Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Setback Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fulshear board approves 25-to-5-foot rear-setback reduction for downtown lot
Summary
The zoning board unanimously granted a variance reducing a 25-foot rear setback to 5 feet on a triangular downtown lot at FM 359, with staff citing lot shape, TxDOT constraints and potential cross-access with an adjacent property.
The Fulshear Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance Nov. 20 to reduce a required 25-foot rear building setback to 5 feet for a 0.34-acre triangular lot in the city’s downtown district, enabling development of a two-phase commercial project.
Jeff Gilbert, representing Bullard Properties LLC, told the board the lot’s unusual pie shape, a TxDOT-requested entrance location and downtown parking and building requirements make the 25-foot rear setback infeasible. "It nearly makes it impossible to develop this tract with this 25-foot setback," Gilbert said during his presentation.
City planning staff confirmed the lot’s constraints and noted that phase 1 would comply with the downtown five-foot front setback while phase 2 would be prevented without the requested rear-setback relief. Staff recommended approval, citing the potential for a shared access driveway with the adjacent landowner that could satisfy TxDOT spacing and downtown cross-access expectations.
Public commenters included a realtor representing buyer and seller who described multiple easements and site constraints and said the proposed plan aligns with downtown goals. Neighbors and representatives of Greater Zachary Church raised traffic and future Main Street expansion concerns; the board and staff clarified that the board’s role was limited to the setback relief and that the five-foot front setback complies with downtown rules.
The motion to approve the variance passed by unanimous voice vote. The planning department said it can provide an address-verification letter from CenterPoint Energy if the applicant needs formal address confirmation.
Provenance: Topic introduced at SEG 320; applicant presentation at SEG 350–369; staff recommendation at SEG 374–415; public comments at SEG 426–556; motion and vote at SEG 635–663.
