Findlay zoning board grants front-yard garage variance for Clinton Road homeowner

On March 18 the Findlay Township Zoning Hearing Board unanimously approved a variance allowing Robert Pass to construct a 14-foot by 26-foot (384-square-foot) storage garage in the front yard of his property at 1091 Clinton Road, permitting a 10-foot encroachment into the front-yard setback required by the Village (VLD) zoning district.

Assistant Township Manager and Planning Administrator Brandon J. Stanick told the board that the applicant’s plan does not meet the minimum 20-foot front-yard setback and that accessory structures are not normally permitted in a front or side yard under the township ordinance (Section 117.316.2.1 and Section 117.406.6). Stanick said legal notices and neighbor notifications were completed and that the plan could be scaled despite relying on an older drawing. "The front yard is where the access to the property is located," Stanick said, noting how the property’s orientation affected setback determinations.

Applicant Robert Pass said his options for siting a building are constrained by a guiderail along the front of the lot and the location of a sewer line on the opposite side. He asked the board for permission to place a pole-storage building on the site; "I want to construct a 14-foot X 26-foot pole storage building on my property," Pass said.

Board members discussed the property's unusual siting, noting the front door faces Clinton Lake rather than Clinton Road, and reviewed the staff report and site plan. Chair Amy Kovac moved to grant the requested variance; Member Patrick Cunningham seconded. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.

Exhibits entered into the record included the application and site plan and the staff review letter. The board did not place additional conditions on the variance in the minutes. The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.