Collierville zoning board approves variance allowing homeowner greenhouse to remain 18 inches from house

The Collierville Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve a variance for Case 261055 that permits a 54-square-foot accessory greenhouse to be closer than the 5-foot separation required by the town's zoning code, with the structure currently about 18 inches from the primary dwelling. The board approved the staff-recommended motion, subject to conditions including submission of an as‑built/site plan showing exact measurements.

Allison Edens, the town planner, told the board the greenhouse was constructed without a permit but staff found no fire‑ or building‑code safety concerns after consulting the fire marshal and building inspector. Edens said the request is from code section 1.5.1.025, whose intent is to preserve light, air and open space between buildings, but that the lot's irregular corner geometry and a 50‑square‑foot landscape easement reduce the applicant's usable buildable area.

"The greenhouse is roughly 18 inches from the primary house," Edens said, and staff concluded that the lot conditions represent a hardship not created by the property owner and that the existing placement would have the least impact on adjacent owners. She noted the HOA requires screening; the applicant has planted trees and may need additional landscaping to satisfy the HOA.

Applicant Mead Moore testified he and his wife have owned and improved the property for 13 years and described landscaping investments and efforts to screen the greenhouse after the HOA removed mature trees. "We want our house beautiful," Moore said, and said he planted fast‑growing arborvitae to screen the structure but that moving the greenhouse or adding additional trees would either compromise the trees' longevity or crowd his raised garden beds.

Board members asked whether accessory‑structure size or attachment would change the code requirement and whether the town could impose HOA screening; staff answered that the accessory‑structure definition is a detached structure incidental to the principal building and that screening requirements are private HOA rules, not a zoning condition the town must impose. The planner also described two alternatives the applicant could pursue — permanently attaching the greenhouse to a structural element of the house or relocating it — but staff said both options were impractical or more impactful to neighbors.

After discussion the board moved and seconded the staff‑proposed motion. The clerk recorded affirmative roll‑call votes and the board approved the variance (affirmative responses recorded in sequence). Edens said the official decision would be filed and the town will send the applicant a letter next week documenting the conditions of approval.

The board's approval is limited to the zoning variance described in the motion and includes the condition that the applicant submit an as‑built/site plan showing the greenhouse and all existing setbacks. Any HOA requirements remain a private matter to be resolved between the homeowner and the HOA.