Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission recommends city council approve 30-foot frontage variance with conditions
Summary
The Huntington City Planning Commission voted to recommend the City Council accept a property split that would allow a rear lot to take 30 feet of frontage instead of the 85-foot code minimum, subject to setback and lot-depth conditions; the recommendation passed in a roll-call vote and will go to council for final action.
The Huntington City Planning Commission voted to forward a recommendation to the City Council to accept a 30-foot frontage for a rear lot split, rather than the 85-foot frontage normally required by city code.
Jessica Lee, Huntington's planning and zoning administrator, told the commission that the board, not the zoning administrator, makes recommendations on variances to the council: "It is the planning and zoning board who makes the recommendation to city council for approval, not the zoning administrator," she said. The applicant asked the board to recommend the council allow his proposal so his daughter could build a separate house on the rear parcel.
Why it matters: The request would allow a narrow frontage that falls short of the code minimum; commissioners said adopting clear parameters now would let staff and future applicants know what conditions apply when similar requests appear.
The commission heard technical details on the proposal from staff and the applicant. A staff member described the lot as roughly 196.8 feet wide and about 390 feet deep; the proposal would split the parcel into two lots of about 195 feet deep, with the rear lot effectively using a 30-foot access at the curb as its frontage. The applicant, identified in the hearing as Larry, said: "All I need is the variance for the 30 feet." Commissioners asked for information about sewer connections (noted at 4th East in the record), hydrant locations and fire access distances while weighing the request.
Commissioners set conditions intended to protect public safety and future right-of-way needs. In its written motion the commission recommended the City Council approve the 30-foot frontage with the following parameters: the retained (front) lot would be 175 feet deep and 166.8 feet wide; the future rear-lot dwelling must be a minimum of 55 feet from the south side and 25 feet from the rear of the current owner's lot so that if the access becomes a public road the house would still be 25 feet from the back of the sidewalk. Commissioners also discussed the city's accessory-dwelling provision as an alternative (two houses on one lot) but said the applicant preferred separate lots.
The commission called for a roll-call vote; members recorded their votes by name for the record: Brad (Yay), Patrick (Yay), Dave (Yes), Dawn (Yes) and Chantelle (Yes). The motion passed and will be sent to the City Council for final action. Commission members asked staff to include the measurements and the fire/hydrant information in the referral packet to council.
Next steps: The commission's recommendation will be included in the packet for the next City Council meeting; staff and the applicant were instructed to confirm exact measurements, sewer connections and the nearest hydrant before council consideration.
