Zoning Board of Adjustments unanimously grants variance for ADU at 1919 East Mallory Street

The Pensacola Zoning Board of Adjustments voted unanimously to grant a variance that will let the property at 1919 East Mallory Street increase rear‑yard coverage from 25% to 34% to enclose an existing carport and create an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

At the meeting the board’s chair opened case ZBA2026‑001 and the city attorney swore in the applicant, who identified himself as Jordan Yee and gave his address for the record. Yee told the board the homeowners had originally considered a two‑story accessory structure but that the existing carport’s proximity to rear and side property lines made a two‑story build infeasible. "When we were first approached by Mr. Gillum and his wife, Kim Choate, they were interested in creating an enclosed garage out of the existing carport...the existing carport was too close to the rear and side property lines to allow a two‑story structure to meet the current code," Yee said, and presented multiple letters of neighbor support that he said were submitted electronically and in hard copy.

A board member who led questioning provided rough calculations to contextualize the request, saying the lot is about 11,000 square feet and estimating the main house at roughly 2,000 square feet with the accessory building at about 800 square feet, leaving total built area under roughly 3,000 square feet (under about 30% lot coverage). The member noted that the instant matter concerns the 25% rear‑yard coverage limit in the R1AAA district and not a separate district‑wide lot coverage limit.

During deliberations board members said the request met the board’s seven variance criteria: they cited special circumstances including the house’s unusually deep front setback and the preexisting carport location, described the variance as the minimum relief necessary to allow use comparable to other single‑family properties that may establish ADUs, and said the change appeared unlikely to harm the neighborhood or streetscape. One board member observed that the proposal would be largely invisible from Mallory Street and that several nearby neighbors had expressed support.

A motion to approve was made and seconded; after brief final remarks the chair called for the vote and announced the variance was granted unanimously. The board did not read a roll‑call of individual votes on the record in this transcript; the board had earlier stated a rule that five favorable votes are required to grant a variance.

After the decision, members briefly discussed that lot‑coverage variance requests are common and noted the city’s new land development code and zoning overlay include adjustments intended to reduce repeated variance requests by allowing certain encroachments by right under specific triggers.

The board closed the meeting after a motion to adjourn.