Walton Hills board approves variance for backyard accessory structure with conditions

The Walton Hills Board of Appeals approved an area variance on June 25, 2025 that will allow an accessory structure to be sited contrary to the rear-yard setback requirement, the board said at a Village Hall hearing.

The applicant, identified in the record as the property owner, told the board he has lived at the property for years and described a need for the additional garage/storage structure. The hearing record shows the building inspector received the variance application on June 2, 2025 and that board members inspected the site in late June. The applicant said he provided letters from neighbors in support; the transcript records a neighbor (Mrs. James) as saying she had no problem with the construction.

Board members discussed whether the lot already contained accessory structures (the record mentions a shed and a treehouse) and questioned whether the proposed location would affect emergency access. One board member asked whether there was an alternative route for emergency egress without going through the backyard; the applicant responded that “there's enough room for stretchers,” according to the transcript.

After returning from a short private session, a motion to approve the variance was made and seconded; the motion included an additional condition related to the existing building (the full condition text is not recorded in the transcript). The board announced the motion was approved. The transcript does not record the names of the motion mover or seconder or a precise vote tally.

The board set conditions that include a 12-month timeframe referenced in the record and discussed removal or modification of any above-grade elements if they exceed the approved scope. The transcript records board guidance that items above grade may need to be removed and that at-grade elements may remain, but the exact compliance steps were not fully specified in the hearing record.

The hearing record cites local code references related to accessory-use regulations (recorded in the transcript as section 1266 and related code lines) and notes that appropriate public notices were issued and a hearing date set for June 25 at Village Hall.

After the variance vote, the board moved to routine housekeeping business, including nominations; a nomination was made for Steven to serve as secretary. The transcript does not list further enforcement steps or a recorded date by which the applicant must meet the conditions beyond the 12-month reference.