Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Setback Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BOZA approves variance to allow roof modification at 277 6th Street
Summary
The Board of Zoning Adjustment approved a variance for a roof modification at 277 6th Street that will leave the north interior side setback at about 3.8 feet (below the 5-foot minimum) after staff recommended approval citing historical easement complications and neighbor support; vote was 4-0.
The Boulder Board of Zoning Adjustment approved a pair of setback variances to allow a roof modification at 277 6th Street, finding that historical easement issues and a long-standing nonconforming condition justified the modest relief.
Robbie Wyler presented the staff recommendation for docket BOZ2026-0002, explaining the application seeks variances to the minimum interior side north setback and to the combined side-yard setback for a principal building in the RL1 zoning district. Wyler said the proposed interior side north setback would be approximately 3.8 feet where 5 feet is required; the combined side-yard calculation likewise results in a 3.8-foot north setback where 6.7 feet would be required to meet the 15-foot combined standard. Wyler noted a complex easement history (including a vacated 10-foot city easement referenced in a 1971 variance) and one letter of support from the most-impacted neighbor; staff recommended approval based on H1 and H5 criteria.
Kim Cattau of Slope Architecture, representing the homeowners, told the board the lower-level ceiling in the affected area is "barely over seven and a half feet" and that the existing dead-flat roof has caused ongoing leaks. "If we're going to invest in this lower level, we want to make it function and be waterproof," she said. The owners want to raise the roof slightly to create slope and fix chronic leakage rather than removing wall area that would otherwise be necessary to meet strict setbacks.
Board members agreed the request was minimal and driven by the property's unique history. Sean Haney and others said the lot's constrained configuration, tied to an earlier easement and variance history, made strict compliance impractical. Drew Eisenberg moved to approve BOZ2026-0002; Sean Haney seconded and the board voted 4-0 (Drew: aye; Sean: aye; Craig: aye; Katie: aye).
The decision allows the homeowners to proceed with a roof replacement that staff said will be verified through building permit review. The board also noted the property's recorded lot size (about 6,383 square feet) is somewhat below a typical RL1 parcel and that the requested work does not increase floor area or building coverage.
