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Small front‑setback addition approved for Chesapeake Ranch Estates house
Summary
The board approved a variance reducing a 15‑foot front setback to 8 feet for an 11×24 addition at 1147 Monterey Road, finding steep slopes, buffer and topography left only the front as feasible build area; the vote was unanimous.
The Calvert County Board of Appeals approved a variance on Feb. 6, 2025, allowing a small addition on a 1977 house at 1147 Monterey Road in Chesapeake Ranch Estates.
Jeff Toole of COA Barrett LLC said the home sits near steep slopes and a stream buffer, and that expanding to the rear would encroach on sensitive areas. "The proposal before the board this morning... is just to add a small addition on the front of an existing house," Toole said, explaining that the closed‑in lot and the house’s existing position make the front the only practical location for modest expansion. The owner, Richard F. Ballard, described recent investments including a new septic system and said the addition was needed for livability and to secure habitable space.
Board members reviewed the standard variance criteria and noted neighbor support and health‑department approvals. With no public opposition and the applicant showing the addition to be the minimal necessary adjustment, the board closed the record and voted unanimously to grant the variance.
