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Board approves special exception allowing two accessory buildings to remain at recreational property
Summary
The Adams County Board of Adjustment approved a special exception under section 405-12C to allow two pre-existing accessory structures — described as a pavilion and an insulated storage building — to remain at 2274 15th Lane without a primary residence. The town of Adams offered no objection provided county regulations are met.
The Adams County Board of Adjustment approved a special-exception request by Robert and Laura McKinnel to allow two pre-existing accessory buildings to remain on a property used for recreational camping at 2274 15th Lane.
Staff introduced the application under section 405-12C of the Adams County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and said the town of Adams initially tabled the item but later told county staff it would not take a position provided county zoning regulations are met. The applicants purchased the property in March 2026 and submitted documentation including aerial photos and other exhibits.
Michael Cinta, an attorney with the law offices of Zimmer and Rens, represented the applicants and told the board the pavilion appears in aerial photos dating at least to 1998 and that neighbors suggested parts of the structures could date to 1989. Cinta characterized one structure as a screened pavilion and the other as an insulated storage building (not a mobile home or dwelling) and said the applicants proposed conditions that would prevent the insulated building from being connected to wastewater or used for human habitation.
Board members asked about an RV transfer container (the property’s approved holding tank) and about whether campers on site would be required to hook to the container; staff explained camper hookup and RV transfer container rules depend on length of stay and are serviced "as needed." Cinta said the insulated building would not be connected to sanitary systems and the applicants would use a camper for lodging when people are on-site.
A motion to approve the special-exception application passed; board members who supported approval said the structures predated the purchase and the request met the ordinance criteria for a special exception. Staff said approval would allow issuance of zoning permits to make the property conforming. The transcript records the board’s approval but does not include a numeric vote tally.
What happens next: staff will verify whether a zoning permit application is on file and will reach out to the applicants to complete any permit steps required to make the accessory structures conforming under county code.
