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Commission backs allowing staff approval for rear residential projects
Summary
The commission recommended a text amendment allowing staff to approve residential building projects that are at the rear of homes and not visible from the public right of way, reducing routine workload for the Architectural Review Board while preserving ARB review for visible or larger projects.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 14 voted unanimously to recommend a text amendment that would allow city staff to approve certain residential building and construction projects—specifically work at the rear of homes not visible from the public right of way—without Architectural Review Board review.
Whitney Kelly said the change follows direction from the Architectural Review Board and the recently adopted residential architectural design guidelines: permitting staff approval for rear‑of‑house projects would reduce the ARB’s workload while still allowing the board to review projects that are visible from the right of way, large additions, or those that raise specific concerns. "...we are proposing a text amendment that would allow staff approval for those projects that are at the rear of the home and not visible from the public right of way," Kelly said.
Commissioners generally supported the measure as a way to streamline review. Commissioner Foreman said staff capacity and clearer design guidance justify the change; Commissioner Carlin agreed. Commissioner Lisa Sherring moved to recommend approval; Mark Fazza seconded. The roll‑call vote was unanimous. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Aldermen.
Staff said applicants and the public may still request ARB review and that text amendments would be subject to additional refinement as needed in the ordinance language.
