Colona zoning committee approves variance for accessory carport at 2106 Street over drainage concerns

The Colona Zoning Committee voted 4–2 to grant a variance allowing an accessory carport on a vacant lot at 2106 Street after hearing from the property owner and nearby residents who raised concerns about drainage and whether the parcel lies in a floodplain.

The vote matters because the request asks to place an accessory structure on a lot without a principal residence, a use the committee noted is normally limited in R1 residential zoning and could set a precedent for other vacant lots. Committee member Sherry Powell moved to grant the variance, and committee member Derek Tyman seconded; the motion passed on a roll call vote.

At the meeting the property owner described the planned structure as a nonpermanent carport with anchors rather than a dwelling and said he did not intend to install power or concrete flooring. "I'm not going to put concrete down or nothing like that," a speaker identified in the record as the property owner said, describing how the structure would be sited to allow water to flow through the lot during heavy rain. Neighbors and committee members said they were mainly concerned about drainage; one nearby resident told the committee, "Our only concern was the drain." The city sent notice letters to owners within a 250-foot radius before the meeting, committee members said.

Members discussed whether the lot is in a federal floodplain and noted that a re-survey by the Corps of Engineers or raising the lot's elevation could change floodplain status. Committee members also referenced "chapter five" of the local code when debating whether a variance is justified by hardship and whether the ordinance distinguishes temporary from permanent accessory structures.

Committee members asked about technical details: the applicant described a footprint roughly 24 by 30 feet and said the lot is about 60 feet wide. A committee member confirmed that a building permit would be required and that the building inspector (named at the meeting as Kevin Clark) would enforce applicable floodplain and building requirements.

After the discussion a motion to grant the variance was made by Sherry Powell and seconded by Derek Tyman. Roll-call votes recorded on the motion were: Terry (no), Ben McCoy (yes), Sherry Powell (yes), Derek Tyman (yes), Brett Jackson (no), and Darren Roselle (yes). The motion passed 4–2. The committee noted that the structure could be removed in the future if circumstances changed and that a permit and any required floodplain documentation must be obtained prior to construction.

The committee adjourned after the vote. The building-permit process and any follow-up from the building inspector are the next procedural steps.