Upper Arlington board approves variance for taller detached garage at 2526 Brixton Road

The City of Upper Arlington Board of Zoning and Planning voted March 25 to approve a variance for a detached garage at 2526 Brixton Road, allowing the structure to reach 20 feet 8 inches where code limits detached garage height to 17 feet.

Staff told the board the 0.31-acre site is constrained by a 5-foot utility easement and a 10-foot reserve shown on the plat, limiting options to widen the garage footprint. Staff presented existing and proposed elevations, noting the garage would be tucked behind the house, not visible from the street, and compatible with neighboring properties. Staff recommended approval based on findings 1, 3 and 4.

Applicant Brenda Parker, who identified herself and gave a mailing address, said the design team discovered the 10-foot reserve on the recorded plat late in the design process and needed to shift the detached garage location. She said the existing home has a limited basement and the second-floor storage will initially serve as storage and could later be finished as a recreation room.

Board members asked staff to clarify whether the reserve had been removed in any recorded action; staff said the reserve appears on the original and updated plats and no record was found removing it, and that reserves are generally treated as unbuildable unless a separate legal instrument states otherwise.

No audience members spoke against the variance at the public hearing. The chair called the motion to approve the variance with the stated findings; the motion carried by voice vote.

The approved variance applies specifically to the garage height; other zoning requirements and permits remain in force.