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BMZA approves variance to enclose porch at 2045 Shirley Avenue after applicant cites safety concerns
Summary
The zoning appeals board granted a variance to enclose a front porch at 2045 Shirley Avenue, concluding the lot’s irregular shape creates practical difficulty; the appellant, identified in the record as Julio Rivera, said recurring dumping motivated the enclosure and described planned insulation.
The Baltimore City Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals on July 7 approved variances allowing an enclosed front porch and a rear deck at 2045 Shirley Avenue.
Planning presented the case (261322485) and recommended approval, noting the lot’s trapezoidal and irregular shape and that enclosing the porch would eliminate a previously permitted encroachment and thus requires a variance.
Appellant Julio Rivera testified that he has experienced recurring dumping, including bags of trash and dead animals, and described the proposed enclosure using the existing porch footprint with R-16 insulation to improve safety and habitability.
A board member moved to adopt planning’s findings; the board voted to approve the requested variances. The board concluded the property’s shape and conditions create a practical difficulty in complying with the strict terms of the zoning code and approved the relief requested.
Why it matters: the variance resolves a safety and nuisance concern raised by the property owner and permits an enclosure that will change the building’s street-facing appearance; the written resolution will enumerate any conditions attached to the approval.
The board closed the docket and took the record off the record at the hearing’s end.
