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Zoning administrator approves pool house rear-setback variance after neighbor agreement
Summary
Placer County approved a variance to allow a 1,283 sq ft pool house 10 feet from the rear property line (where 30 feet is required), citing septic constraints and a written neighbor agreement that resolved an irrigation easement concern. The decision is subject to conditions and a 10-day appeal period because prior comments were received.
Placer County Zoning Administrator Crystal Jacobson on March 12 approved a rear-setback variance (PLN25-0000125) to permit construction of a 1,283-square-foot pool house with attached porch and patio 10 feet from the rear property line, where a 30-foot setback normally applies.
Staff told the hearing that the 2-acre subject property in the Granite Bay area is zoned residential-agriculture and contains an existing residence, an in-ground pool, and a gravel pad for a future accessory dwelling unit. Staff said the site’s buildable area is constrained by the existing septic system and required septic repair areas; shifting the pool house north would encroach on required septic setbacks or require a larger variance. Staff also reported a site visit that documented an 18-inch oak tree that would be removed for the proposal and summarized that the proposed location was the least impactful placement while preserving the integrity of the sewage disposal system.
Staff further reported that neighbors raised concerns in January regarding an irrigation water line easement and potential view impacts. The applicant and neighbors subsequently signed a written agreement that relocates the irrigation line and confirms neighbor support for the pool house’s size and location, staff said.
Owner Benjamin Aroski told the administrator he had worked directly with neighbors to resolve the water-line issue and had no further comments. Jacobson said she reviewed the site, considered the septic constraints and existing development, and concluded there are special circumstances supporting a variance. She found the project categorically exempt from CEQA under guidelines sections 15303 and 15305, approved the variance subject to the conditions in the staff report, and left a 10-day appeal period open because earlier comments had been received.
The approval is conditioned on the findings and conditions contained in Attachment B of the staff report; the applicant must wait out the 10-day appeal period before proceeding with building permits and construction.
