Clinton City zoning board approves special-use permit for oversized garage at 2624 Stockwell Lane West

The Clinton City Zoning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to grant a special-use permit allowing a homeowner to build an accessory garage not to exceed 40 by 40 feet and 24 feet in height at 2624 Stockwell Lane West.

Matt Sherman, the property owner, told the board he received bids for either a 36 by 48 foot building or a 40 by 40 foot building and was leaning toward the 40 by 40 option to store a boat, a camper and additional vehicles. “I’m going to do the 40 by 40,” Sherman said during his presentation to the board.

Karen, the city planning/building staff member who presented the staff report, said the lot is 1.5 acres and that accessory structures on the property currently total about 862 square feet. She told the board the aggregate ground cover with the proposed building would be roughly in the 2,500 square-foot range; while the code generally limits accessory buildings, the board can grant larger aggregate coverage through a special-use permit and staff said the board could allow up to 4,000 square feet in this context. Karen summarized relevant permitting requirements — setbacks, height and fire-safety rules — and asked Sherman to submit a revised site plan showing the building’s exact placement before the zoning file is finalized.

A neighbor, Chuck Thornton of 2700 Will Bulletson Drive, spoke in support of the project and said many homes in the homeowners association already have pole buildings. “We drive by Matt’s building times a day. So, it’s not a problem him putting one up now,” Thornton said, noting he had spoken with other HOA members who had no objections.

During discussion, board members pressed for clear motion language that would allow flexibility while capping the final size. The board’s drafted motion granted the special-use permit “to allow the applicant to erect an accessory building at 2624 Stockwell Lane West with an aggregate ground cover not to exceed 40 by 40 feet and a height not to exceed 24 feet,” and required the accessory building be completed within one year of approval. James Schmurcy made the motion; Janet Brown seconded. The vote was unanimous: Ed Wignel, Cliff Wilkerson, Stacy Parks, Janet Brown and James Schmurcy each voted yes.

The board also completed procedural verifications on notice and publication and confirmed owners and the HOA within 200 feet were notified. Legal counsel Jim said he had no legal objections to the application as presented.

Next steps for the applicant include filing a revised site plan with city staff and obtaining standard building permits; staff will review setbacks and safety requirements at the permit stage. The board noted the approval does not remove permitting requirements or change setback rules that apply at the time of construction.

The board adjourned after briefly noting an open item: a vacancy to replace Janet Brown, with a candidate, Marshall Smith, under consideration.