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Clayton Board of Zoning Appeals approves variance allowing third accessory structure at West Winger Road
Summary
The Clayton Board of Zoning Appeals on April 7 approved VAR 2602 to allow a third detached accessory structure at 4639 and 4649 West Winger Road, subject to conditions keeping the new building out of the identified high-risk flood zone and limiting it to 1,360 square feet.
The Clayton Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously April 7 to grant variance application VAR 2602, allowing property owners Patty and Brian Thurman to build a third detached accessory structure at 4639 and 4649 West Winger Road.
Alvin, a city staff member who presented the case, told the board the application (received March 13, 2026) seeks relief from Clayton Codified Ordinance limits that generally allow only two accessory structures per lot, with no more than one exceeding 200 square feet. Alvin described the 2.51-acre parcel (Parcel M60031030024), noted a mapped high-risk flood area nearby and said staff recommended approval with two conditions: the new building be located outside the identified high-risk flood zone and that it not exceed 1,360 square feet.
The applicant, Patty Thurman, said the property sustained a fire that disrupted the family’s operations and left current storage buildings vulnerable to flooding. “We had a fire, and it just threw the whole year into a fit,” Thurman said, adding the new structure is needed to store tractors and other equipment. She told the board the site contains three dwelling units; the family lives in one and rents the other two.
A board member reading the findings of fact said the record shows special conditions exist on the land—chiefly the proximity of septic systems and local drainage problems—that make demolition or reconfiguration of existing accessory buildings impractical. “Special conditions and circumstances exist which are peculiar to the land, structure or building involved,” the member said while summarizing the board’s findings.
During public-questioning, a participant asked whether nearby development in Inglewood or changes to FEMA flood maps could alter flood behavior on the property. Alvin responded that public-notice rules apply across jurisdictions and described FEMA mapping as a federal process that is updated periodically; he said staff also consults Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District for recommendations about building elevation and grading in flood-prone areas.
After the findings were read, a board member moved to approve the variance with the staff conditions; the motion was seconded and carried on a unanimous roll-call vote. The board’s action caps the allowed size of the new accessory structure at 1,360 square feet and requires it be sited outside the identified high-risk flood zone.
The board noted one piece of returned mail from a nearby address and that no in-person public commenters attended the hearing. Staff said one new application has been received for the next month’s meeting. The hearing was then adjourned.
