Board of Adjustments grants variance for Blackner home addition

The Beaver City Board of Adjustments on Monday approved a variance permitting Shane and Carolyn Blackner to extend the west side of their house about 27 feet to add a master bedroom, bathroom and laundry area.

Staff had recommended approval after an inspector viewed the property and noted the existing carport and other features pre-dated current ordinances. "My name is Mitch Stewart. I'm a general contractor here in town," the contractor for the project said while laying out the measurements and drawings for the board. He told members the addition would follow the same line as the existing carport and would not increase the structure's existing nonconforming setback.

The board explored whether the addition could be shifted to avoid encroaching on setbacks, but the contractor and others said utilities, a basement door and underground electrical and gas lines constrained alternatives. A staff member explained the city's permitting sequence: if the building department had routed the plan first the applicant would have needed a variance, and the building inspector had advised that the current configuration did not meet setback rules.

Members also discussed the property's history. A committee member noted the house and carport appear to have been built "pre-ordinances," and the manager's site visit factored into the recommendation. "He's gone up and viewed the property, and it's basically grandfathered in," the committee member said when summarizing staff findings.

After hearing technical constraints and neighbor concerns about view and access, a motion to approve the Blackner variance was made and seconded; the chair announced the motion carried and the variance was granted. The board did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript.

The applicant and contractor were thanked for their presentation and members encouraged formal paperwork from staff to clarify prior denials and recommendations for future appeals. The board then moved to its next agenda item.

Ending: The approval allows the Blackner addition to proceed subject to any standard building permits and inspections; applicants will still need to secure any required construction permits from the building department before work begins.