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Swansea board approves variance to allow accessory structure closer to road at 11 Johanna Place
Summary
The Swansea Planning & Zoning Board approved a variance allowing an accessory structure at 11 Johanna Place to be sited 15 feet from Shaefreeze Drive instead of the 25-foot front setback required by code. Staff recommended approval; the applicant said the location enables garage access from the existing driveway.
Acting Chair called for a vote and the board approved a setback variance for an accessory structure at 11 Johanna Place, allowing the structure to sit 15 feet from Shaefreeze Drive rather than the 25-foot front setback specified in village code.
The variance was presented to the board by the building and zoning director, who opened the public hearing and reviewed the village code standards for granting variances, saying the lot’s corner configuration and the location of the existing driveway informed the recommendation for approval. The director told the board the application asked for the accessory structure to be 15 feet from the road (described in the record as a 10-foot setback in one formulation and, as drawn, 15 feet from the road), and that the requested placement did not, in the director’s opinion, harm surrounding properties or neighborhood aesthetics.
The applicant, who spoke in support of the request but did not give a full on-the-record name, said the proposed siting would allow the accessory structure’s garage doors to line up with the existing driveway and avoid creating a new driveway across the lot. The applicant said cleanup and construction were planned for next spring. One board member asked whether measurements were being taken to the road, right-of-way, or property line; staff clarified the property is a corner lot with roughly 5 feet between the property line and the road, making the drawing’s 15-foot-to-road measurement correspond to a 15-foot variance relative to the code’s 25-foot requirement when measured to the property line.
A board member moved to approve the application and another seconded the motion. The board voted in favor and the director declared the motion passed; no roll-call tally was recorded in the public record for this item.
The director noted that, if approved by the Board of Trustees as recommended by the Planning & Zoning Board, the applicant would still need to meet all building-permit and height requirements and follow standard building-code regulations when applying for a permit. The applicant thanked the board and left the meeting.
Next procedural steps: the Planning & Zoning Board recommended action will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees for final action.
