Neighbors oppose Snow Hill Road setback reduction as board approves variance for parcel 37A

The Seminole County Board of Adjustment approved a front-yard setback variance for parcel 37A on Snow Hill Road on Tuesday after an extended public-comment period in which neighbors raised concerns about access easements and road safety.

Staff explained that the lot is a legal parcel of record and therefore met lot-size requirements that removed the need for two earlier variance requests; the remaining request would allow a roughly 2,400-square-foot single-family dwelling to encroach 10 feet into the required 50-foot front setback. The board heard four written oppositions and three residents spoke at the hearing.

Joyce Jones, who listed her address as 873 Snow Hill Road, said she opposed reducing the setback and asked why the parcel should be treated differently from others in the neighborhood: "I don't think there was a home on both parcels... I would like for it to stay at 50 ft." She told the board the community wants consistent setbacks so house placement does not appear staggered.

Long-time resident Martha Bellamy, who said she has lived on Snow Hill Road for 60 years, described safety concerns about road width and heavy truck traffic and said neighbors had spent money to improve gravel surfaces: "Snow Hill is busy now... It's real busy and coming off the hill is school buses and trucks and big old trucks." She said changes that shift house placement closer to the roadway would worsen those impacts for older residents.

Applicant Brian Faucher told the board he had been working to address access easement questions with neighboring property owners and said a recorded 25-foot easement on an adjoining parcel may provide the required road access rather than cutting across parcel 37A.

County Attorney McQueen advised the board that easement and civil-access disputes are not for the board to resolve; the board's role is limited to applying the variance criteria in the Seminole County land development code. Multiple board members echoed that distinction, noting access and easement issues are civil matters and not a basis to deny a variance that meets code criteria.

After discussion, a motion to approve the 50 ft to 40 ft front-yard setback reduction carried on a voice vote.

What happens next: The approval allows the applicant to pursue building permits subject to applicable building-code and permit requirements. Any party aggrieved by the board's decision may appeal to the Board of County Commissioners within 15 days, staff said.