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Avon BZA approves small joint fiber‑optic shelter at 226 North Avon Avenue
Summary
The board approved VAR26‑02 to allow a 336 sq ft prefabricated JOINT shelter where the ordinance requires a 750 sq ft primary building. The approval was conditioned on compliance with the conceptual site plan and an amendment prohibiting outdoor storage.
The Avon Board of Zoning Appeals approved VAR26‑02 on Jan. 20 to allow JOINT (a fiber‑optic provider) to place a 336‑square‑foot prefabricated building at 226 North Avon Avenue, where the UDO requires a minimum 750‑square‑foot primary building. The board’s approval was conditioned on compliance with the conceptual site plan and included an on‑the‑record amendment to prohibit outdoor storage.
Staff told the board the site had previously held a single‑family dwelling (demolished 2022) and that the petitioner had withdrawn an original outdoor‑storage component from the variance request. Staff said a small concrete shelter tucked toward the rear of the property would have minimal visual impact and traffic, would be screened by existing tree lines, and that granting the variance would be consistent with the ordinance factors for a variance of development standards. Staff recommended approval subject to the site plan in the packet.
Tim McCombs, representing JOINT, described the prefabricated structure as roughly 12 by 30 feet and designed to protect underground fiber. He said the building is "about a quarter million dollars, to protect our fiber," and that it can be removed if the company later vacates the site. McCombs said the company plans to pave and provide required parking and to restore disturbed ground after installation.
Board members debated whether the variance reflected a true practical difficulty or an ordinance gap for a utility that does not need a traditional occupied building. Several members noted the lot’s topography and transitional character; one member said the small footprint and limited traffic made the use preferable to another commercial building at the site. The motion to approve was moved by Anne Inman and seconded by Catherine Rensberg; the board amended the motion to explicitly prohibit outdoor storage and then approved VAR26‑02 by roll call with affirmative responses from all members.
The approval directs staff to ensure the final development plan meets parking and landscaping requirements and to enforce the prohibition on outdoor storage listed in the amended motion.
