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Lucas board denies requested side-yard variance for Sugar Bars Drive shed
Summary
The Board of Adjustments denied Ronald Cooper's request to reduce the side-yard setback from 20 to 6 feet for an existing shed at 1165 Sugar Bars Drive after neighbors cited HOA expectations, visibility from the road and septic/placement concerns; one neighbor supported the current placement due to drainage.
The Lucas Board of Adjustments voted to deny a request to reduce the side-yard setback for an accessory structure at 1165 Sugar Bars Drive, the board announced after a short public hearing and deliberation.
The application by Ronald Cooper sought to reduce the minimum side-yard setback from 20 feet to 6 feet for a shed placed in the rear corner of an irregular lot. Development manager Joe Hilburn explained that while accessory buildings under 200 square feet can be exempt from building permits, zoning setbacks still apply and the existing shed does not meet the 20-foot side-yard requirement.
Neighbors opposed the variance on the grounds that their subdivision (Lakeview Downs) follows HOA guidelines that specify setbacks and that allowing the variance would introduce a prominent feature visible from the road. Jim Ormity, speaking for nearby residents, said the shed “is really a feature of the community, not Mr Cooper’s property,” and urged denial. George Sikora and Will Yarbrough echoed opposition, noting concerns about inconsistent precedent and HOA expectations.
A nearby neighbor, Eamon Khalek, spoke in favor of Cooper’s placement, saying the shed sits farther from some homes and that moving it might worsen drainage, since the current location avoids areas where surface water concentrates.
After closing the public hearing, the chair moved to deny the request to reduce the side-yard setback; a second was recorded and the motion carried on a voice vote. The board clarified that enforcement of HOA guidelines is outside the city’s purview, but the board relied on zoning setback standards in reaching its decision.
The action on Cooper’s application was recorded in the minutes as a denial; no additional conditions or concessions were recorded on the public record.
