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Board approves corner-lot setback variances at 301 South Turner Street with street-specific limits
Summary
The board approved a 27-foot variance on West Steven Street (to a 3-foot building line) and a 15-foot variance on Turner Street for 301 South Turner Street, after members limited a blanket variance to side-specific allowances to protect neighborhood character.
The Midway Board of Adjustment approved side-specific front-yard variances for a corner property at 301 South Turner Street after discussing whether to grant a blanket variance covering both frontages.
Before staff’s presentation, a board member disclosed that their office had previously done work for the Pullium family but said they did not participate in that work and did not believe it created a conflict. Staff then described the R1B corner lot and the applicants’ request for relief from the 30-foot front-yard requirement on both street frontages so the owners could enclose porches and add modest living space.
Staff explained one practical approach is to grant a 27-foot variance on one frontage (yielding a 3-foot building line) while providing a narrower, specific allowance on the other frontage to prevent future blanket encroachments. Tommy Anne Pullium said the project does not extend beyond the existing porch and steps and that much of the work is enclosing an area already within the setback. “All we’re doing is enclosing that area on the Steven Street side,” Pullium said, adding that the additions are intended to preserve the home’s historic character and would be primarily private residence work.
Architect Craig Rushing and the applicant addressed board concerns about sight lines, distance to the street and parking, saying the building line sits well back from the roadway and landscaping will be used to integrate the addition. Board members discussed narrowing a blanket variance and ultimately approved a motion that granted a 27-foot variance on Steven Street (to a 3-foot building line) and a 15-foot variance on Turner Street, citing hardship, the historic context and neighborhood compatibility. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Members asked staff to document specific variance limits tied to this application’s footprint so future owners could not use a blanket allowance to further intrude on setbacks. The meeting adjourned after a short administrative discussion about consistently providing lists of adjacent property owners in packet materials.
