explained the work was done to help her mother, who is ill. "...my husband passed away July 2024. My husband took care of everything," Friedman said, describing personal circumstances and adding that neighbors had signed letters of support. Several board members urged Friedman to pursue reimbursement from the contractor for permit costs.
A motion was offered and amended to approve a front-yard setback variance from 25 feet to 18 feet 1 inch; the board voted and the chair announced, "Motion carries." Individual tallies were not recorded in the transcript.
Board discussion emphasized that after-the-fact filings create challenges for code enforcement but that the applicant's circumstances and neighbor support weighed in favor of approval. The planning department will record the approved variance in the property file.
