Board recommends approval of front-setback variance for Ivy Springs porch with condition

The Coweta County Board of Zoning Appeals on March 26 recommended approval of a front-setback variance that would allow a porch at 9 Ivy Springs Drive to extend into the required front-yard setback.

Zoning coordinator Nicole Blackwell told the board the petition, filed for property owner Christopher Hembree, requests a reduction from the 50-foot required front setback to a 45-foot setback so the applicant can replace the existing front porch and reconfigure the steps to face the front yard. "The proposed porch will extend approximately 4 feet from the front of the residence and measure approximately 6 feet in width," Blackwell said, noting staff had reviewed the seven variance factors in Article 28 of the Coweta County zoning and development ordinance and did not expect impacts to public facilities.

An occupant who addressed the board explained the change would shorten the porch and let the stairs descend straight to the yard, making it easier to move mobility equipment and to enter and exit the house. The resident said the current configuration requires turning on the steps and the new layout would improve access.

After hearing staff and the resident, a board member moved to recommend approval with one condition: the covered porch must be located a minimum of 45 feet from the right-of-way of Ivy Trace Boulevard as shown on the submitted site plan. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The board advised the applicant that the Coweta County Board of Commissioners will hold the final decision on April 21, 2026.

The recommendation includes the condition supplied by the Community Development Department; no letters in opposition were recorded in the packet for this case.