Williamson County board approves 44.48-foot front-yard setback variance for South Harpeth Road property

The Williamson County Board of Zoning Appeals voted Feb. 26, 2026, to grant a 44.48-foot front-yard setback variance for the property listed as 0 South Harpeth Road, allowing homeowners Janice and Samuel Politz to locate their house atop the parcel's gentlest slope.

Staff read the report and displayed aerial images and site plans. Janice Politz told the board she and her husband moved to Tennessee to be near family and that two neighboring parcels belong to their children; they said siting the house near the top of the lot would reduce the number of steps required to access the front door and allow for future ramp construction.

Politz described the lot's slope and the location of approved septic fields as constraints on moving the house: "It really does slope off to the side headed down toward the creek," she said, and noted that beyond about 20–30 feet from the proposed footprint the ground drops off significantly. Staff pointed out the site plan shows 1-foot contour lines; Member Matthew Roberts summarized the elevation change, saying that shifting the house could create an 11- to 12-foot difference from front to back.

Board members also discussed an existing power line and utility relocation work the power company had marked in the field. Matthew Roberts moved to approve the requested 44.48-foot variance due to the topography and septic-field constraints; Secretary Karen Emerson-McPeak seconded and the motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

The minutes record no public speakers on the item. The board adjourned after completing the agenda.